Smithsonian Magazine takes you on a journey through history, science, world culture and technology with breathtaking images from around the world.
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Picking Up the Pieces • IN THE WAKE OF CRISIS AND DISASTER, RESCUE WORKERS LED BY THE SMITHSONIAN STEP IN TO SAFEGUARD IRREPLACEABLE CULTURAL TREASURES
Crunch Time • A fussy magnate, a miffed chef and the curious roots of the comfort food we hate to love
Inventing How We Eat • OTHER BLACK INNOVATORS WHO HELPED AMERICANS WORK MAGIC IN THE KITCHEN AND BEYOND
RHYTHM AND BLUES • A new view of an American original who improvised on works by the old masters
Changing Lincoln’s Mind • In the Civil War, pioneering African Americans met with the president and altered the course of U.S. history
Helping to Save the Union • SALUTING SOME OF THE OFTEN OVERLOOKED BLACK HEROES OF THE CIVIL WAR
The Bug That Saved California • The Golden State’s citrus industry faced a lethal threat. The answer would herald a new kind of pest control
FROM GRUNGE TO GLAM • Rebellious youth. Olympic glory. How a goofy American pastime conquered winter
Poetic Justice • A groundbreaking book by a young African American woman was put to a cruel test and surpassed all expectations
Don’t Be Puzzled • YOU CAN FIND 11 ANSWERS IN THESE PAGES
The Old Man and the Tree • Ecologists thought America’s primeval forests were gone. Then Bob Leverett proved them wrong and discovered a powerful new tool against climate change
A Healing Presence • Kwane Stewart, a veterinarian who helps animals kept by homeless people, discovers a little-known world of generosity and love
GUARDIANS OF ASSUR • THE ANCIENT ASSYRIAN CAPITAL FACED WAVES OF INVASIONS AND ABANDONMENT. NOW A SMALL team of Iraqi archaeologists IS ALL THAT STANDS BETWEEN THIS CULTURAL TREASURE AND AN ARRAY OF MODERN THREATS
The Wonder Bird • It flies thousands of miles a year and even sleeps in midair. The more scientists learn about the Hudsonian godwit, the more they’re amazed—and worried
Flight Plans • Every year, the Hudsonian godwit flies round-trip nearly from pole to pole, staying in flight for days without stopping to refuel.
SISTER QUEENS OF THE NORTH • Over the centuries they were forgotten, dismissed, even parodied. But a new book shows that Brunhild and Fredegund boldly seized power and outwitted enemies like few rulers in history
AFTER THE CATCH • In the remote Lofoten Islands of Norway, youngsters are happy to embrace local tradition—and earn good money—performing a highly specialized task when the cod come in
ask smithsonian • YOU’VE GOT QUESTIONS. WE’VE GOT EXPERTS