June 2011

Opening Announcements, Cover, Contents

Departments: From the Editor, This Month in History, Letters, Indelible Images, Wild Things

Departments: The Civil War, Around the Mall, From the Castle, Behind the Scenes, The Object at Hand

Departments: Q & A, What’s Up, Now on our Website

Swimming With Sharks

Researchers wince a light on the polka-dotted whale shark, a gentle giant and the largest fish in the sea.

By Juliet Eilperin

Ready for Takeoff

Will unmanned aerial vehicles—drones—soon take civilian passengers on pilotless flights?

By Richard Conniff

Seven All-American Curiosities

There’s an offbeat museum—eerie or edifying—to suit every taste.

Extreme Cuisine

A tech tycoon creates culinary oddities and explores cutting-edge food science in a tantalizing 2,438-page tome.

By Jerry Adler

A Setting for Murder

Agatha Christie found a backdrop for mystery at her Devon, England, estate—now open to the public.

By Joshua Hammer

500 Miles of Mayhem

A century ago, the first Indianapolis 500 race started in high excitement and ended in a muddle.

By Charles Leerhsen

Presence of Mind

Don’t Sniff the Antlers: A 14th-century Japanese essayist’s advice for troubled times runs the gamut from quirky to prescient.

The Last Page

The Newlywed Games