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Articles

Common Thresher Shark

Wild Things: Life as We Know It

Cobras, sharks, lemurs, hermit crabs and more…

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Five Species Likely to Become Extinct in the Next 40 Years

Experts estimate that one-eighth of all bird species, one-fifth of mammal species and one-third of amphibian species are at risk

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Extreme Jellyfish

There are some 2,000 species of jellyfish. Some are tasty, others will kill you with the tap of a tentacle. Here are nine varieties that really stand out

Secretary S. Dillon Ripley (on his farm in 1984) enjoyed diffusing knowledge.

From the Castle: Forward Thinking

The Smithsonian enters a new era of expansion—on the Web

Nina Simon advises museums how to involve visitors in the design of exhibitions.

Nina Simon, Museum Visionary

The author helps museums create systems in which visitors participate in exhibition design

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Letters

The Mapungubwe National Park Interpretive Center in South Africa is John Ochsendorf's most famous work.

With Ancient Arches, the Old is New Again

An MIT professor shows how ancient architecture can be the basis for a more sustainable future

African slaves brought their art of basket weaving to the American South. See samples such as this wave basket through November 28 at African Art.

What’s Up

Artists will move beyond the "four walls of established institutions," says Richard Koshalek, director of the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum.

Art’s Bold New Direction

The director of the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum predicts how art will engage us as never before

Literature, says poet, novelist and playwright Rita Dove, will look "for different ways to distinguish itself from mass media."

Rita Dove on the Future of Literature

The Pulitzer-Prize winning poet discusses how new technologies will affect the creative process

"Kids have fantastic ideas," says "wired composer" Tod Machover, holding an instrument from the Beatles version of Rock Band, the computer-based musical toy invented by his students at MIT.

Tod Machover on Composing Music by Computer

The inventor and MIT professor talks about where music and technology will intersect over the course of the next 40 years

James Cameron, with Sigourney Weaver, Joel Moore and Sam Worthington, is in command on the set of Avatar.

James Cameron on the Future of Cinema

The director of Avatar and Terminator talks about future sequels, 3-D television and Hollywood in 2050

"I see it [comedy] changing by having the comedy club come to your house," says comedian George Lopez.

George Lopez on Comedy and Race

The late-night talk show host discusses how America’s changing demographics will affect what makes people laugh

"Most people from the Western world would think that imagery is forbidden in Islam and that Islamic art is fact geometry—the arabesque," says Sabiha Al Khemir.

Sabiha Al Khemir on Islam and the West

The museum curator and author predicts that relations between the United States and the Muslim world will improve

The human race "has not been elevated" over the past 40 years, Carl Hiaasen says.

Carl Hiaasen on Human Weirdness

The satirist talks about the “curve of human weirdness” and the need for public outrage in the political arena

"The idea of musical chops—instrumental mastery—will still be around," says Laurie Anderson.

Laurie Anderson on the Sounds of the Future

The multi-faceted artist sees a future in which artists change our auditory experiences

Findings from the first major study on human-robot marital discord since the passage of the Automaton Marriage Act of 2050.

Married, With Glitches

Will human-robot interactions be undone by technical difficulties?

Founding editor Edward K. Thompson guided the new magazine through its first decade.

From the Editor: Curveballs at the Un-Magazine

From the first issue 40 years ago, Smithsonian has blazed its own path through the media landscape

The Obamas worship at African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C.

Anticipation

We salute the basic human urge to remember the future

The United States, not China, will dominate world affairs, George Friedman believes.

George Friedman on World War III

The geopolitical scientist predicts which nations will be fighting for world power in 2050

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