The appendix may not be as useless as commonly thought.

Our host, Eric Schulze, has the answer

Who’s afraid of the dark? Our Ask Smithsonian host Eric Schulze is here to explain the illuminating science behind night vision.

High-speed video captures the unique ability of a leaping praying mantis to control its spin in mid-air and precisely land on a target.

The Siberian jay screeches at predators when they are near, but uses a different call for each deadly intruder

Archaeologists in Saqqara make a dazzling discovery: a late period Egyptian coffin with a gilded mask. Now, to bring it to the surface, they use a pulley known as a "tambora," a technology that dates back to Ancient Egypt

What are freckles, and how do they form? In this one-minute video, our Ask Smithsonian host, Eric Schulze, shines a light on the subject.

See the process involved when a massive specimen arrives at the Smithsonian

In this one-minute video, our Ask Smithsonian host, Eric Schulze, explains what causes wind. The answer might blow you away.

Much more than you’d think – and it’s whirling around at dangerously high speeds

The answer depends on how you feel about cluster headaches

It depends on which variety of boomerang you're using. Our host Eric Schulze has more

Watch to get the answer that surprised the heck out of us

Our host explains why you should never say ‘no’ to a hungry pregnant woman

The science behind earworms and why they won’t leave us alone

Take a calming breath, then watch this video to find out

Building captive colonies for eventual re-introduction to the wild, scientists from Atlanta rescue endangered frogs and other amphibians threatened with extinction by a fatal fungus spreading through South American forests

The Liège-Guillemins railway station looks like it belongs far in the future: a vast curving monolith of glass, steel and concrete curves extending high above the train tracks. Just as astonishing as its design is the fact that it was built while the normal train schedules continued, with no disruption.

How many of your questions can our host, Eric Schulze, answer in 45 seconds?

http://smithsonian.com/ask Now it's your turn to ask the Institution's experts your questions about science, history, art or culture

Scientists have created thin polymer sheets that expand and contract when in contact with water

Smithsonian magazine covers history, science and culture in the way only it can — through a lens on the world that is insightful and grounded in richly reported stories. On There's More to That, meet the magazine's journalists and hear how they discover the forces behind the biggest issues of our time. 

Our skin is an endlessly complex organ. Luckily, in this one-minute video, our Ask Smithsonian host Eric Schulze is here to explain exactly what happens after you get a scrape.

Take a virtual tour of the Kangaroo Conservation Center in Dawsonville, Georgia

We asked visitors to the National Mall what they thought should be in the Smithsonian collections in 2050. The consensus? Lady Gaga and much more...

A large portion of Indiana's economy relies on an invaluable crop: corn. Popcorn plants like Pop Weaver have perfected the production of our favorite movie snack down to a science.

"Be prepared” might not cover it when it comes to super storms.

Aerial America: Wilderness premieres Sunday, Sept. 7 at 9PM ET/PT

Our host, Eric Schulze explains how 1 + 1 = 0 when it comes to sound

Why the American Ingenuity Award winner believes higher education should be a basic human right

When did we start getting cuddly with cats? And have those tabbies really been tamed? In this one-minute video, Ask Smithsonian host Eric Schulze investigates the surprising history and science behind today’s house cat.

Carefully planned gardens provide visitors a place to relax and reflect during their visit to the Smithsonian.

So what exactly factors into how we end up being right or left-handed? In this one-minute video, Ask Smithsonian host Eric Schulze breaks down the science of being a southpaw.

You might think twice about picking that chip off the carpet and putting it into your mouth.

Selected by William Coupon for our special issue, this up-and-coming photographer discusses her work

Host Eric Schulze digs into the science behind these depressions.

Saber toothed cats, temperature and things that go bump in the night, Eric Schulze explains

Author Harold Holzer discusses Abraham Lincoln's presidency and the President's lasting impact on modern American politics and nostalgia (Meredith Bragg). Read more at http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/life-of-lincoln.html

To find out, we need to get down to the basics. Eric Schulze explains

Five categories (People, Arts, Nature, Travel and Mobile) and a grand prize of $2,000.

Our giant of a host, Eric Schulze, explains why size mattered in prehistory.

Learn more about color blindness: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ask-smithsonian-how-does-world-look-the-color-blind-180960415/ Have a question in mind? It's your turn to Ask Smithsonian: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ask-smithsonian/ask-form/

We asked visitors to the National Mall what they thought should be in the Smithsonian collections in 2050. The consensus? Lady Gaga and much more...

Have you ever wondered if the Leaning Tower of Pisa is a catastrophe waiting to happen? In this one-minute video, Ask Smithsonian host Eric Schulze explains how architects and engineers spent the last eight hundred years or so making things go from bad to worse, bringing the gravity-defying tower to the brink of disaster

Historically feared by humans, brown bears were once aggressively hunted in the contiguous U.S. Because of this, 95% of these majestic creatures live in Alaska.

Researchers from South Korea have discovered a unconventional way to produce gasoline.

Are you the kind of person who needs to know what keeps satellites from plummeting to the Earth in a big, fiery ball? Then you need to watch this one-minute video, where Ask Smithsonian host Eric Schulze gives us the lowdown on what-in-the-name-of-science makes those satellites stay up.

The naked stone is on exhibit at the Natural History museum through next spring

Can quicksand really swallow you up, or does that just happen in the movies? Host Eric Schulze dives in to separate science fact from science fiction."