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Seasons Episodes
Table of contents
Introduction 0 Why Write for the Public? 1 What to Expect, from Pitch to Publication 2 How to Write a Pitch 3 How To Tell a Great Story, Part 1: Structure 4 How To Tell a Great Story, Part 2: Style 5 Navigating Ethics and Reducing Harms 6 Habits of Thriving Public Anthropologists 7 Cultivating the Craft of Writing 8
Table of contents
Introduction 0 Why Write for the Public? 1 What to Expect, from Pitch to Publication 2 How to Write a Pitch 3 How To Tell a Great Story, Part 1: Structure 4 How To Tell a Great Story, Part 2: Style 5 Navigating Ethics and Reducing Harms 6 Habits of Thriving Public Anthropologists 7 Cultivating the Craft of Writing 8
Announcement

After ten years of exploring humanity in all its diversity, SAPIENS has concluded its publishing chapter.

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.

Did Humanity Really Arise in One Place?

New evidence is prompting researchers to rethink Homo sapiens’ origin story—and what it means to be human. ✽ As a…

Is a “Sweet Tooth” Genetic?

An anthropologist explains the evolutionary origins of why so many people seem practically programmed to love sugar. This article was…

How Diverse Was Medieval Britain?

An archaeologist explains how studies of ancient DNA and objects reveal that expansive migrations led to much greater diversity in…

Will a Nobel Prize Make Paleogenomics More Accountable?

An anthropologist offers possible directions for ancient DNA studies moving forward—especially regarding the field’s complex histories with Indigenous communities and…

The Cosmic Serpent

With traditional Carnival celebrations throughout Brazil suspended for a second year in a row due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a poet-anthropologist remembers the sweaty pulse of this exuberant street celebration—and zooms out for a broader view of our karmic journey through life.

Athletics, IQ, Health: Three Myths of Race

An evolutionary biologist and biological anthropologist break down why differences in human athleticism, IQ, and health can’t be explained by the concept of race.

What Ancient DNA Reveals About Life in Africa 20,000 Years Ago

Newly sequenced African aDNA shows dynamic ancient migratory patterns and interactions around the Later Stone Age that shaped human history.

A Genetic Chronicle of the First Peoples in the Americas

In a new book, an anthropological geneticist writes a 36,000-year history of how and why ancient peoples migrated into North and South America and made the continents their home.

Does DNA Simplify or Complicate Repatriation Claims?

A restitution effort in South Africa illustrates the challenges to scientists, policymakers, and living descendants as they navigate the complex repercussions of genetic analysis for unethically obtained human remains.

The Humans We Haven’t Met Yet

One anthropologist contends that far too many species have been lumped into one category: Our story is more complicated, he argues.