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Entanglements
What Spider Games Say About Arachnophobia
Gideon Lasco
Many people around the world fear spiders. But in the Philippines, the tradition of spider wrestling often brings people and arachnids in close proximity.
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Entanglements
The Human Roots of Japan’s Cherry Blossoms
Gideon Lasco
Most cherry blossom trees planted in Japan today are the iconic pale-pink
somei-yoshino
variety—but its reign may be coming to an end.
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Entanglements
Picturing the Deep Universe Is Deeply Human
Gideon Lasco
The James Webb Space Telescope’s stunning photos require extensive image processing—revealing as much about humanity as about the universe.
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Entanglements
Alive in the Flapping of Infinite Orange Wings
Gideon Lasco
Monarch butterflies’ epic annual migration from North America to Mexico inspires an anthropologist to reflect on this insect’s precarious life cycles through the lens of “multispecies ethnography.”
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Entanglements
Does “Monkeypox” Give Monkeys a Bad Name?
Gideon Lasco
The debate over naming the virus known as monkeypox says a lot about the close—but fraught—relationships between humans and our fellow primates.
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Entanglements
Why Do (Some) Humans Love Chili Peppers?
Gideon Lasco
An anthropologist traces the origins and world travels of one of his favorite kinds of plants.
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Entanglements
Did Margaret Mead Think a Healed Femur Was the Earliest Sign of Civilization?
Gideon Lasco
An anthropologist digs into the origins of a popular story attributed to Margaret Mead about the original sign of civilization.
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Entanglements
The Cultural Anxieties of Xenotransplantation
Gideon Lasco
A genetically engineered pig heart was transplanted to a human body for the first time this year. While many celebrated, others remain uneasy. Anthropologists can shed light on why.
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Entanglements
How Filipino Sailors—and Coconuts—Helped Create Mexico’s National Drink
Gideon Lasco
Most people see tequila and mezcal as quintessentially Mexican spirits—but recent research has uncovered their unlikely connection with the Philippines.
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Entanglements
Cómo los marineros filipinos—y los cocos—ayudaron a crear la bebida nacional de México
Gideon Lasco
La mayoría de las personas considera que el tequila y el mezcal son bebidas espirituosas mexicanas por excelencia –pero investigaciones recientes han descubierto su improbable conexión con Filipinas—.
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Entanglements
Cuando el conejillo de indias se vuelve
gourmet
Gideon Lasco
En los últimos años, el cuy ha pasado de ser un alimento humilde y ceremonial, que se come en los Andes, a un manjar entre los urbanitas. ¿Qué hay detrás de este cambio de gustos?
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Entanglements
When the Guinea Pig Goes Gourmet
Gideon Lasco
In recent years, the guinea pig has gone from a humble and ceremonial food eaten in the Andes to a delicacy among urbanites. What’s behind this change in tastes?
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Entanglements
What Dog Breeds Say About Race
Gideon Lasco
In the Philippines, the practice of placing dogs into hierarchies based on breeds can be traced back to a problematic colonial legacy of ranking people based on race.
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Entanglements
Finding Calm—and Connection—in Coffee Rituals
Gideon Lasco
During the pandemic, an anthropologist finds new meaning in the everyday ritual of preparing and drinking coffee.
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Entanglements
What If There
Is
Life on Venus?
Gideon Lasco
The surprising scientific discovery of phosphine in the clouds of Earth’s closest neighboring planet is reanimating questions about humanity’s place in the cosmos.
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Entanglements
How COVID-19 Is Changing People’s Relationships With Houseplants
Gideon Lasco
An anthropologist digs into what the current “botanic boom” reveals about people’s interactions with nature and with one another.
essay /
Crisis
Could COVID-19 Permanently Change Hand Hygiene?
Gideon Lasco
An anthropologist tackles the slippery subject of hand sanitization in a world torn between concerns over contagion and antibiotic resistance.
essay /
Phenomenon
Why Face Masks Are Going Viral
Gideon Lasco
As the new coronavirus epidemic spreads, more and more people are wearing surgical masks—despite their questionable effectiveness. An anthropologist explores the reasons why.
essay /
Counterpoint
The Double Life of Coca
Gideon Lasco
In South America, countries struggle to protect traditional uses of coca while decreasing its currency in the addiction- and crime-addled cocaine trade.
essay /
Mindsets
Why Are People Who Use Illegal Drugs Demonized?
Gideon Lasco
In many parts of the world, people who take illegal substances are punished with harsh prison sentences or executions that are unjustified. Behind this treatment lie prejudices that have a surprising history.
essay /
Marketplace
The Dark Side of Skin Whitening
Gideon Lasco
A desire for lighter skin tones is deeply entrenched in many parts of the world, but it comes with equally deep risks to health and society.
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