Why Couldn’t Iron Age People Throw Some Stuff Away?
It is often hard to part with the objects left behind by loved ones—even everyday things. Ashton/Flickr I have been told many …
Rethinking Masculinity: Fathers as Caregivers
The author, Aaron Jackson (center), with Wayne (left), a father whose thoughts about masculinity change as he raises his son Nick (right). …
What Misspellings Reveal About Cultural Evolution
[no-caption] DrAfter123/Getty Images Something about me must remind people of a blind 17th-century poet. My last name, Miton, is French, yet people …
Five Questions for Gillian Tett
In this upcoming free live event, Yoli Ngandali, SAPIENS media and public outreach fellow, asks Gillian Tett five questions about her new …
Finding and Losing the World’s Oldest Art in Sulawesi
These handprints were made by blowing pigment around a hand placed against the wall in Sumpang Bita Cave, Sulawesi. Franco Viviani In …
Can a Robot Guess What You’re Thinking?
What on earth are you thinking? Other people think they know, and many could make a pretty decent guess, simply from observing …
What Is Anthropology?
The “study of humanity” applies to many fields, but anthropology looks at people in a unique way. Orbon Alija/Getty Images Ask SAPIENS …
The Problem of Imagining the Real
As the novel coronavirus sent China into lockdown, my wife and I started to carefully follow the news. China was far away, …
Explaining the Emergence of Coronavirus Rituals
People in Rome, Italy, go out on their balconies at a specific time to give one another a round of applause during …
How Did Belief Evolve?
The Egyptians began constructing Karnak temple around 4,000 years ago. Archaeological evidence suggests large-scale religions arose throughout the world by 4,000 to …
Your Body as Part Machine
When you hear the word “cyborg,” scenes from the 1980s films RoboCop or The Terminator might spring to mind. But the futuristic …
Why Are Languages Worth Preserving?
This illustration represents how Indigenous peoples around the globe, as highlighted by depictions of a few specific communities, are striving to keep …
Are Colors Universal?
[no-caption] Marcel Hirshegger/SAPIENS Remember the meme #TheDress? Was it white and gold, or blue and black? With the help of Nicola Jones, …
Do You Dream What I Dream?
Anthropologist Roger Lohmann sees a ghost in a dream while working in Papua New Guinea. Even though he knows it’s just a …
Why Are People Who Use Illegal Drugs Demonized?
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs has targeted alleged drug dealers, such as this 18-year-old man, and left thousands of suspects …
Eating Insects and the Yuck Factor
[no-caption] Marcel Hirshegger/SAPIENS How come some people think eating insects is disgusting? Join SAPIENS hosts Jen Shannon and Chip Colwell as they …
Stone Age Myths We’ve Made Up
When most members of the general public think of the Stone Age, they probably envision an adult male hominin wielding a stone …
New Hominin Shakes the Family Tree—Again
Homo luzonensis’ teeth are unusual in that the premolars (two teeth on the left) are relatively large, while the molars (three on …
How Do Leaders Impact Our Definition of Responsibility?
What happens when our sense of responsibility breaks down? — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Where Do “New” Languages Come From?
As part of the Enduring Voices project, Abamu Degio (left) listens to a recording of herself singing a traditional Koro song, with …
Would Our Early Ancestors Have Watched the Super Bowl?
[no-caption] Nigel Renny/Flickr “It’s not your fault you watch football all day—man has always been captivated by watching stuff,” states a Coke …
Sewing Needles Reveal the Roots of Fashion
[no-caption] F. d’Errico/L. Doyon The Inya River in southwestern Siberia winds through a landscape of striking seasonal changes. In the summer, crystal …
The Science of Human Nature Has a Serious Problem
[no-caption] Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images This article originally appeared on The Conversation and has been republished under Creative Commons. Over the last century, behavioral researchers …
Most Initial Conversations Go Better Than People Think
We’re largely overestimating how much our feelings are on display to others — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com