Smithsonian Channel Pick of the Week

Latest Episodes:

Why It's So Risky Docking a Ship in This Jamaican Port Jan 08, 2018

Show notes

Steering a ship the size of the MSC Divina into a tricky port like Ocho Rios, in the western Caribbean, requires the harbor pilot on hand to assist. One problem: He's nowhere to be found.

How the Largest Earthwork in the Western Hemisphere Was Built Jan 01, 2018

Show notes

Located in southern Illinois, Monks Mound is a massive earthen structure, made entirely of clay, a material that tends to shrink and collapse over time. How, then, has this monument not collapsed?

Chilling Footage of the 1989 Cypress Freeway Collapse Jan 01, 2018

Show notes

The Oakland fire department rushed to the scene of the Cypress Freeway, after the 1989 San Francisco Earthquake hits. They were greeted by a catastrophe of collapsed concrete and trapped cars.

Why Do Insects Hate the Smell of Peppermint? Dec 25, 2017

Show notes

The stick bug primarily depends on its camouflage to avoid predators. But when enemies get too close, this insect deploys peppermint as a last resort.

Gay or Straight? Show Me Your Fingers Dec 18, 2017

Show notes

Two scientists in Sydney, Australia, believe men and women have different finger length ratios due to testosterone levels. Not only that, they think it's a predictor of sexual orientation.

Were Sacrificial Rituals Performed in These Bogs? Dec 04, 2017

Show notes

The ancient roads that lead into the peat bogs of central Ireland were impressive, but mystifying. For one thing, some of them just end in the middle of nowhere. Why?

A Cruise Ship Chef Hunts for Big Fish. Will He Succeed? Dec 04, 2017

Show notes

As luxury liner Europa 2 docks into port, its chef de cuisine has a major challenge ahead: prepare lunch for his very discerning clientele, while also impressing his boss - whom he's meeting for the first time.

Did Nazis Hide Loot Beneath This Giant Polish Castle? Nov 27, 2017

Show notes

Ksiaz Castle in southern Poland sits atop a remarkable complex of underground tunnels built by the Nazis in 1944. Some experts believe these tunnels hold a still undiscovered secret... but what?

Elephants Can Afford to Be Picky About This Kind of Fruit Nov 27, 2017

Show notes

A single marula tree can provide up to 1.5 tons of fruit each season--as much as 90,000 fruits. That works well for the average elephant who needs to consume 6% of its own body weight each day and prefers only the ripest fruits.

How Princess Diana Prepared Her Son for the Paparazzi Nov 20, 2017

Show notes

With the birth of Prince William in 1982, the future of the Royal Family was secured. But the young heir's first challenge was one his mother, Diana, was uniquely equipped to address: handling photographers.