July 2002
Smithsonian magazine delivers trusted and incisive reporting on history, science, nature, culture and travel.
Features
Incident at Big Pine Key
A pod of dolphins stranded in the Florida Keys reignites an emotional debate over how much human "help" the sea mammals can tolerate
Blast from the Past
The eruption of Mount Tambora killed thousands, plunged much of the world into a frightful chill and offers lessons for today
Gaudí's Gift
In Barcelona, a yearlong celebration spotlights architecture's playful genius the audacious and eccentric Antoni Gaudí
Against All Odds
A new play and photo exhibition call attention to Ida B. Wells and her brave fight to end lynching in America
Second Nature
More and more, innovative scientists are turning to the natural world for inspiration...and design solutions
Romancing the Stones
Who built the great megaliths and stone circles of Great Britain, and why? Researchers continue to puzzle and marvel over these age-old questions
Getting to the Root of Ginseng
Questions about the herb's health benefits haven't cooled the red-hot market in wild American ginseng
Departments
A Pantheon After All
There's no more fitting venue for American initiative and American art than the old Patent Office building
Chilly Reception
Dr. John Gorrie found the competition all fired up when he tried to market his ice-making machine
Peewee Power
The invention of a gas-fueled generator the size of a quarter heralds a future of ever-smaller machines
Casting for Souls
A dedicated nun spares not the rod (nor reel) in helping youngsters straighten up and fly right