An anthropologist dives deeply into how “medical aid-in-dying” is transforming the ethics and aesthetics of death.
Love Poem for the Shape of the FieldAnthropologist-poet Nomi Stone reflects on the scope of a social scientist’s gaze—and unfurls a startling insight.
Does Love Always Come Before Marriage?Arranged marriages and love marriages are sometimes seen as cultural opposites, but it’s far more complicated. Anthropology shows how love and marriage are entwined in many different ways.
Is the Pandemic Slowing Down Love?Helen Fisher, a biological anthropologist and the chief scientific adviser for Match.com, sheds light on how COVID-19 has been affecting the search for love online.
The Pandemic and the Process of BecomingWith no end to the COVID-19 pandemic in sight, people find themselves in a prolonged liminal state of transition. Why does that feel so unsettling?
The Casual Menace of a Trump RallyAs the U.S. closes in on Election Day 2020, an anthropologist remembers the chilling mix of cruelty and cheer he witnessed at a Trump victory rally after the 2016 election.
Why Do Virtual Meetings Feel So Weird?Even as online meetings become more common, they can’t always capture the nuances of nonverbal communication and in-person interactions.
When Colorblind Parenting Meets Anti-racismAn Ethiopian-born biological anthropologist and father dissects the “myth of race” and reflects on his own deepening understanding of racism in the U.S.
How COVID-19 Is Changing People’s Relationships With HouseplantsAn anthropologist digs into what the current “botanic boom” reveals about people’s interactions with nature and with one another.
What Scars Say About Sex and StereotypesPeople’s perceptions of scars—from ritual scarification to mastectomy marks—reveal biases about gender, character, and more.
