2013 July – December

Mars Gets Its Close-Up

The rover Curiosity is taking red planets portraits.

It All Began in Chaos

The giant planets didn't always sit where they are today. Our solar system was shaped by a wild and stormy youth.

Last Song for Migrating Birds

Across the Mediterranean millions are killed by food, profit, and cruel amusement.

Our Missing Ancestor

Meet a mysterious member of the human family.

Genes Are Us

Humans share a quarter of their genes with a grain of rice - as sign of our common heritage.

Daniel Kish: Bat Man

Blind since 13 months, he explores the world - and even rides a bike - by clicking his tongue.

Hay Beautiful

A walk through the grass-growing meadows of Transylvania will cheer your spirits. The old art of making hay is the reason.

The Comeback Croc

Thirty years ago the yacare caiman seemed doomed to a leathery death. What happened?

125th Anniversary Collector's Edition
The Photo Issue - The Power of Photography

 

Why Photos Matter

Cameras have changed our world.

The Price of Precious

The minerals in our electronic devices have bankrolled unspeakable violence in the Congo.

Glacial Meltdown

Glaciers are supposed to advance and retreat slowly. Now we watch them melt before our eyes.

Changing Faces

Meet the growing number of folks for whom race is no longer just a matter of black or white.

The Real North Korea

Candid images reveal what it's like inside this closed society.

Visions on Earth

Using the ground as a canvas, a photographer conjures unexpected images of famous parks.

Building the Ark

Zoos must choose between the most popular animals and the ones we many never see again.

The Visual Village

We're all photographers now.