When Deafness Is Not Considered a Deficit

In the Peruvian Amazon, the Maijuna peoples created their own sign language—which hints at the importance of community in the evolution of language.

Will U.S. University Students Spread COVID-19?

Universities are planning to open across the United States with strategies based on fantasy documents and magical thinking.

Being Clear-Eyed About Citizen Science in the Age of COVID-19

An anthropologist explores the network of citizen monitoring capabilities that developed after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan in 2011 for what they might teach all of us about such strategies for the covonavirus pandemic.

Why “We” Isn’t for Everyone

Just when authors think they’re including everyone, they might be leaving someone important out.

Is Celebrity Attention Helping or Hurting Amazonian Peoples?

As stars around the world petition Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to protect Indigenous peoples from the COVID-19 pandemic, anthropologists debate whether the call for action reproduces longstanding racist claims.

Why Capitalize “Indigenous”?

The Associated Press Stylebook and The Chicago Manual of Style do not capitalize the term Indigenous when it is used to refer to people. But SAPIENS does. The editorial team explains why.

The Symbolic Power of Virus Testing

To help battle the coronavirus crisis, testing would not only identify those who carry the virus, it would also make the threat of the disease more tangible.

How to Make Climate Change Feel Real

On Earth Day’s 50th anniversary, anthropological research reveals how complex, global problems can be made tangible through experience, empathy—and play.

When Coronavirus Emptied the Streets, Music Filled Them

A singer-songwriter anthropologist who has been experiencing Italy’s COVID-19 quarantine reflects on how pandemic-inspired songs connect people and reveal shifting power dynamics.

Why Poetry + Anthropology?

SAPIENS’ first poetry contest received dozens of remarkable entries. A total of five winning poems will be featured for World Poetry Day in March and National Poetry Month in April. Find out why we think anthropological poetry matters.