CURRENT ISSUE
December 2019

Features
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/63/8a/638a9ab9-51e7-4b0e-9747-604baf84ec0c/a__opener_mraukuburma_smc.jpg)
The Lost City of Myanmar
The ancient kingdom of Mrauk U welcomed Buddhists and Muslims. Now efforts to uncover its mysteries are threatened by ethnic hostilities
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/89/e4/89e44834-cca1-4473-ac0f-5688af948030/heidi_schreck-social.jpg)
The Funny Thing About the Law
Her surprising drama about the founding document encourages a wider view of American justice
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/f1/08/f10810a6-3346-410a-8858-c79ec64195a7/kipman_for_social_media.jpg)
Reality Gets an Upgrade
The designer behind Microsoft's HoloLens 2 predicts a future driven by augmented reality
:focal(1091x685:1092x686)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/00/64/0064c663-7bd9-4003-a5ff-c860321e3b38/screen_shot_2019-11-15_at_94006_pm.png)
The Buckaroo's New Beat
The self-taught 20-year-old musician galloped to global fame with his chart-topping song that fuses country and hip-hop together
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/4d/9f/4d9f1b1e-3f91-4116-bf62-32c43123d57a/grid_of_scientists_social_media.png)
A Glimpse of Impossible
Never before had scientists seen the phenomenon until they rallied colleagues around the world to view a galaxy far, far away
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/6c/6b/6c6b7b31-b958-4c9c-ba1a-7244a310b34a/mirandabarnes_lfov1.jpg)
The Luminous Truth
The artist who garnered fame at the Smithsonian and then painted the official portrait of Michelle Obama brings her unique style to ordinary people
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/e2/10/e2108ac2-2d41-4340-9648-929d5ff7e640/stjude-social-.jpg)
Finding a Way With DNA
A newly developed gene therapy is saving young people afflicted by the rare but deadly diagnosis
:focal(598x116:599x117)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/28/1e/281e1a47-3ea8-49e2-8259-685bc5e226c1/smc_v1.jpg)
A Generous Helping of Humanity
Braving storms, floods and earthquakes, the renowned chef is forging a new way to feed the needy
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/57/42/5742dd9f-d523-40e8-ab4e-f822b5effd5d/hermitdiptych-2-1ratio.jpg)
Blessed is the Hermit
The mountaintop home of an Italian hermit who lived in the U.S. in the 1860s still attracts a handful of pilgrims
Departments
Discussion
Readers respond to our stories on Nazi map data, Che Guevara and letters from the war front
Before Audubon
An 18th-century album of India's flora and fauna showcases the startling work of an overlooked master
When Two Wheels Are the Rage
The two-wheelers revolutionized personal transport—and led to surprising societal changes
Royal Family Feud
Dating back 200 years, the cloak represents the violence brought to the islands by colonial powers
On Hold
A telephone monopoly and a fear of wiretapping kept the invention out of homes for decades
Ask Smithsonian
You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts