Clik here to view.
The 13th-century treadmill cranes at Guédelon Castle
“In the heart of Guédelon forest, in an abandoned quarry, a team of master-builders is building a 13th-century castle from scratch. Quarrymen, stonemasons, carpenter-joiners, woodcutters, blacksmiths,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Block printing William Morris wallpaper
“A key figure in the Arts and Crafts Movement,” the V&A explains, designer William Morris “championed a principle of handmade production that didn’t chime with the Victorian era‘s focus on...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How did Puerto Rico become a U.S. Commonwealth?
“It’s the world’s oldest colony, claimed by Christopher Columbus on behalf of the Spanish monarchy in 1493. But today, is it a state, a territory, or something else? And what is the connection between...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Did the moon form in just a few hours? NASA Ames investigates.
“Billions of years ago, a version of our Earth that looks very different than the one we live on today was hit by an object about the size of Mars, called Theia – and out of that collision the Moon was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Benin bronze, a poem by George the Poet
Speaking from the perspective of a Benin bronze plaque from the Kingdom of Benin, London-born Peabody Award-winner George Mpanga, known as George the Poet, recites his spoken-word poem titled The Benin...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How did they build the Great Pyramid of Giza?
“As soon as Pharaoh Khufu ascended the throne circa 2575 BCE, work on his eternal resting place began. The structure’s architect, Hemiunu, determined he would need 20 years to finish the royal tomb....
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side of Manhattan
“In 1988, a woman named Ruth Abram found a dilapidated building that had been condemned for over 50 years at 97 orchard street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. A lot of people saw a ruined eyesore;...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why is it so hard to cure the common cold?
“On average, adults catch more than 150 colds throughout their lives. Even with similar symptoms, the cause could be different each time. Common colds are caused by at least 8 different families of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Engine Trouble, a quick science history trip with Robert Krulwich
“Try to name the inventions that most dramatically changed our world. What comes to mind? The wheel? Making fire? Language? Art? Those were huge, no question, but in this video, we suggest a new...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How to draw Kamon, the traditional family emblems of Japan
Kamon are Japanese family crests—Ka meaning ‘family’ and Mon meaning ‘symbol’ or ’emblem.’ The unique designs, which originate from familiar motifs found throughout Japan, are created with precise...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What is an Interferometer?
“Over a billion lightyears ago, in the darkness of outer space, a collision of black holes sent out a fleet of invisible waves that were headed right toward planet Earth. The waves were so powerful...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The architectural history of the United States Capitol
“The United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., is among the most architecturally impressive and symbolically important buildings in the world. It has housed the meeting chambers of the Senate and the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Who carved these mysterious giant drawings in the Peruvian desert?
“The Nazca were an ancient group of farmers and fishermen that used desert plateaus as a canvas for giant geoglyphs. But some of these drawings pre-date the Nazca. Who created them and why?” Fly above...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How do touchscreens actually work?
“In 2010, South Korea experienced a particularly cold winter. People couldn’t activate their smartphones while wearing gloves, so they began wielding snack sausages— causing one company to see a 40%...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Flintknapping, the Cherokee tradition of carving sharp tools
With a good piece of leather to protect his leg and a pile of hammerstones and antlers at his side, Cherokee craftsman Noel Grayson creates a workspace for flintknapping, a traditional method for...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Searching for ancient bat fossils in Colombia
“There are over 1,450 living species of bats,” explains American Museum of Natual History Department of Mammalogy curator Nancy Simmons, on-site in Columbia‘s fossil-rich La Venta region. “In South...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ice Age Footprints: Tracking the ancient humans who left footprints in North...
When did humans first step foot in what we now call North America? Did their arrival contribute to the disappearance of giant Ice Age animals? In 2021, archeologists presented new research on what they...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The prehistoric cave paintings of Caverna De Pedra Pintada
Follow archaeologists Anna Roosevelt and Christopher Davis into Caverna De Pedra Pintada, Portuguese for “Cave of the Painted Rock.” This prehistoric rock shelter, located in the Amazon rainforest in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Joseph Plumb Martin and A Starving Winter Soldier’s Meager Meal
There are many stories about how George Washington’s army went hungry during the winter of 1777-1778 in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. As the National Park Service notes, “The winter encampment at Valley...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Parthenon and Ancient Athens, an animated virtual tour
Go back in time to Ancient Athens in the late 5th century B.C.E., “the way it would look in the years before the defeat in the Peloponnesian War” (431 to 405 B.C.E.). This 6.5-minute CGI reconstruction...
View Article