Is a kiss really just a kiss? In this one-minute video, our Ask Smithsonian Host, Eric Schulze, explains why we pucker up.

Ask Smithsonian: Why Do We Kiss? (1:11)

Gasp! The answer will amaze you.

Ask Smithsonian: How Long Can a Person Hold Their Breath? (1:31)

Man’s best friend is also one of his oldest.

Ask Smithsonian: When Did People Start Keeping Pets? (1:05)

Our host, Eric Schulze, explains how science is tackling this puzzling question from space.

Ask Smithsonian: Can Animals Predict Earthquakes and Other Natural Disasters? (1:27)

The science of earwax in under a minute

Ask Smithsonian: What's the Point of Earwax? (1:05)

Host Eric Schulze opens the floodgates of knowledge to reveal the answer.

Ask Smithsonian: Why Does My Nose Run When It’s Cold Outside? (1:01)

Seeing the world through different eyes

Ask Smithsonian: What Does the World Look Like When You’re Color Blind? (1:35)

Host Eric Schulze digs into the science behind these depressions.

Ask Smithsonian: What’s a Dimple? (1:09)

When did we start getting cuddly with cats? And have those tabbies really been tamed? In this one-minute video, Ask Smithsonian host Eric Schulze investigates the surprising history and science behind today’s house cat.

Ask Smithsonian: Have Cats Been Domesticated? (1:08)

How can something like a tiny, harmless spider or a clown make your heart race and your palms sweat? And for the love of all things science, how can you make these fears stop? Find out in this one-minute video, where Ask Smithsonian host Eric Schulze delves deep into the dark recesses of our minds to get at the facts behind our phobias.

Ask Smithsonian: How Do People Get Phobias? (1:28)

Are you the kind of person who needs to know what keeps satellites from plummeting to the Earth in a big, fiery ball? Then you need to watch this one-minute video, where Ask Smithsonian host Eric Schulze gives us the lowdown on what-in-the-name-of-science makes those satellites stay up.

Ask Smithsonian: What Keeps Satellites From Falling Out of the Sky? (1:05)

The oldest known form of surgery might have you scratching your head.

Ask Smithsonian: Do People Really Drill Holes in Their Heads? (0:58)

Our host, Eric Schulze, looks into the ancient medical technique.

Ask Smithsonian: Does Acupuncture Work? (1:00)

Prepare to be amazed.

Ask Smithsonian: What’s a Stone Baby? (1:07)

Want better willpower? Learn how to just say no with this step-by-step guide on boosting your self-control. In this one-minute video, Ask Smithsonian host Eric Schulze dishes on the science behind willpower – what saps it and what makes it stronger.

Ask Smithsonian: What’s Up With Willpower and Why Don’t I Have It? (1:25)

Have you ever wondered how a simple shot can keep you from dying a horrible death? In this one-minute video, Ask Smithsonian’s host, Eric Schulze, unravels how vaccines boot-camp our bodies into shape, getting us ready to fight off deadly diseases.

Ask Smithsonian: How Do Vaccines Work? (1:18)

Why saying cheese just didn’t happen in the early days of photography.

Ask Smithsonian: Why Don’t People Smile in Old Photographs? (1:12)

Think you know everything about your own body? Test your smarts against this one-minute video, where Ask Smithsonian host Eric Schulze uncovers the facts behind five popular myths about the human body.

Ask Smithsonian: Five False ‘Facts’ About the Human Body (1:30)

The sweet science behind our sense of taste

Ask Smithsonian: How Do Taste Buds Work? (1:13)

Reclining and dining in the ancient classical world

Ask Smithsonian: Why Did Ancient Greeks and Romans Lie Down to Eat? (0:56)