While the magazine has closed, its living archive endures—open to all and preserving the many ideas, voices, and discoveries that deepen our understanding of what it means to be human.
With 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.
Tapping Into Ancient SoundscapesAn archaeologist shares the results of new research on musical instruments in Southern Africa.
What Scars Say About Sex and StereotypesPeople’s perceptions of scars—from ritual scarification to mastectomy marks—reveal biases about gender, character, and more.
Can a Robot Guess What You’re Thinking?Scientists are trying to create artificial intelligence that can think about others’ thoughts. What might this reveal about perspective-taking in AI, humans, and animals?
The Problem With Abstract ThreatsIn this episode, anthropologists consider what the novel coronavirus reveals about how humans negotiate crises that seem too big to be real.
A Curator’s Search for JusticeOne museum’s saga of returning stolen vigango statues to Kenya reveals how repatriating sacred objects is both the right thing and a very hard thing to do.
