CURRENT ISSUE

June 2004

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Features

Treasure Trove

Our first ever photo contest yields a rich and various bounty

Diamonds

The Great Diamond Hoax of 1872

How a Kentucky grifter and his partner pulled off one of the era's most spectacular scams -- until a dedicated man of science exposed their scheme

Saving the Raja's Horse

British horsewoman Francesca Kelly brings India's fiery Marwari to the United States in hopes of reviving the breed

Salem Sets Sail

After the Revolutionary War, ships from a little Massachusetts seaport brought the new nation wares from China and the mysterious East

Can Great Coffee Save the Jungle?

Persuaded that guilt alone won't get Americans to pay more for environmentally friendly coffee, importers give farmers the tools to grow better beans

The Wizard of Odd

Illusionist Ricky Jay, a keeper of magic's secrets, conjures up a dirty deal in TV's "Deadwood"

Journey to the Seven Wonders

Though only one of the ancient marvels still stands, they still engage our imagination—and launch a thousand tours—more than two millennia later

Departments

Indelible Images

Off the Beaten Track

During a civil rights march in 1965, photographer Bruce Davidson left the highway to focus on a single Alabama sharecropper and her nine children

The Object at Hand

Magical Mystery Tour

In 1964 a psychedelic placard heralded the arrival of counterculture guru Ken Kesey and his entourage to America's cities

Phenomena & Curiosities

A Bumpy Road to Mars

The president envisions a future human mission to Mars, but medical researchers say surviving the journey is no spacewalk

Points of Interest

Hear Here

Record your life story at a studio in New York City's Grand Central Terminal. You may just make history

People File

Back to Nature

Artist Steve Tobin turns organic forms into sculpture

Tribute

A Love Letter Set to Music

The night a teenager met the girl of his dreams 50 years ago, the stars were bright above

Editor's Note

Tons of Talent

Picking the winner of our first photo contest required a bit of heavy lifting

From the Secretary

Pizza Park

Sure, the new Kids' Farm at the National Zoo will be educational, but a giant rubber pizza and a "caring corral" will make it also a place for fun

The Last Page

Who Wants to Be a Billionaire?

A Rockefeller's rules for raising responsible children