Smithsonian Channel
A Cheetah Changes His Hunting Strategy in a Surprising Way
- Title
- A Cheetah Changes His Hunting Strategy in a Surprising Way
- Runtime
- 2:47
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- At Kafue National Park, one cheetah has adapted his hunting strategy to find more prey: he hunts in the forest, instead of the open plains. This flexibility is good news for the future of Africa’s most endangered big cat.
From the Series: Guardians of the Wild: Carnivore Rescue http://bit.ly/2WNKWZr
- Title
- Boston and New York Competed for America’s First Subway
- Runtime
- 3:02
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- In March 1895, Boston and New York City began an epic and highly competitive race to become the first American city with a working subway system.
From the Series: Aerial America: Boston http://bit.ly/2rd1crm
- Title
- These Baboon Couples Are Affectionate All Year Round
- Runtime
- 2:45
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- Kinda male-female bonds appear stronger than in other baboon species. This is apparent in the amount of time they spend grooming each other – even outside the mating season.
From the Series: Guardians of the Wild: The Mating Game http://bitly.com/38RPjIr
- Title
- The Terrifying Physics of WWII Dive Bombing
- Runtime
- 3:54
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- The act of dive bombing during World War II was a death defying trial of skill and nerve. You aimed your plane down, four miles above the ocean, and plummeted at speeds of up to 275 miles per hour.
From the Show: Battle of Midway http://bit.ly/2Jl5D9t
- Title
- How Soap Box Racing Became a National Craze
- Runtime
- 2:02
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- In 1934, soapbox racing was all the rage, as teenagers raced homemade wooden cars in their local neighborhoods. By 1936, 100,000 fans attended the finals of the National Soapbox Derby.
From the Series: America in Color: Small Town Life http://bit.ly/36uMGKP
- Title
- This Beaver Secretion Was Thought to Cure Ailments
- Runtime
- 2:33
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- Beavers secrete a substance known as castoreum, which they use to keep their fur waterproof. This made them a target for medieval doctors who used it as a remedy for ulcers, fevers and even rheumatism.
From the Series: Wild Castles: Heidelburg
- Title
- The Best Time for a Predator to Catch a Moorish Gecko
- Runtime
- 2:56
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- The Moorish geckos, which inhabit the grounds and walls of Carcassonne, are pretty successful at evading predators. But they can also be vulnerable at key moments in their life – such as when they’re moulting.
From the Series: Wild Castles: Carcassonne
- Title
- A Passenger Faces Terrifying Choices on a Burning Ship
- Runtime
- 3:07
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- A man finds himself trapped in the cargo deck of the Norman Atlantic on December 28, 2014, with a fire bearing down on him. He has to make a decision: stay and evade the flames or jump into the sea.
From the Series: Disasters at Sea: Firefight http://bitly.com/39OXEgw
- Title
- How Heidelberg Went from University to Falcon Nesting Site
- Runtime
- 3:41
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- In the middle ages, Heidelberg castle was a center of learning, the birthplace of the first university in Germany. Today, it’s a birthplace of a different kind: peregrine falcons.
From the Series: Wild Castles: Heidelburg
- Title
- Crucifixion Became a Very Popular Roman Spectator Sport
- Runtime
- 3:41
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- The newly-discovered Lex Puteolana tablet helps us understand the ritual and economics of crucifixion in the Roman world. But it also reveals how it evolved into a spectator sport.
From the Series: Secrets: Crucifixion Mystery http://bit.ly/36FSXTY
- Title
- Warthogs Have the Tools to Survive in a Drought
- Runtime
- 2:16
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- Of all the herbivores of the Luangwa, warthogs are best equipped to deal with a drought: they’re natural born diggers, with snouts like trowels, that help them reach buried roots and dormant bulbs.
From the Series: The Big Dry: Life in the Furnace http://bit.ly/2qsla0D
- Title
- Investigators Scour the Ocean Floor for the El Faro Wreck
- Runtime
- 3:13
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- Investigators looking into the 2015 sinking of container ship El Faro are on the hunt for the vessel’s voyage data recorder – a canister the size of a large coffee can.
From the Series: Disasters at Sea: Storm Watch
- Title
- This Man Was Tried in Tennessee for Teaching Evolution
- Runtime
- 2:38
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- In July 1925, a young science teacher named John Scopes was in court, accused of contravening the Butler Act – a Tennessee law that prohibited the teaching of evolution in schools.
From the Series: America in Color: Crimes of the Century http://bit.ly/2YozRPm
- Title
- Baked Beans are a Booming Business in Great Britain
- Runtime
- 1:46
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- More baked beans are eaten in Britain than anywhere else on earth. In fact, demand is so high that one factory in Wigan produces over three million cans a day.
From the Series: Inside the Factory: Beans http://bitly.com/30lCwKp
- Title
- The Crazy Amount of Kit Kats Eaten By the British Every Year
- Runtime
- 1:30
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- In the UK, over 1 billion bars of Kit Kat are produced each year. To maintain that level of production, this chocolate factory brings in 120 tonnes of cocoa beans every single day.
From the Series: Inside the Factory: Chocolate http://bitly.com/30lCwKp
- Title
- Why Standing Still is Nearly as Bad as Being Crucified
- Runtime
- 3:46
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- In Denmark, a scientist has set his sights on studying the effects of standing in one position for a prolonged period of time – an effect similar to the early stages of crucifixion.
From the Series: Secrets: Crucifixion Mystery http://bitly.com/36FSXTY
- Title
- An Engineless Ship Gets Caught in a Category 3 Storm
- Runtime
- 3:06
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- It’s September 29, 2015 and the container ship El Faro is caught in a category 3 storm. Suddenly, the ship’s main engine sputters and stops, leaving the ship at the mercy of the waves.
From the Series: Disasters at Sea: Storm Watch
- Title
- This Ingredient is Key for British Christmas Cakes
- Runtime
- 1:29
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- These factory cake makers produce up to 50 tins of cake mix, each minute. Then, it’s time to tamp the surface to make sure it’s flat enough for the essential ingredient.
From the Show: Inside the Factory: Cakes http://bitly.com/30lCwKp
- Title
- Scientists Didn't Know Much About Earthquakes Before 1933
- Runtime
- 3:31
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- On March 10, 1933, a major earthquake caught the Los Angeles area by surprise. The devastation was of sufficient scale to spur scientific interest in earthquakes – and how to predict them.
From the Series: America in Color: Disasters http://bit.ly/2rcpFwD
- Title
- How to Make Traditional Christmas Baubles
- Runtime
- 2:09
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- Meet one of the few traditional bauble-makers left in England. All with the help of a furnace, a deft hand with molten glass and a dedication to artisanal crafts.
From the Show: Inside the Christmas Factory: Cakes http://bitly.com/30lCwKp
- Title
- This Orangutan Baby House Moves to a New Location
- Runtime
- 3:13
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- It’s moving day at jungle school – which means a lot more caretakers, veterinarians, and commotion than usual. Their destination: a brand new nursery classroom in another section of the jungle.
From the Series: Orangutan Jungle School: A Whole New World http://bit.ly/3494vhQ
- Title
- Elephants Arrive at Their New Home After a Long Trip
- Runtime
- 2:41
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- Two elephants have finally arrived at their new home after a long and tiring ride in the back of a truck. Now, it’s time to get them off the vehicle and into a stable where they can get some rest.
From the Series: Guardians of the Wild: The Big Move http://bit.ly/2nWv2Pf
- Title
- Underground Termite Nests Are No Problem for Sloth Bears
- Runtime
- 3:21
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- Sloth bears are prolific insectivores, and termites are a particular favorite. One problem is that termite nests can be as hard as concrete – no easy barrier for most animals.
From the Series: Into the Wild India: The Sloth Bear's Dilemma http://bit.ly/30HTxhj
- Title
- A Scandalous Affair Threatens to Tear the Royal Family Apart
- Runtime
- 2:34
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- In the 1930s, the British Royal Family was wracked by scandal: Prince Henry had embarked on an affair with a married woman named Beryl Markham, and now details of this affair were threatening to spill out.
From the Private Lives of the Windsors: Family First http://bit.ly/2OB7ASv
- Title
- How Idlewild Courted the Black Middle Class in the 1930s
- Runtime
- 1:48
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- By the 1930s, the black middle class had arrived, with the purchasing power to match. Sensing an opportunity, developers established Idlewild: a summer resort aimed exclusively at African-Americans.
From the Series: America in Color: Small Town Life http://bitly.com/36uMGKP
- Title
- An Orangutan Breakout Leads to Mayhem Before Bedtime
- Runtime
- 2:49
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- A 9-year old orangutan has pried open a section of the fence, allowing many of the other young orangutans to escape. Rounding them up is going to be a major headache.
From the Series: Orangutan Jungle School: Weighs and Means http://bit.ly/2MsHtgo
- Title
- The Bargain That Lured American Settlers to Texas
- Runtime
- 3:37
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- In the early 1800s, the Mexican government enticed Americans to move to Texas with the promise of land. The only condition: the settlers had to renounce their U.S. citizenship and declare their allegiance to Mexico.
From the Series: Aerial America: Dallas-Fort Worth http://bitly.com/38thDkf
- Title
- This is the Fastest Mince Pie-Making Operation We’ve Ever Seen
- Runtime
- 1:31
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- Mince pies are a Christmas staple in the UK, seemingly consumed at all hours of the festive season. To keep up with demand, this factory uses automation to churn them out at an astonishing rate.
From the Series: Inside the Factory: Mince Pies http://bitly.com/30lCwKp
- Title
- You Won’t Believe How Many Yule Logs Come Out of This Factory
- Runtime
- 2:06
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- If you’re from the UK, you’ll need no introduction to Yule Logs. To make this tasty festive treat, a factory uses a combination of machine and human hands to churn out over 4,000 each hour.
From the Series: Inside the Factory: Mince Pies http://bitly.com/30lCwKp
- Title
- Cleopatra Suffered Two Calamitous Events in One Year
- Runtime
- 3:33
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- In 44 BC, a series of calamities befell Egypt under Cleopatra: from a devastating drought that brought famine to the land, to a political fallout with the Roman empire after the death of Julius Caesar.
From the Series: Secrets: Egypt's Apocalypse Volcano http://bitly.com/2shotIX
- Title
- Why Gibbons Can’t Survive on a Diet of Green Leaves Alone
- Runtime
- 2:45
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- It’s lunch time for this gibbon family and a wild banana tree is just the ticket. While one third of gibbon diet consists of shoots and leaves, it’s really fruit that provides them with the calories they need.
From the Series: Into the Wild: Growing Up Gibbon http://bit.ly/2zbcL2M
- Title
- A Herd of Elephants Interrupt a Feasting Lion Pride
- Runtime
- 2:30
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- A powerful group of lions, the Nsefu pride, are busy digging into a recent buffalo kill when they are disturbed by a herd of elephants. Both sides immediately switch to high alert.
From the Series: Tales From Zambia: Chilema and Her Brother http://bit.ly/2Y5t1k0
- Title
- The Puritans Were Not Tolerant of Other Religions
- Runtime
- 3:00
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- In 1630, the Puritans fled England to the Massachusetts coast, looking to evade religious persecution. Within 20 years, they had become the persecutors, directing their wrath at the Quakers.
From the Series: Aerial America: Boston http://bitly.com/2rd1crm
- Title
- Why Hovering is a Key Skill for the Pied Kingfisher
- Runtime
- 2:20
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- The pied kingfisher is the largest bird in the world that is able to hover without using air currents. This means it doesn’t need a perch to hunt for fish, but can do so from the middle of a lake.
From the Series: Tales From Zambia: The Valley of the Brids http://bitly.com/2RqJADn
- Title
- The Fishy Reason this Ancient Roman City was so Wealthy
- Runtime
- 3:58
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- Archaeologists know that Neapolis used to be a major trading hub for the ancient Roman empire – but what did they trade?
From the Series: Secrets: Rome's Sunken City http://bitly.com/2DNwJD7
- Title
- This is the Largest Mammal Migration in the World
- Runtime
- 2:54
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- Fruit bats, nicknamed flying foxes, don’t do things in half measures: 10 million of them migrate to Zambia, during which time they will devour over a billion waterberries.
From the Series: Tales From Zambia: Africa's Eden http://bit.ly/2X8LqYD
- Title
- How This School Prepares Orphan Orangutans for the Wild
- Runtime
- 3:48
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- In Borneo, orphan orangutans are sent to a unique school in Kalimantan. There, they’ll be cared for in the early years of their life, and then later trained for a return to the wild.
From the Series: Orangutan Jungle School: And So it Begins http://bit.ly/2GzXHQc
- Title
- Justice for Medgar Evers Comes 30 Years After His Murder
- Runtime
- 2:51
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- In 1963, civil rights leader Medgar Evers arrived home when he was shot and killed. It would be over 30 years before his killer was brought to justice.
From the Series: America in Color: Crimes of the Century http://bitly.com/2YozRPm
- Title
- A 600-Mile Journey Across Alaska Saves the Town of Nome
- Runtime
- 2:25
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- In 1925, an Alaskan adventurer and his trusted Siberian husky completed a grueling 600-mile journey across the frozen plains. Their exploits would end up saving the lives of 2,000 people.
From the Series: America in Color: Alaska http://bitly.com/2r4VJDe
- Title
- The Staggering Amount of Sugar Beets Used to Make Sugar
- Runtime
- 1:20
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- Over half of all the sugar consumed in the UK is made of sugar beets. One sweet factory in Norfolk, England gets through millions of beets every year.
From the Series: Inside the Factory: Sweets http://bitly.com/30lCwKp
- Title
- Rare Footage Shows a Warmer Side to Winston Churchill
- Runtime
- 1:11
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- After a series of political setbacks, Churchill retreats to his Kent country estate to recharge his batteries. It’s an idyllic family holiday, far from the ups-and-downs of frontline politics.
From the Series: Britain in Color: Churchill http://bitly.com/2qlDOrr
- Title
- How a Horse Carving is Linked to the Sinking of Eagle 56
- Runtime
- 3:34
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- A relative of the captain of U853, a German submarine believed to have sunk the Eagle 56, offers an intriguing clue: the carving of a horse, eerily similar to a symbol reported by the Eagle 56 crew.
From the Series: The Hunt for Eagle 56: History Rewritten http://bit.ly/2nKKbU0
- Title
- A Biologist Studies a New Species of Baboon
- Runtime
- 4:06
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- An American biologist sets out to study the little-known Kinda baboon species – and this involves getting close to them in their natural habitat. Everything is of interest, from their fur patterns to their mannerisms.
From the Series: Guardians of the Wild: Zambia's Peaceful Primates http://bit.ly/31meDl0
- Title
- Casey Anderson's Wild Tracks 104: Scavenger Showdown
- Runtime
- 3:44
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- Wildlife expert Casey Anderson has a golden rule for finding action in the Montana wilderness: Follow the scavengers. When an animal dies, it's often the ravens and magpies who are the first to find out--and on this occasion, they lead him to a gargantuan haul.
From the Series: Casey Anderson's Wild Tracks: Scavenger Showdown
- Title
- Casey Anderson's Wild Tracks 103: Wolves on the Hunt
- Runtime
- 4:15
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- Wolves are elite hunters of the American wilderness. They can smell their unsuspecting prey from a mile away and hear them from a distance 10 times as far. Join explorer Casey Anderson as he follows a tenacious wolf pack on the trail of an unsuspecting elk herd, deep in the wilds of Montana.
From the Series: Casey Anderson's Wild Tracks: Wolves on the Hunt
- Title
- Casey Anderson's Wild Tracks 102: Secret of the Mountain Lion
- Runtime
- 3:59
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- A mountain lion drags a deer carcass back to its lair and Casey Anderson's infrared camera is there to capture the action. But the footage reveals a surprise that even the experienced adventurer didn't see coming. Take a rare look into the secret life of one of Montana's elusive big cats.
From the Series: Casey Anderson's Wild Tracks: Secret of the Mountain Lion
- Title
- Casey Anderson's Wild Tracks 101: Battle of the Bighorns
- Runtime
- 4:01
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- Gunshots in the hills of Montana? Turns out it's just bighorn sheep rams, bashing their 30-pound weapons of war together to determine who gets to mate with the waiting females. Join filmmaker Casey Anderson for a close-up look at nature's true battering rams.
From the Series: Casey Anderson's Wild Tracks: Battle of the Bighorns
- Title
- Casey Anderson's Wild Tracks 106: Ermine Tug of War
- Runtime
- 3:33
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- What's an ermine? During snowy winters, this Montana weasel turns white to blend in. But this tenacious trooper isn't changing color to avoid becoming prey--he's a predator himself. Join adventurer Casey Anderson as he zooms his lens in on this feral fighter.
From the Series: Casey Anderson's Wild Tracks: Ermine Tug of War
- Title
- Casey Anderson's Wild Tracks 105: Backyard Bison
- Runtime
- 3:40
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- Montana's extreme winters can be harsh, with temperatures of 40 below and 50-mile winds. That's where the American bison excels. With 2,000 lbs. of mass generating metabolic heat and a layered fur coat for warmth, it's perfectly at home in this subzero terrain. Brave the cold with Casey Anderson to learn more.
From the Series: Casey Anderson's Wild Tracks: Backyard Bison
- Title
- How Orphan Orangutans Get the Milk They Need
- Runtime
- 1:55
- Date posted
- 7 years ago
- Description
- At two years of age, wild young orangutans would still be suckling from their moms. But at the orangutan jungle school, a soy milk formula is the next best thing for these hungry orphans.
From the Series: Orangutan Jungle School: Movin' On Up http://bit.ly/2KnGige
