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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChgaQ8-WbKE Soviets Banned Matzo, Now Ukraine Supplies The $110 Million American Market | Big Business https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pie6X2GG-s Why We Kill So Many Houseplants, But Spend Billions On Them Anyway | Big Business https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNtxbb52eE0 ------------------------------------------------------ #BigBusiness #SmithsonianMuseum #BusinessInsider Business Insider tells you all you need to know about business, finance, tech, retail, and more. Visit us at: https://www.businessinsider.com/ Subscribe: null BI on Facebook: https://read.bi/2xOcEcj BI on Instagram: https://read.bi/2Q2D29T BI on Twitter: https://read.bi/2xCnzGF BI on Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/discover/Business_Insider/5319643143 Boot Camp on Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/discover/Boot_Camp/3383377771 Why 99% Of Smithsonian's Specimens Are Hidden In High-Security | Big Business | Business Insider