Why Winter Solstice Celebrations Persist
On the shortest, darkest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, people draw strength from traditions that help them celebrate the gradual return of light.
Elizabeth Svoboda
Elizabeth Svoboda is the author of What Makes a Hero?: The Surprising Science of Selflessness, and she has contributed to Aeon, Discover, Psychology Today, and The New York Times. She lives in San Jose, California, with her husband and two young sons. Follow her on Twitter @svobodster.
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Are Mixed-Income Neighborhoods the Best Answer for Public Housing?
An anthropologist documents the social tolls of new mixed-income developments while also acknowledging the gains.
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Where Do “New” Languages Come From?
Anthropologists and linguists are working to understand how complex systems of communication emerge—and what they reveal about how to keep rare or threatened languages alive.
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A Belated Homecoming for Missing U.S. Marines
Archaeologists at Florida's History Flight have dedicated themselves to a singular quest: finding lost World War II servicemen and bringing them home.
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Life and Death After the Steel Mills
In her study of a community devastated by industry's flight, anthropologist Christine Walley raises questions about how to create and support meaningful work in a postindustrial world.
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In a Genocide, Who Are the Morally Upright?
A Georgia State anthropologist explores what motivated rescuers during the Rwandan genocide—and what their stories reveal about courage and selflessness in the midst of total destruction.