Readers Respond to the April/May 2025 Issue
Your feedback on Rome’s underground secrets, the Buddha’s birthplace and the wonder of native bees
Urban Unearthing
Tony Perrottet’s “The City Beneath the City”(April/May 2025) is certainly one of the most thoroughly intriguing and meticulously researched articles. This gem detailing the ancient underground aqueducts of Rome gives both a visual and historical account of man’s insatiable appetite to overcome nature and create astonishing engineering marvels to uplift the human condition. Kudos to all involved in this inspiring account. —Thomas Giacoponello | Warwick, Pennsylvania
Buzzworthy
What a remarkably educational and interesting story “Born to Bee Wild” (April/May 2025) was. At 87, it has been a long time since I’ve had lessons in biology or science. The fact that there are about 3,600 different species of bees in the United States alone was almost an unbelievable statistic. Thank you for a beautifully written and illustrated story. —Everett Sanborn | Prescott, Arizona
Signs of Life
Your thought-provoking article illustrates the shifting balance between faith and history; archaeology and tourism; and truth, parable and tradition (“In Search of Siddhartha,” April/May 2025). I did not know the history of Buddha, even though I took a course that examined religions, including Buddhism, during my master’s degree program. I definitely enjoyed learning about some of the archaeology that supports the spirituality of Buddhism, yet doesn’t totally confirm its history, and how that doesn’t entirely matter to those who practice Buddhism, or any other religion. —Laurel Burkel | Belleville, Illinois
Your article presented the mystical accounts of Siddhartha’s birth and life in a matter-of-fact style and was balanced by accounts of things we are learning from archaeological activities in the general area surrounding his birthplace. The information in the opening paragraphs serves as a reminder to all of us that the Buddha’s teachings still exert a strong influence on much of the world. —Ed Kimball | Pinehurst, North Carolina
At the Old Ballgame
In 1988, I visited five Major League cities and watched six teams play. That grand adventure included Wrigley Field (“Home Game,” April/May 2025). Looking out on this ageless gem, it might just as well have been a game half a century earlier, the only difference being the uniforms worn by the players. I watched future Hall of Famers Ryne Sandberg and National League MVP Andre Dawson at batting practice. The field has a “spirit” all its own. —Ralph Epifanio | DeLand, Florida
Growing up in Chicago by Midway Airport had me real close to the Cracker Jack plant on South Cicero Avenue. When the wind blew in the right direction, I could smell the tasty treat and wondered what the prize was inside. Thanks for recreating this olfactory experience with your article (“Eyes on the Prize,” April/May 2025). —Greg Boris | Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania
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This article is a selection from the June 2025 issue of Smithsonian magazine