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The Planet Hunters

Nevermind the demotion of Pluto to a dwarf planet. Astronomers have found about 200 planets orbiting other stars, and they say it's only a matter of time before they discover another Earth.
By Robert Irion

What Makes a Planet?

Why our solar system just shrank.
By Robert Irion

Return to the Marsh

The effort to restore the Marsh Arabs' traditional way of life in southern Iraq—virtually eradicated by Saddam Hussein —faces new threats.
By Joshua Hammer

Cricket, Anyone?

The game is both very British and, to Americans, very confusing. But it was once our national pastime, and its gaining fans on these shores.
By Simon Worrall

Cricket for Dummies

It's a lot like baseball. Except that it's profoundly different.
By Matthew Engel

Fabric of Their Lives

There's a new exhibition of works by the quilters of Gee's Bend, Alabama, whose lives have been transformed by worldwide acclaim for their artistry.
By Amei Wallach

Neanderthal Man

Svante Paabo has probed the DNA of Egyptian mummies and extinct animals. Now he hopes to learn more about what makes us tick by decoding the DNA of our evolutionary cousins.
By Steve Olson

Say What?

In an era of global communications, regional dialects are hanging in there, y'all.
By Ulrich Boser

The Painter Who Hated Picasso

Sporting artist Alfred Munnings loved horses, the English countryside and a good stiff drink. What he didn't like was modern art.
By Peter Chew

Inventive Abe

In 1849, a future president patented an ingenious addition to transportation technology.
By Owen Edwards

October Letters

Readers respond to the August issue
By Smithsonian magazine

Wild Things: Life as We Know It

Bumblebees, elephants and endless summer
By Smithsonian magazine

October Anniversaries

Momentous or merely memorable
By Ben Block

Last Page: Moonstruck

You can't believe everything you think.
By Melody Von Smith

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