SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE (April 4, 2025): The April/May 2025 features ‘In The Birthplace of the Buddha’ – What happens when Archaeologists and worshipers converge in the spiritual leader’s legendary Nepali hometown?

In Search of Siddhartha

The legendary birthplace of Siddhartha in Nepal beckons worshipers from around the world—and archaeologists hoping to uncover new evidence about the revered spiritual leader

Can a Forgotten Bean Save the Brew?

In a world that consumes two billion cups of coffee each day, climate change is threatening the most popular species. How one leading botanist is scouring remote corners of the earth to find new beans that could keep our cups full

An Artist for the Here and Now

Long overlooked, Swedish painter Hilma af Klint made pioneering abstract art. Today she’s a global star—but some scholars insist she should be sharing the spotlight

A Stunned World Reckons With Economic Fallout From Trump’s Tariffs

Not even America’s closest trading partners were spared by a policy broadside that spooked investors and left policymakers scrambling to formulate responses.

Trade ‘Emergency’ Follows Decades of Trump Anger That America Has Been Ripped Off

Economists and legal experts question how the strongest economy in the world can be facing a national emergency over the trade deficit.

Trade War Sets Off ‘Max Pessimism’ in Global Markets as Stocks Plunge

The S&P 500 fell almost 5 percent on Thursday, its worst drop since June 2020, as President Trump’s higher-than-expected tariffs set off another round of economic worry.

Trump Is Promising a Manufacturing Renaissance. Is That Even Possible?

The president says “jobs and factories will come roaring back” because of his trade policies, but the economic story of the American 21st century has also been shaped by the deliberate pursuit of freer trade.