Medical researchers Ewelina Mamcarz and Stephen Gottschalk detail the science behind the gene therapy they invented to help children with “bubble boy disease,” or severe combined immunodeficiency. Video by Adam Grossman | Good Dog Media

Smithsonian American Ingenuity Awards 2019: Ewelina Mamcarz and Stephen Gottschalk (3:32)

“In our world, nothing really is impossible. Everything at best is improbable,” says Alex Kipman, as he discusses the holographic, augmented reality technology his team at Microsoft is pioneering. Video by Adam Grossman | Good Dog Media

Smithsonian American Ingenuity Awards 2019: Alex Kipman (2:45)

The "Manned Orbiting Laboratory," or "MOL," was built to capture high-resolution images of Soviet targets on the ground. It was so advanced, it could pick up objects on earth as small as a baseball

The Astonishing Spying Capabilities of This U.S. Satellite (1:56)

NASA began working on lunar vehicles in the early 1960s—but the project relied more on guesswork than engineering precision. After all, no one had any idea what being on the moon would be like

The Design of the Lunar Rover Was Mostly Guesswork (2:37)

Did you know that some of the technologies we take for granted in our kitchens were actually developed by NASA? Here are five of the best, from water filters to freeze-dried food

Five Kitchen Objects Inspired by Nasa (2:24)

To prepare him for landing the lunar module, Neil Armstrong practiced on a training vehicle right here on Earth. It was designed to replicate flying within a gravitational pull that was 1/6 that of Earth

How Neil Armstrong Trained to Land the Lunar Module (2:13)

In 1946, on a remote Pacific Island, the military began a program known as ‘Operation Crossroads.’ Its aim was to capture, on film, the actual moment of an atomic bomb detonation

Capturing a Photograph of an Atomic Bomb Blast (2:54)

The success of the Apollo 8 mission hinged on a unique and terrifying maneuver: slowing the spacecraft enough to enter lunar orbit. Even the slightest mistake would have meant certain doom

The Riskiest Maneuver in the History of the Space Program (3:51)

Climb into the guts of a hovercraft, as a team of salvage experts, led by a former NASA engineer, disassemble and cut through this iconic and unique vehicle.

Take a Look Inside One of the Most Unusual Vehicles Ever (2:43)

The Karez is a modern-day engineering marvel and a prime example of people working with, not against, the forces of nature to deliver their needs—in this case, water.

This Ingenious System Brings Water to the Chinese Desert (3:25)

While the science behind the high bypass ratio engine in a 747 plane may seem complicated, the results are striking. It's capable of delivering over 70 percent more power than a standard engine.

Admiring the Power and Innovation of a 747 Engine (2:46)

The Smithsonian astrophysicist talks with the Disney imagineer about leveraging technology as a tool to help us understand each other

The Long Conversation 2018: Mercedes Lopez-Morales Interviews Bei Yang (12:49)

The Smithsonian geologist talks with the Librarian of Congress about how young people’s growing interest in civics will lead to an informed citizenry

The Long Conversation 2018: Liz Cottrell Interviews Carla Hayden (11:50)

The technologist talks with the inventor about humankind’s amazing capacity to solve problems

The Long Conversation 2018: Obi Felten Interviews Danny Hillis (10:57)

The founder of Uncharted Power talks with the comedian about pockets of political change in America’s South

The Long Conversation 2018: Jessica Matthews Interviews Roy Wood, Jr. (11:21)

The opera singer and the director of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art talk about fostering inclusivity in the arts

The Long Conversation 2018: Larisa Martinez Interviews Michael Govan (10:59)

The inventor talks with the Smithsonian geologist about the resiliency of life on Earth

The Long Conversation 2018: Danny Hillis Interviews Liz Cottrell (11:56)

The co-founder of the Carlyle Group talks with the principal investigator for NASA’s Juno spacecraft about Jupiter and what humans could learn from exploring it

The Long Conversation 2018: David Rubenstein Interviews Scott Bolton (10:20)

The co-founder of the Good Food Institute talks with the breast cancer oncology specialist about personalization in medicine

The Long Conversation 2018: Bruce Friedrich Interviews Laura Esserman (12:30)

The actress talks with the co-founder of the Good Food Institute about solving the problems of industrial animal agriculture by growing cells and developing plant-based meat

The Long Conversation 2018: Alfre Woodard Interviews Bruce Friedrich (11:23)

The co-founder of One Common Unity talks with the music manager about how technology can have a positive impact on artists

The Long Conversation 2018: Hawah Kasat Interviews Troy Carter (17:07)

Before performing, the drag queen talks with the award-winning filmmaker about breaking down barriers between people

The Long Conversation 2018: Sasha Velour Interviews Malak Wazne (12:52)

The Smithsonian curator of political history talks with the co-founder of One Common Unity about creativity, education and solving the world’s biggest problems

The Long Conversation 2018: Jon Grinspan Interviews Hawah Kasat (11:57)

The molecular geneticist talks with the founder of Step Afrika! about the art form of stepping, created by African American fraternities and sororities

The Long Conversation 2018: Jean Bennett Interviews C. Brian Williams (10:24)

Walt Disney Imagineering Technology Executive Bei Yang interviews Naomi Wadler, a sixth-grade activist from Alexandria, Virginia.

The Long Conversation: Bei Yang interviews Naomi Wadler (11:14)

The Librarian of Congress talks with the actor and comedian about why he’s optimistic about the future

The Long Conversation 2018: Carla Hayden Interviews Cheech Marin (11:17)

The music manager gets the Smithsonian paleontologist talking about how taking interest in our natural history can help us know where we are going as a species and a planet

The Long Conversation 2018: Troy Carter Interviews Nick Pyenson (11:36)

The performance poet talks with the co-director of Alianza Nacional de Campesinas about the changing culture of gender-based violence

The Long Conversation 2018: Jacqueline Suskin Interviews Mily Treviño-Sauceda (17:16)

The New York Times columnist and the Smithsonian curator of political history talk about what we can learn from partisan struggles of the past

The Long Conversation 2018: David Brooks Interviews Jon Grinspan (11:36)

The chef speaks with the molecular geneticist who, with her husband, developed a new treatment for blindness using gene therapy

The Long Conversation 2018: Spike Gjerde Interviews Jean Bennett (11:21)