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September 2015

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Features

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Smithsonian's 21st-Century Life List

Eiffel Tower? Check. Colosseum? Done that. The old standbys are still great. But here are 25 surprising new destinations to put on your bucket list

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The Spirit Bear

The white Kermode bear, a rare ursa sacred to local tribes, is now the center of a fierce battle to protect British Columbia's rainforest

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Broken Promise

Remembering how Hurricane Katrina shattered a city's faith

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Escape From Boko Haram

In northern Nigeria, a brave American educator has created a refuge for young women desperate to evade the barbaric terrorist group

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Four Funerals and a Wedding

Skeletons unearthed at Pocahontas' wedding chapel tell a vivid story of the near collapse of one of America's first settlements

Departments

Letters to the Editor

Discussion

Reader responses to our July/August issue

Phenomena

Anatomy of an Oath

How a PR gimmick became a patriotic vow

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Tricked Out

A new photography collaboration aims for an unbearable lightness

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Heated Debate

Taking the temperature of the first warmblooded fish

Phenomena

Ask Smithsonian

Your questions answered by our experts

Legend of the Green Monster

"The vine that ate the South" was never as scary as its billing—and now kudzu appears to be in retreat

Fast Forward

Smart Guard

A mouthguard could measure concussions