CURRENT ISSUE

March 2023

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine image Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine mobile image

Features

Opener - Íris Dröfn Guðmundsdóttir (left) and her cousin Anton Ingi Eiríksson release pufflings from the Hamarinn sea cliff on the Icelandic island of Heimaey.

Make Way for Pufflings

A town in Iceland rallies to rescue beloved baby seabirds that have lost their bearings

a woman veteran rolling in her wheel chair receives a standing ovation from military veterans

Message Received

Glory goes to the African American women who achieved a vital mission in World War II: getting mail to the troops

Wesley Miles

Re-Greening the Desert

After a historic victory in the West’s notorious water wars, Native Americans in Arizona turn to an ancient technology to revive their farms and culture

marine iguana

The Swimming Iguana

Looking after a quirky icon of evolution in the Galápagos Islands that faces a rocky future

Opener - steps

Life Among the Ruins

From the ashes of a terrible industrial accident, a wonderful garden is flourishing again

Departments

Discussion

Your feedback on Mississippi John Hurt, captive-bred lion hunting and Stradivarius violins

Breaking Ground

With a long-overdue upgrade, the Smithsonian's most symbolic building prepares for a more egalitarian future

Barging Ahead

The engineering wonder that opened up the heartland

Along for the Ride

A new exhibition of Evelyn Hofer’s timeless portraits from half a century ago

Monkeying Around

The surprisingly scientific roots of a U.S. playground favorite

The Vienna Agent

The American heiress who risked her life to help people escape the Nazis—and pioneered the refugee assistance movement

Untangling the Alphabet

A curious new find yields clues to the mystery of the first writing

A Life of Discovery

A recent Nobel laureate pays tribute to the vision and perseverance of Barbara McClintock, a pioneering geneticist

Ask Smithsonian

You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts