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

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. MORE BIG BUSINESS VIDEOS: How The World’s Longest-Running Sardine Cannery Packs 60 Million Cans A Year | Big Business Soviets Banned Matzo, Now Ukraine Supplies The $110 Million American Market | Big Business Why We Kill So Many Houseplants, But Spend Billions On Them Anyway | Big Business ------------------------------------------