Anthropologists are studying the global supply of human hair—a billion dollar industry for wigs, weaves, toupees, and more—that relies on hair pickers who gather discarded strands from streets and drains to make ends meet.
When Carbon Credits Drive People From Their HomesThe Alto Mayo Conservation Initiative in Peru is supposed to be an environmental success story. On the ground, it is mired in conflict.
Do Things Have to Be This Way?In The Dawn of Everything, archaeologist David Wengrow and the late anthropologist David Graeber question the West’s most deeply entrenched—and often damaging—assumptions about human nature and society.
How Will We Remember Coal?Anticipating a new energy future, an anthropologist returns home to contemplate what lessons we will learn from the coal industry’s material remains and monuments.
Brotherhood and Anti-Blackness in College FootballAs another college football season begins, an anthropologist explores how Black athletes navigate racism by caring for one another on and off the gridiron.
Introducing the Other “AI”: Anthropology IntelligenceIn this free live event, anthropologist and Financial Times editor Gillian Tett answers five questions about her new book, Anthro-Vision: A New Way to See in Business and Life.
How Cellphones Make and Break Human ConnectionsAn ethnographic study of U.S. high schoolers highlights their ambivalence toward communication technologies.
What Problems Does Organic Cotton Solve?Organic cotton agriculture in India fails, resoundingly, to produce as much cotton as conventional methods. But what if that’s not the point?
Finding Calm—and Connection—in Coffee RitualsDuring the pandemic, an anthropologist finds new meaning in the everyday ritual of preparing and drinking coffee.