January/February 2017
Smithsonian magazine delivers trusted and incisive reporting on history, science, nature, culture and travel.
Features
The Golden Warrior
The 3,500-year-old tomb of an unknown solider is shaking our understanding of the roots of western civilization
Things That Go Boom
College football seasons come and go, but the joyous thunder of Jackson State's iconic marching band rolls on
Salvation
New evidence shows that FDR's infamous attorney general rescued an innocent man accused of murder—and then rescued him again
American Incarceration
From communities torn apart to years lost forever, we document some of the far-reaching effects of the nation's historic use of incarceration
Exoneration
Locked up for a murder he didn't commit, he served 39 years—longer than any U.S. inmate found to be innocent. What's freedom like for Ricky Jackson?
Suspicion
During WWII, 120,000 Japanese-Americans were forced into camps. The injustice still haunts victims and their descendants
Innocence
With more American men and women in prison than ever before in our history, millions of children are struggling with the effects of a fractured family life
The Lovers of Shanxi
With World War II looming, a trailblazing couple ventured into a little-known province of "West of the Mountains" to find China's ancient architectural riches before they were lost forever
Departments
Discussion
Reader responses to our December 2016 issue
Rage Against the Machines
What a 19th-century rebellion against automation can teach us about the coming war over robots taking our jobs.
The Elephant Detective
An American biologist wields an innovative new weapon against the illegal trade in African ivory
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