Featured Archived
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.

U.S. Coronavirus Advice Is Failing Pregnant Women

An anthropologist explores how her current study of COVID-19 and childbirth reveals profound and amplified problems with the United States’ maternity system.

Could COVID-19 Permanently Change Hand Hygiene?

An anthropologist tackles the slippery subject of hand sanitization in a world torn between concerns over contagion and antibiotic resistance.

Why Face Masks Are Going Viral

As the new coronavirus epidemic spreads, more and more people are wearing surgical masks—despite their questionable effectiveness. An anthropologist explores the reasons why.

The Double Life of Coca

In South America, countries struggle to protect traditional uses of coca while decreasing its currency in the addiction- and crime-addled cocaine trade.

How to Resurrect Dying Languages

Community activists are using creative methods to revive endangered languages and reawaken dormant ones.

How the Opioid Crackdown Is Hurting Chronic Pain Patients

People who rely on opioids to work and live say a new federal guideline is making them suffer, even while overdose deaths continue to rise.

Are Mixed-Income Neighborhoods the Best Answer for Public Housing?

An anthropologist documents the social tolls of new mixed-income developments while also acknowledging the gains.

Why Are People Who Use Illegal Drugs Demonized?

In many parts of the world, people who take illegal substances are punished with harsh prison sentences or executions that are unjustified. Behind this treatment lie prejudices that have a surprising history.

Gun Violence Harms, Even if You’ve Never Been Shot

An anthropologist argues that the U.S. culture of guns puts stress on the body and mind that can lead to physical damage.

The Illusion and Peril of Food “Choice”

It’s easy to blame obesity, diabetes, and other conditions on people’s poor diets. But the real culprit is multinational corporations that profit from limiting our food choices.