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December 2019
Features
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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
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The Funny Thing About the Law
Her surprising drama about the founding document encourages a wider view of American justice
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Reality Gets an Upgrade
The designer behind Microsoft's HoloLens 2 predicts a future driven by augmented reality
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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
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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
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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
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Finding a Way With DNA
A newly developed gene therapy is saving young people afflicted by the rare but deadly diagnosis
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A Generous Helping of Humanity
Braving storms, floods and earthquakes, the renowned chef is forging a new way to feed the needy
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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
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