The Rise of Emotional Robots
[no-caption] David Williams/SAPIENS Listen to the companion episode of SAPIENS: A Podcast for Everything Human! When Dan White first pulled Pepper out of the box, it was slumped…
Tag: emotions
Is Robot Empathy a Trap?
[no-caption] David Williams/SAPIENS Can robots care? And why should we care if they do? SAPIENS host Jen Shannon meets Pepper the robot, and host Chip Colwell goes on…
In praise of the scaffolding
In my experience, when the ethnographic mission collapsed, this scaffolding remained standing, rich and complex, in plain view. There, the net into which I fell. (Rosaldo 2014: 112)…
Why Envy Might Be Good for Us
Nyae-Nyae in northern Namibia is the last place in the country where Ju/‘hoansi are free to hunt in the traditional way. James Suzman This article was originally published…
The Trauma of Helping Asylum-Seekers
The United States’ detention of asylum-seeking women and children brings additional trauma to immigrants, such as this woman from El Salvador, who already carry many painful stories. Legal…
#Report: Envy and Greed: A Political Economy of Accusation and Critique
On the fourth and fifth of June, the anthropology department at the London School of Economics and Political Science hosted a workshop exploring how accusations of envy and…
The Evolutionary Enigma of the Human Eyebrow
[no-caption] Pexels This article was originally published at The Conversation and has been republished under Creative Commons. Eyebrows. We all have them, but what are they actually for? …
Grief Can Make Us Wise
A candlelight vigil on February 15 honored the victims of the recent mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida. Jim Rassol/Getty Images In the first hours…
When It Comes to Love, Is Three (or More) a Crowd?
Even today, performances of Romeo and Juliet move audiences for how the couple’s ardent love imperiled them. Robbie Jack/Getty Images Passionate love is a dangerous thing, or so…
Why Do So Many People Want to Die?
[no-caption] Colin Knowles/Flickr This article was originally published at Aeon and has been republished under Creative Commons. “You said that you’re afraid of dying. What are you …
Could Group-Organized Violence Be Rooted in Empathy?
The Samburu people, pastoralists who live in northern Kenya’s semiarid lands, have a rich oral tradition recounting stories of their ancestors. In the late 19th century, one story…
Compassion Sets Humans Apart
When considering the question of whether humans are a naturally aggressive and violent species, it might be good to take a deep breath and have a look at…
Death and Dying 101
Students from the author’s class on death and dying explore Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Anita Hannig Back in February, on a chilly, windy afternoon in Cambridge,…
Schizophrenia’s Tangled Roots
Symptoms of schizophrenia and related disorders likely arise from a perplexing interplay of social, environmental, psychological, and biological factors. Apfelsaft123/Flickr Jacqui Dillon…
Anthropology + Science Journalism = A New Genre? w/ Daniel Salas of SAPIENS
Click here to check out the TAL + SM blog post This Anthro Life has teamed up with Savage Minds to bring you a special 5-part podcast and…
What Religious Beliefs Reveal About Post-Truth Politics
As part of a traditional ritual, elderly Bidayuh practitioners invite the rice spirit and other spirits to participate in the festivities at the sangar, or bamboo altar. Liana…
What Role Did Autism Play in Human Evolution?
The story of human origins is much more varied and complex than we often recognize. Biswarup Ganguly/Wikimedia Commons This article was originally published at The Conversation and has be…
Eating People Is Wrong—But It’s Also Widespread and Sacred
This 15th-century depiction of cannibalistic practices was inspired by Marco Polo’s writings about traveling through Asia. Bibliothèque Nationale/Wikimedia Commons This article was origin…
In a Genocide, Who Are the Morally Upright?
During the 1994 Rwandan genocide, more than 800,000 people were slaughtered over 100 days. Amid the chaos there were heroes—those who put their own lives on the line…
Do You See What I See?
Social scientists have long been fascinated by how people in different cultures perceive and describe color. Michelle Jones/SAPIENS In a Candoshi village in the heart of Peru, anthropolog…
How to Host an Extraterrestrial
Welcome. Come in, please. May I take your coat? If you don’t mind removing your shoes you can place them there. Would you like something to drink? Have…
A Journey to Experience: Tanzania-Kenya-Uganda
Door Ottla Lange In my first week of studying cultural Anthropology I had been told to write down everything I observe, when in a new or…
The Mysterious Power of Arrogance
In the community of Urapmin lives a man named Kinimnok—a boastful, loud, and often angry public figure—whose role in society may help us understand some Americans’ love of…
Minimalism Versus Simplicity
Last summer, I read Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, which inspired me to clean out my closet and organize my clothes. I admit to feeling…