How Did Belief Evolve?

An anthropologist traces the development of Homo sapiens’ most creative and destructive force, from the making of stone tools to the rise of religions.

Can This Indigenous Language Thrive in a Digital Age?

A majority of Paraguayans speak Guaraní despite centuries of colonialism and suppression. Now activists want the written language to flourish online too.

Do You Dream What I Dream?

An anthropologist investigates what unites and distinguishes the human universal of dreaming.

The Neanderthal Throat—Did Neanderthals Speak?

The third installment of our head-to-toe tour of the Neanderthal body tackles how our close ancestors might have sounded.

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.

The Double Lives of Chinese Foreign Correspondents

Chinese journalists reporting from abroad grapple with a conflicted identity, facing both censorship and the perception that their work often serves nationalistic goals.

Why Can’t Apes Talk?

A recent study suggests they’ve got the voice but not the brains.

The Incas’ Knotty History

Imagine a simple three-dimensional object that uses mathematics, history, accounting, and language to keep track of an amazing array of information. The Inca invented one over 500 years ago in Peru.

In the Wake of Hurricane Maria, Memes Carry More Than a Little Truth

After a catastrophe, a community’s spirit can be seen in the memes that go viral online.

Letting Silence Have a Voice in #MeToo

Storytelling plays a vital role in addressing sexual assault, but what of the safety and well-being of survivors—both those who speak out and those who don’t?