Why 99% Of Smithsonian's Specimens Are Hidden In High-Security | Big Business | Business Insider

The Smithsonian Natural History Museum houses 147 million specimens — everything from pickled animals to priceless gems to dinosaur bones. But less than 1% of it's on display. The rest is hidden behind the scenes in what's called collections. But they're not just sitting in storage rooms collecting dust. The specimens are actively used for scientific research with real-world benefits, from preventing bird strikes to documenting invasive species. We went inside the collections to see how they acquire, maintain, and protect our Earth's treasures.

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Why 99% Of Smithsonian's Specimens Are Hidden In High-Security | Big Business | Business Insider

[helpmycatiseatingme]

The lady: The most venomous in the world
Also the lady: *Oops*

[littlerelief]

As a museum worker, I need to correct this video on one glaring error: the collections aren't in 'secret' storage, it's in 'secure' storage. The difference is that secure means that it has humidity control and safe storage systems. Secret implies that no-one can access them, they can be by researchers and sometimes for public tours.

[CaBdosdos]

In 100 years this is going to be that much more jaw dropping if that was even possible. Imagine having this archive back 200 years ago what we could have seen.

[malibu_rum]

Carla's smile at 11:26 might the sweetest smile I've seen on a human being, like ever. She seems like such a lovely, knowledgeable lady!

[thnead]

Now THIS is something I want my tax dollars to go towards. Protecting and preserving natural history is so important. I could watch an entire series on the collections the Smithsonian has.

[Zippy]

I really appreciate the private collectors who donated their one-of-a-kind specimens for the public to learn about and enjoy rather than keeping it locked in their basement somewhere.

EDIT: Enter these dumpster fire comments at your own risk 🤦‍♀️🗑

[IceAndFlameL]

Idk why but that split second "squirrel" at 5:40 just gets me.

[laurendillon]

I’m so here for this. As a museum collections manager in a natural history and culture museum it’s so awesome to see people learn about a really cool part of the museum profession that isn’t just “curator”. I’m beyond blessed to get to work with thousands of butterflies one day to critically endangered bird specimens and taxidermy the next, and in between assess the condition of ancient books/civil war-era weapons, photos that most people have never and will never see let alone touch and so much more. Collections Management/Archival Management is so cool and needs more attention like this

[salt-emoji]

You could make a multi part, hour+ long episodes, released over the course of a decade on the unseen specimens.
The museums collection is inconceivably enormous.

[manueltiburtini]

As a botanist, I really appreciate the efforts to digitalize the plants specimens. This save me a lot of time and money and speed research

[kanzenatsume]

5:40 love that. perfect cut, perfect editing, perfect specimen

[piecefcharsiu]

This should become a series!! I could watch 100 more episodes of these

[aslinger]

We definitely need a whole series on each department. These collections must be shared

[irahgaurana]

i love how the butterflies are well kept, inside the glass and well arranged, meanwhile the birds where just like what my 5 year old sister would hoard

[Cccoast]

This group of people seem like not only the most intelligent people, but most chill too.

[ldionneg]

The Smithsonian Natural History Museum was already my favorite museum, but this video makes me love the museum even more.

[torioakley]

We as the public can’t see this, could you imagine how popular a Netflix series of this collection could be?! I’d personally LOVE to watch that!! Just watching this, especially then hearing about the damage threat, I’d be far more inclined to donate regularly! We need a continuous documentary series on the specimens there and what’s being done with them and they need to include the link to the Smithsonian donation site to donate once or regularly.

[Duterasemis]

As I understand it, this is in fact the main purpose of museums. They have their display areas, of course, but they've always been meant to be something like physical libraries, a large collection of physical specimens in a particular scientific discipline that's curated mostly for use by professionals who know the significance of the objects and the necessary care required to even *view* them without damaging them.

[kyliewilson]

How marvellous to see such a diversity of animal, insect, aquatic, flora and gems at the fingers of the scientists who can study and learn and pass on the information to future generations that May save lives or rescue species on the verge of extinction. Let's hope that they can keep the collection safe from flooding and get the essential funding they need to accommodate the collection safely so the generations ahead can continue to add more specimens to the Smithsonian.

[trevorharmon]

They have giant bones and are hiding them, aka the nephilim