A Former Soviet Agent Becomes a Notorious Weapons Dealer
After 1991, former Soviet agent Viktor Bout set about carving a new career for himself as an arms dealer. His exploits would earn him the nickname the ‘Merchant of Death’.
May 11, 2020•3 min
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The latest in science, culture, and history from Smithsonian Channel.
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Episodes
Why the Fastest Male Grizzlies Get the Girl
Bear courtship in Yellowstone National Park happens at breakneck speed - literally. The male grizzly sets off after the female, who tries to outrun him reaching speeds of up to 35 miles an hour.
May 11, 2020•2 min
This FBI Agent Sold Secrets to the KGB for Years
In 1985, an American FBI agent began to sell intelligence to the Russians, under the alias of Ramon Garcia. It would be another 16 years before he was finally arrested by the FBI.
May 04, 2020•4 min
Why Vervet Monkeys Love Zambezi Fig Trees
Vervet monkeys find the figs of the Zambezi fig tree to be completely irresistible. And because vervets rarely stay in one place for too long, they spread the tree’s seeds far and wide.
May 04, 2020•2 min
A Navy Warship Goes Down Weeks Before the End of WWII
In the final days of WWII, Eagle 56 was on a routine assignment in the Gulf of Maine. In an instant, the ship found itself ripped in half, with most of her crew dead – but what happened?
Apr 27, 2020•1 min
A Shy Orangutan Shares Her Breakfast with a Friend
A shy orangutan makes great strides by confidently securing her share of breakfast. But she’s not above sharing her bounty of turnips with another orangutan, whom she’s befriended.
Apr 27, 2020•2 min
This Gun Was One of the Very First Machine Guns
In 1866, Hiram Maxim, an American engineer, tried out a rifle for the first time and found himself wondering how he could make it better. The result was the Maxim gun – the word’s first recoil-operated machine gun.
Apr 20, 2020•2 min
This Salt Lick Doubles as a Reunion Spot for Elephants
A herd of migrating elephants are acquiring necessary minerals like calcium and potassium from a burnt wood clearing. It’s also an impromptu reunion spot for all traveling elephant herds.
Apr 20, 2020•2 min
The FBI Investigates Soviet Deep-Cover Spies in America
Over the course of a decade, deep-cover Russian spies embedded in America collected intelligence and passed it onto their handlers. The FBI investigation into them became known as Operation Ghost Stories.
Apr 13, 2020•4 min
Orangutan Creates an Umbrella Hat to Stay Dry
Orangutans are adept at improvising and using tools – this experienced female has learnt to make a makeshift umbrella hat – useful in a storm.
Apr 13, 2020•2 min
British Intelligence Uncovers a Deadly Al-Qaeda Terror Plot
In 2006, British Intelligence were convinced that two people they were surveilling were part of an active Al-Qaeda terror cell. They were about to discover the scale of their plotting.
Apr 06, 2020•2 min
Orangutans Need to Learn to Fear Snakes
In primates, recognition of snakes is instinctive, but fear of snakes is learned. Today, caretakers of the jungle school set about teaching them.
Apr 06, 2020•2 min
The C-5 Galaxy Had a Catastrophic Design Flaw
The C-5 Galaxy is a true giant among USAF cargo planes – but its development was not without problems. Just four years after it made its debut, a serious design flaw threatened the future of the entire line.
Mar 23, 2020•3 min
How Lizards are Turning Our Knowledge of Evolution Upside Down
Lizard biologists in the Caribbean have observed a fascinating phenomenon: different lizard species across different islands appear to share specific physical traits. But how, if they've never been in contact?
Mar 23, 2020•4 min
This Fighter Plane Landing Has Never Been Attempted
The F-35B is designed to stop in midair before landing vertically on an aircraft carrier, using immense downward thrust. What’s never been attempted before is a shipborne rolling vertical landing – until now.
Mar 16, 2020•4 min
Not All Baboon Babies Are Treated Nicely
Baboons love babies – you can see it in the way the mothers carry their newborns around like royalty. But the cold reality is that their rank at birth will always determine how well they're treated within the troop.
Mar 16, 2020•3 min
The Different Teams Involved in Testing the F-35B Lightning
Testing the F-35B Lightning involves three different groups of people aboard the HMS Queen Elizabeth: British Royal Navy aircraft hands, civilian scientists and American maintainers from the Integrated Task Force.
Mar 09, 2020•3 min
A Happy Event Offers Promise for the Survival of Cheetahs
From a breeding perspective, cheetahs are one of the hardest animals to work with. That’s why the birth of two litters at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute is a huge coup for the species.
Mar 09, 2020•3 min
Aircraft Carrier Crew Face a Myriad of Risks Below Deck
Life for the crew of the HMS Queen Elizabeth is a challenging combination of cabin fever and high alertness: often confined to below deck, surrounded by potentially dangerous stockpiles of fuel and ammunition.
Mar 02, 2020•3 min
This Rabbit Never Saw It Coming
A python’s heat sense receptors have picked up a rabbit, feeding on some cabbage. It’s the perfect sized meal for an expectant mom with a clutch of eggs inside her.
Mar 02, 2020•3 min
Winged Termites Looking to Mate Become Monkey Food
After 20 hours of Luangwa rainfall, the skies begin to clear. But soon, the air is thick again with a swarm of winged termites, looking to mate. It’s an ideal feeding opportunity for a nearby troop of vervet monkeys.
Feb 24, 2020•3 min
The Crew of the Lady Mary Face a Fight to Stay Alive
On March 24, 2009, the Lady Mary was nearing the end of a successful scallop hauling expedition, when the boat began to list onto its port side. The crew braced themselves for the fight of their lives.
Feb 24, 2020•3 min
Did Modifications to This Fishing Trawler Destabilize it?
Preliminary investigations into the April 2, 2001 sinking of the Arctic Rose reveal that she previously underwent modifications to her design. Were they the reason this 93-foot fishing trawler capsized so quickly?
Feb 17, 2020•3 min
This Young Rhino is Crucial to the Revival of her Species
A young female rhino has been brought into base camp so she can recuperate and build her strength. Her value cannot be overstated – a key hope for Zambia’s endangered rhino population.
Feb 17, 2020•3 min
Was Icy Weather a Factor in This Plane's Fatal Crash?
Investigators determine that on the night of January 7, 1994, conditions were moderately icy around Port Columbus International Airport. But if other planes were able to land, why did Flight 6291 crash?
Feb 10, 2020•2 min
Undertaker Birds Defend Their Catch from an Eagle
A flock of marabou storks have stumbled on a handsome bounty: a small shoal of catfish. But their clumsy enthusiasm has attracted the attention of another opportunist.
Feb 10, 2020•3 min
Did This Flight Crew Have the Training to Fly a Boeing 737?
With no apparent mechanical or external cause found for the September 14, 2008 crash, investigators focus on the flight crew’s experience. Were they qualified and adequately trained to fly a Boeing 737?
Feb 03, 2020•4 min
How Baby Baboons Are Adept at Getting Around
A two-month-old baboon is sitting on his mother’s back, jockey-style, and taking in the world from his vantage point. By the time he’s just six-months-old, he’ll become a master of climbing on his own.
Feb 03, 2020•3 min
Did Strong Crosswinds Cause This Plane to Abort Take Off?
Were crosswinds on December 20, 2008 in excess of the safety limit of 33 knots? If it was, that could explain why Flight 1404 veered so hard to the left before its crash at Denver International Airport.
Jan 27, 2020•3 min
Why Habituation is a Dangerous Game for Conservationists
A group of conservationists attempt to get close to a troop of gorillas, led by a male silverback. It’s a risky job – if the male feels threatened, he may lash out, with fatal consequences.
Jan 27, 2020•3 min
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