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February 2013

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Features

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The First Americans

Who were they? When did they arrive? How did they get here? Recent scientific findings and a new book spark controversy with bold new answers

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See for Yourself

Five places to encounter fossils and other evidence of the continents original settlers

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The Dragon King

The Komodo is an all-purpose killing machine-and he’s just waiting for you to pay him a visit

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America’s Dinosaur Playground

Countless bones and a billion years of geological action make Dinosaur Monument the go-to park for fossil finds

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Darwin In The House

The estate where the naturalist lived for 40 years reflects the evolution of a home, a family and a man

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"Evolution of the Host"

"Evolution of the Host"—A New Poem by Robert Pinsky

Banksy

Art Attack

On his way to becoming an international icon, the subversive and secretive street artist Banksy turned the art world upside-down

Lincoln Illustration

Lincoln Must Die!

In which newly elected Abraham Lincoln makes the perilous train ride from his home in Springfield, Illinois, to Washington, D.C., and along the way, the world’s most famous detective foils an assassination plot by a mysterious cabal whose leader vowed:

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Last Words

Geoffrey Khan is racing to document Aramaic, the language of Jesus, before its native speakers vanish

Departments

Contributors

Contributors

Around the Mall

Discussion

Discussion

From the Editor

From the Editor

From the Editor

From the Castle

From the Castle

Smithsonian Secretary Wayne Clough looks at how our scientists are studying our changing climate

Phenomena

Origins

We can’t say how far we’ve come without knowing where we started

In the Beginnings

An artist paints the world’s creation myths

Phenomena

Classical Gas

The ancient Romans were pioneers of air pollution

Phenomena

Nuclear Forensics

Scientists are tracking the sources of stolen uranium

Phenomena

We Need A Hero

Superhero origin stories inspire us to cope with adversity (capes are optional)

Phenomena

Write and Wrong

To boldly go back to the origins of English grammar rules

Phenomena

Rocky Start

Did meteorites seed Earth the building blocks of life?

Phenomena

The Little Bang

Researchers have now identified the first rocket ever built: the Ground Rat

Books

Books

Cooperative dolphins, heartbroken cheetahs and thinking chimps. Plus: the ruins of Detroit and the science of competition

Around the Mall

O Pioneers

A new gift turns the spotlight on African-Americans on the plains

Around the Mall

Playlist

Picking Winners

Around the Mall

This Just In

Sole of a new machine

Around the Mall

Ask Smithsonian

Your questions answered by our experts

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Fast Forward

The future in the making