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May 2021

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Features

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The Light Fantastic

In the Arizona desert, James Turrell is creating one of the most ambitious artworks in American history. Here’s an exclusive look

monarchs

Where the Monarchs Go

Their relentless migration covers thousands of miles. But new threats are jeopardizing this ancient wonder of nature

mom illustration with baby in heart

The Making of a Mom

Scientists are revealing how a child can shape a mother’s heart and mind—literally

Minam River Lodge social

The End of the Trail

A vintage guidebook inspires a quirky trip through Oregon, from a wilderness lodge to a Gilded Age saloon to a town hidden underground

Photo contest collage (social)

Silence Speaks

From India to Antarctica, these pictures capture the passion, solitude and surprise of a year unlike any other

Departments

The Power of Research

We can accomplish more when we unite our robust scientific capabilities with our educational reach

Prologue

Corps Values

A moment of reckoning for the nation’s globe-trotting volunteers

Prologue

Lessons Learned

A photographic homage to a momentous education experiment

Prologue

Roget Gets the Last Word

Long before compiling his famed thesaurus, he had to escape Napoleon’s dragnet

Prologue

Eyewitness to History

A newsworthy birthday for a venerable source of trusted reporting

Prologue

Profiles in Courage

A salute to the bravery of the Harlem Hellfighters

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