An anthropologist examines the history of human skin under the sun, revealing how evolution and culture conspired to shape our…
Are Insomniacs Overthinking Sleep?From WiFi-enabled sleep trackers to wearable brain-altering apps, sleep technology is becoming increasingly sophisticated. But is the antidote to insomnia…
The Problems of Evolution as a “March of Progress”The idea that evolution is a hierarchy of complexity with humans on top lurks in everything from biology classes to…
Did Margaret Mead Think a Healed Femur Was the Earliest Sign of Civilization?An anthropologist digs into the origins of a popular story attributed to Margaret Mead about the original sign of civilization.
What the Discovery of Denisovan Remains in Laos MeansThe new excavation of a fossil tooth places an enigmatic group of ancient humans in Southeast Asia 164,000 years ago.
What the Vai Script Reveals About the Evolution of WritingIn the 19th century, a man living in present-day Liberia dreamed of the first script for his native Vai language. Today linguistic anthropologists are digging into the script’s evolution—and what the changes over the past two centuries reveal about human cognition and society.
Busting Myths About Sex and GenderIn a newly revised book, an anthropologist dismantles harmful untruths about society, including notions about the nature of differences between men and women.
Untangling Race From HairOne anthropologist has made it her mission to remove racial prejudices from the study of hair and find the evolutionary roots of hair diversity.
What’s the Appeal of Deep Voices in Men?Low-pitched male voices are frequently seen as signs of dominance, strength, and sex appeal. Now anthropologists are sussing out whether there’s truth behind the stereotypes.
Meet the Ancient Technologists Who Changed EverythingA series of Stone Age geniuses invented a range of technologies that shaped human evolution and laid the foundation for our world.
