Smithsonian Magazine

Smithsonian Magazine takes you on a journey through history, science, world culture and technology with breathtaking images from around the world.

Smithsonian Magazine

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Reaching for the Stars • A NEW PROGRAM WILL OPEN THE WONDERS OF THE NIGHT SKY TO STUDENTS IN RURAL AREAS. CAN IT INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS?

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Home Game • Wrigley Field, the coziest park in baseball, is also still the purest

Eyes on the Prize • THE SALTY, CRUNCHY, SWEET AND ALTOGETHER IRRESISTIBLE HISTORY OF BASEBALL’S MOST FAMOUS SNACK

WEALTH OF NATIONS • A new show illuminates the rich artistic exchange that took place between two great trading empires

When the South Awakened • How a disagreement with a Scottish lord helped kick-start the American Revolution

French Gunpowder, American Grit • HOW A STALWART ALLY’S MASTERY OF CHEMISTRY HELPED WIN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR

“Strange, Sudden & Unexpected”

Fancy That! • Unraveling the surprising science that gives colorful diamonds their special allure

Secret Agents • A NEW BOOK REVEALS THE DAREDEVIL LIVES OF FOUR ITALIAN WOMEN WHO STOOD UP TO HITLER AND MUSSOLINI

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AUTHENTIC ASIAN ARTISTRY • Crafted using the ancient technique of cloisonné, examples can be found in our National Museum of Natural History’s Asian ethnological collection.

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ALTAR EGO • Just how far did Neolithic Britons carry Stonehenge’s most famous boulder?

In Search OF Siddhartha • The legendary birthplace of the Buddha in Nepal beckons worshipers from around the world—and archaeologists hoping to uncover new evidence about the revered spiritual leader

CAN A FORGOTTEN BEAN SAVE THE BREW? • In a world that consumes two billion cups of coffee each day, climate change is threatening the most popular species. How one leading botanist is scouring remote corners of the earth to find new beans that could keep our cups full

LARGER THAN LIFE • BY TOYING WITH PERSPECTIVE, THIS YEAR’S WINNERS CAPTURE THE SUBLIME—AND THE UNCANNY

AN ARTIST FOR THE HERE AND NOW • Long overlooked, Swedish painter Hilma af Klint made pioneering abstract art. Today she’s a global star—but some scholars insist she should be sharing the spotlight

IT’S ALWAYS HIGH NOON IN TOMBSTONE • SADDLE UP FOR A VISIT TO THE MOST NOTORIOUS TOWN IN THE WEST, WHERE A CERTAIN INFAMOUS SHOWDOWN HAPPENS DAY AFTER DAY

BORN TO BEE WILD • IRIDESCENT SWEAT BEES, HAIRY-FACED MINING BEES, TINY PERDITA MINIMA THE SIZE OF A GNAT. THANKS TO SWARMS OF APIARY ENTHUSIASTS, NATIVE SPECIES ARE FINALLY GETTING THE BUZZ THEY DESERVE

THE CITY BENEATH THE CITY • A journey into the vast subterranean world preserved under Rome—from ancient aqueducts and apartment buildings to pagan shrines

Don’t Be Puzzled • YOU CAN FIND TEN ANSWERS IN THESE PAGES

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