No . 122 • Issue 6 / 2016 CONTENTS timeless
1 You Begin
BY MARGARET ATWOOD
PICTURESQUE
14 The Makings of an Icon
A showcase of Asian portraits
BY STEVE MCCURRY
reflections
26 Casting Light
revealed
28 A Great Convergence ?
Unearthing the mysteries of the Terracotta Army
culture
46 Early Human Imprints
Tracing the beginnings of human creativity in cave art
BY PAUL S . C . TAÇON , ADAM BRUMM AND MAXIME AUBERT
science
88 From the Fathoms
Spurring the origins of life
BY ARUNAS L RADZVILAVICIUS
MEMORIES
90 Gone but not Forgotten
Remembering the world ’ s longest reigning monarch
icon
92 Edward Said
IMAGE © SHUTTERSTOCK
culture
30 The Mothers of Invention
From the origins of ice cream to gunpowder , farming to the abacus – explore the history of Asian innovation
BY KALLIE SZCZEPANSKI
CULTURE
40 From Spirits to Superfans
Japanese religion has been integral to the making of global popular culture – including Pokémon Go . From its animist origins , this global gaming phenomenon is rooted in mythology
BY HANNAH GOULD nature
50 The Tree of Life
Map the evolution of humans and primates in Asia . Trace the two contending models of the evolutionary journeys of Homo erectus ’ descendents
BY YD BAR-NESS
ENVIRONMENT
60 Ambassadors from Ancient Asia
In charting the routes of Asia ’ s animals , discover the origins of species
BY YD BAR-NESS
30
Chairman
LIM Geok Khoon
Publisher / Editorial Director John THET • thet @ asiangeo . com
Editor Alex W . CAMPBELL • alex @ asiangeo . com
associate editor Ian BONGSO-SELDRUP • ian @ asiangeo . com
Graphic Designer Shellen TEH • shellen @ asiangeo . com
contributing designer Kim Fong WONG
WEB / IT Catalon DUTCH • dutch @ asiangeo . com
Accounts Managers ( Regional ) Desmond HO • desmond @ asiangeo . com Anne LOW • anne @ uw360 . asia
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Senior Manager Victor OW • victor @ asiangeo . com
Operations Executive Kaero TEO • kaero @ asiangeo . com
Interns Spencer NAH • 360 @ uw360 . asia Sabrine ONG • intern @ asiangeo . com
Field Editors YD BAR-NESS • Australia , Jim NEALE • Philippines
contributors John ARIFIN , Maxime AUBERT , Mangai BALASEGARAM , YD BAR-NESS , Adam BRUMM , Hannah GOULD , Sophie IBBOTSON , Steve McCURRY , Arunas RADZVILAVICIUS , Paul S . C . TAÇON , Kallie SZCZEPANSKI , Eric WONG
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