View From the Top of the Washington Monument

If you’re scared of heights this video isn’t for you. On May 13, workers wore helmet cams as they repaired the last of the scaffolding around the 555-foot-tall monument. The next step is to wrap fabric around the monument and attach lights. The damage caused by the August 2011 earthquake should be completed in 2014.

Ed note: How engineers investigated the Washington Monument from hundreds of feet above the ground.

h/t WAMU

Wrongfully Admitted to Sunbury Asylum

In 1945, Maraquita Sargeant, a mother of five young children, was admitted against her will to Sunbury Mental Asylum in Australia. Her youngest child, Tony, has spent the last 50 years of his life searching for answers.

Walking the grounds of the now vacant and dilapidated Sunbury, Tony claims his mother was the victim of an era where there were no contraceptives and divorce was not allowed. Having five children already, Maraquita was not willing to give birth again and soon after was admitted. In 1946, she wrote a letter to the governor of Victoria stating she had been “unjustly detained.” The governor responded with a letter to the mental hygiene director and stated the letter “appears to be from a sane person.” The hygiene director’s response can only be described as chilling:

“She is definitely insane and if released would be a threat to certain prominent people’s reputations.”

With the director alerted to Maraquita’s attempt to write the governor, he shipped her to the Royal Melbourne Hospital where she received a lobotomy—a new and experimental procedure at the time that involved separating the front of her brain from the back. The operation was considered a failure. Maraquita spent her time at Sunbury in the sewing room repairing linen and ironing. Despite the injustice, Maraquita remained optimistic and in 1967 she was released. - Continue reading and watch the video at Smithsonian.com.

Ed note: This video was submitted to our In Motion video contest. The deadline to submit your video is May 31. Head over to the contest page for more details.

Astronaut Performs David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” While Floating in Space

Before he returns to Earth after five months aboard the International Space Station, Commander Chris Hadfield recorded this amazing cover of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.”

This isn’t Hadfield’s first foray into the world of YouTube. During his time in space he picked up quite the following here on Earth with his videos explaining what it’s like living for an extended period in space.

Ed note: We think this video should play on a loop in the National Air and Space Museum. What do you think of Hadfield’s cover?

h/t Mashable

Wood Record Plays Radiohead’s “Idioteque”

Amanda Ghassaei of instructables.com has figured out a way to turn any MP3 into a physical record using 3-D printing. Thus far, Ghassaei has been able to successfully produce records on wood, acrylic and paper. Check out her post for all the details and more videos.

Ed note: How do you 3-D scan a dinosaur? With lasers of course.

The Lost Map of the Hindenburg

On this day in 1937, the hydrogen-filled airship went down in flames in Lakehurst, New Jersey.

Ed note: Take a closer look at a firsthand account of the Hindenburg disaster.

How Do You 3-D Scan a Dinosaur?

Using laser scanners and high-tech computer software, Vince Rossi and Adam Metallo are recreating a digital Dinosaur Hall before it’s dismantled.

Ed note: Ultimately, Rossi and Metallo dream of digitizing all 137 million of the objects in the Smithsonian’s collections. More on the “Laser Cowboys.”

Want to Win Money and Be Featured on Smithsonian Channel? Enter the Smithsonian Magazine Video Contest Today!

Since In Motion launched on February 20 we have been amazed at the videos that have been submitted. Danny Cooke’s letterpress video shined new light on a classic art form. Mike Kvackay captured the beauty of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for the world to see and Khurrum M. Sultan told the story of a young Pakistani boy who must care for his family after the tragic death of his father.

Check out the In Motion page on Smithsonian.com for more videos and information about the contest. Be sure to bookmark the In Motion blog for the latest editor’s pick video.

Ready to submit your video? Head over to the submission page for your chance to win our grand prize!

What’s a Kolache Doing in Brooklyn?

Despite recent flirtations with secession and even being accidentally listed as a foreign destination by the State Department, Texas is not its own country. The Republic of Texas may have dissolved in 1845, but the Czech Republic of Texas is doing better than ever, thanks to a surge in interest in Tex-Czech’s most beloved dish: kolaches.

The doughy pastry came over with a wave of Czech migration in the late 19th century and found a happy home in the rural communities  like West, Texas (a town of fewer than 3,000 people but which serves as a touchstone for Czech culture in the region) and others at the heart of the state, sometimes called the Czech Belt. For the most part, the culture settled in quietly. Unlike other urban centers in Midwestern cities including Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Louis, rural Czech families maintained relatively traditional dialects and recipes. - Continue reading at Smithsonian.com.

Bubbles in Slow Motion

Shot with a Canon T2i by Baris Parildar and Aybuke Kurtuldu, this video of bubbles floating majestically will have you longing for summer.

Ed note: In 1946, some thought you could travel the country in an atomic-powered bubble.

Drone Captures Amazing Aerial Footage of Niagara

The Niagara region is not limited to just the falls. The surrounding area is full of beautiful landscapes with quaint towns, and world class vineyards. The area is full of life, and the hope is that these dynamic shots give a real sense of the variety of things offered by not only the falls, but by the region as a whole.

Ed note: The drone that can fit in the palm of your hand.