CURRENT ISSUE

May 2013

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Features

The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill

Patriot Games

Nathaniel Philbrick debunks the myths about one of the American Revolution’s most famous battles

Mona Eltahawy

The Next Revolution

The Egyptian-American activist speaks out on the dangers women still face in a changing Mideast



Hirshhorn

Blowing Up The Art World

The Hirshhorn’s giant balloon is a capital idea—if it floats



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The Body Eclectic

You're not just human. There are countless creatures living inside your body—And they govern your health and happiness

In the Amazon

Microbe Hunters

Deep in the Amazon Rainforest, scientists search for the micro-organisms that lived inside ancient humans

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America by the Numbers

An exclusive poll shows Americans crave stronger mathematics, science schooling for U.S. kids

Printed body parts

The Printed World

3-D printing promises a factory in every home — and a whole lot more

Bell's voice

Clear as a Bell

After more than a century, the inventor of the telephone speaks to us

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Block Party

Inside the secret R&D lab where Lego is constructing the world's next generation of engineers

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X and the City

Take a walk with a mathematician and the streets magically turn into equations, from predicting the height of the tallest skyscraper to estimating the crime rate. Welcome to the brave new world of quantitative urbanism

“Stem Cells”

A new poem by Amit Majmudar

Departments

Contributors

Contributors

From the Editor

From the Editor

From the Editor

From the Castle

From the Castle

Between smartphone apps and local exhibitions, the Institution is looking for great new ways to connect to our biggest fans

Letters to the Editor

Discussion

Discussion

Phenomena

Revolution

The true measure of a successful revolution is the realization that there is no going back

Dreamscapes

Creativity begins after the photo is taken

Phenomena

The Paper Chase

Paperback books transformed the reading habits of an entire nation.

Phenomena

The Writings on the Wall

Egyptian artists have turned Cairo’s walls into a vast social network

Phenomena

Sunblocked

Did Iran’s revolution spark an escalating health crisis?

Phenomena

Color App

Impressionism’s breakthrough came packed in a tube


Around the Mall

Noises On

Jennie C. Jones makes paintings that are activated by ambient sounds

Around the Mall

This Just In

Diamonds on the Wing

Playlist

Inhaling the Blues

Around the Mall

Ask Smithsonian

Your questions answered by our experts

Spotlight

The latest Smithsonian exhibitions showcase Civil War photography, Buddhist figures and Time magazine cover portraits

Books

Books

Jon Mooallem on our battle against extinction. Plus: history repeats itself in food, the poorest Astors and the roots of psychiatry

Fast Forward

Wave Gliders are about to make scientific exploration a lot cheaper and safer