Untouchable

Discrimination against India's lowest Hindu castes is technically illegal. But try telling that to the 160 million Untouchables, who face violent reprisals if they forget their place.

MULTIMEDIA Photographer Bill Allard talks about the challenges, rewards, and heartbreaking realities of his coverage of India's Untouchables.

VIDEO Watch clips from the documentary Lesser Humans, and discover the unspeakable working conditions of India's Bhangis, one of the lowest of the Untouchable castes.

FORUM Untouchables living at the bottom of Indian society are subjected to indignities and atrocities. How can outsiders help Untouchables in their fight against oppression? Enter>>

Boundary Waters

Next stop in the American Landscape series: the beguiling wilds of northern Minnesota.

MAP Download a printable, high-resolution map of the Boundary Waters region.

ONLINE EXTRA Discover a "singing wilderness" of forest, lakes, and wildlife with these helpful travel tips.

WALLPAPER A fleeting thunderstorm and an elusive hare bring the natural wonder of the Boundary Waters region to your desktop this month.

POSTCARDS A Canada goose preparing for sleep makes a serene e-greeting.

FINAL EDIT Rescued from the cutting room floor is this month's Final Edit, an image of a Canada goose at dusk.

Baghdad Before the Bombs

In the run-up to war, a photographer trains her camera on a city about to be changed forever.

MAP Download a printable, high-resolution map of Baghdad.

AUDIO  Author and photographer Alexandra Boulat files audio reports from the streets of Baghdad.

AUDIO Bombs in the distance hang as a sobering backdrop to the call to prayer, sounds of life and war from the streets of Baghdad.

MULTIMEDIA Spared injury from tank mortar fired on her hotel, photographer Alexandra Boulat recounts life in Baghdad from the prelude to the height and aftermath of war.

FORUM As the international community debates how to rebuild Iraq, where do you see the country going from here? Enter>>

FLASHBACK to 1925 when King Faisal I ruled Iraq from his opulent palace.

Harbor Porpoise Rescue

Scientists and fishermen in the North Atlantic join forces to save the elusive cetacean.

MAP Download a printable, high-resolution map of a tagged harbor porpoise's satellite transmissions.

Peru's Highway of Dreams

A new road connecting Amazonia to the Pacific could bring riches—and ecological ruin.

MAP Download a printable, high-resolution map of Peru's planned highway.

FORUM How can the benefits of constructing the Transoceanica Highway through Amazonia be balanced with the costs? Enter>>

Killer Caterpillars

These rarely seen crawlers use stealth, seduction, and brute strength to get away with murder.

VIDEO Its prey in a death grip, a carnivorous caterpillar devours a defenseless fly.

AUDIO Listen to the amplified drumming, grunts, and chitter of Maculinea alcon caterpillars inside a Myrmica ant nest.

Masters of Gold

Artless barbarians? Hardly. The Scythian horsemen of the ancient Siberian steppe had a golden touch.

MAP Download a printable, high-resolution map of Russia's Scythian excavation sites.

ZipUSA: 02557

Warm nights and open arms in Oak Bluffs, a corner of Martha's Vineyard where African-American roots run deep.

NOMINATE your own wonderful, weird, or wacky choices for this magazine series. Enter>>

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