All upcoming Science & Nature programs

Learn from an orchid-care expert how orchids grow in their native environments and beginner care instructions to keep your orchids blooming.

Trees, the longest-living organisms on Earth, can communicate to one another through intricate underground soil networks, and even thermoregulate, all while rarely dying from old age. Liana Vitali, a naturalist and educator at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary in Maryland (and self-proclaimed tree-hugger), leads an immersive journey into the fascinatingly complicated and connected life of trees.

Insects surged to ecological dominance by evolving larvae—grubs, maggots, and caterpillars—with extraordinary survival strategies and life cycle advantages. Wildlife documentary filmmaker Steve Nicholls explores their remarkable origins and the ingenious ways these vulnerable young thrive, from impersonating predators to forming intricate social networks.

The splendor of springtime in Washington is world-renowned, owing largely to Japanese flowering cherry trees encircling the Tidal Basin for over a century. Yet blossoms are only one aspect of the city’s vibrant seasons. Smithsonian Associates tour guide, naturalist, and nature author Melanie Choukas-Bradley leads a virtual journey through seasonal transformations with beautiful photos of notable Washington-area landscapes highlighting birds, amphibians, and reflections on nature from George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, Frederick Douglass, and Rachel Carson.

Author Megan Kate Nelson traces Yellowstone’s transformation from unexplored wilderness to national icon. In 1871, geologist-explorer Ferdinand Hayden led a Smithsonian-backed expedition to confirm reports of Yellowstone’s natural wonders. His team’s findings helped persuade Congress to protect the land, leading to the 1872 Yellowstone Act. Nelson draws from her book Saving Yellowstone to explore the competing interests of figures like Sitting Bull and railroad magnate Jay Cooke, revealing the complex forces behind America’s first national park.

For more than 70 years, the adventures of James Bond have thrilled readers and left them wondering if any of his escapades are actually possible. Kathryn Harkup, a former chemist, investigates 007’s exploits and the weapons, technologies, and tactics of his foes. During the process, she assesses the practicalities of building a volcano-based lair and whether being covered in gold paint really would kill you.

The Victorians prided themselves on interest in technology and innovations in medicine and science, though the line between pseudo-science and academic knowledge was thin. Historian Julie Taddeo highlights fads like mesmerism, phrenology, and spiritualism, showing how science was consumed as entertainment. Homes displayed “trophies of empire,” while public shows misused Darwin’s theories to justify imperial expansion and Britain’s “civilizing mission.” Queen Victoria followed scientific sensations, and ordinary Britons used them to navigate uncertainty. From mummy unveilings to “Zulu exhibitions,” science, empire, and entertainment intertwined.

The HMS Challenger spent almost four years exploring the world’s oceans in the 1870s. It identified major ocean currents and defining features of the seafloor; measured sea temperatures and chemistry, creating baseline data; and collected nearly 5,000 sea creatures and plants new to science. More than 150 years later, the expedition’s findings are also shining a light on the effects of climate change. Author Gillen D’Arcy Wood looks at the legacy of this scientific odyssey.

Dragonflies, damselflies, and their ancient relatives were the first to fly, long before birds, pterosaurs, and bats took to the skies. Since then, over 400 million years of evolution have shaped the adaptations that support these insects’ aerial feats. Entomologist Jessica Ware discusses the evolution of flight in dragonflies and damselflies, exploring the structure and physiology behind their acrobatic and aerodynamic skills.