CURRENT ISSUE
May 2016
Features
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Battle for the Soul of Star Trek
The trail-blazing sci-fi series debuted 50 years ago and has taken countless fans where none had gone before
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How to Plug In Your Brain
If neuroscientists are right, you’ll soon be able to sharpen your focus and boost your memory by recharging your brain—with electricity
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Next Stop Mars
NASA's innovative deputy administrator Dava Newman explains just how close we are to sending astronauts far, far away
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Home Away From Home
A Nevada real estate magnate has poured $290 million into a wild dream of being a landlord in outer space. His first tenant: NASA
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Model Astronaut
A cautionary tale about the android who just wasn't suited for the task at hand
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Ready for Takeoff
Even before the "Jetsons," people dreamed of flying cars. Now breakthroughs in technology are helping all kinds of vehicles get off the ground
Departments
Discussion
Reader responses to our April issue
Sparks Fly Over Tabloid Biz Flick!
Two new books offer divergent theories on the authorship of the much-heralded film
Traitors and Haters
The story behind the most famous betrayal in U.S. history shows the complicated politics of the nation's earliest days
Tweet All About It
From user-generated content to political screeds, the future of news happens to look a lot like the past
Ask Smithsonian
Just a sampling of what we can learn from those who have been to space