Whale hello, have you heard we have about 1,000 samples of whale earwax in our @smithsoniannmnh collection? Whale earwax has rings like a tree that transition regularly from dark to light, indicating periods of growth. For years samples were used to determine a whale's age (again, like a tree), but more recently scientists have analyzed each layer to trace pollution and stress levels throughout the animal's life. These waxy time capsules give scientists a timeline of data to help us better understand whales and their ocean environment. This piece of whale earwax is among hundreds of rarely seen specimens and artifacts in the museum's #ObjectsofWonder exhibition.