Some researchers have claimed there’s an evolutionary explanation for hazing. If they’re correct, should we accept—or even encourage—the ongoing use of this type of initiation ritual?
Eating People Is Wrong—But It’s Also Widespread and SacredCan transcendence be attained by embracing the strongest taboo of all?
Wrestling With the Culture of Drug Testing in SportsThe clash of Senegalese wrestling with international anti-doping regulations highlights the cultural biases built into modern athletics.
Spirit-Monsters and the Curse of the Chicago CubsWhat do a figurine from Greenland, a burning desire to win, and one man’s plot to overcome a goat’s curse have to do with the World Series?
The Perennial Power of RitualRituals soothe, excite, and unite people throughout the world. But how exactly do they work, and what makes them so meaningful?
Do the Olympics Make Economic Sense?The Olympic Games aren’t financially rational, but their value can be explained in other ways.
Rio’s Olympic Festival in the StreetsHow does the 21st-century technology of big-screen TV square with the age-old human penchant for celebrations?
The Paradox of Donald Trump’s AppealHow can a political candidate as offensive and outrageous as Trump be so popular? Fifty-year-old insights into how religion works may hold the key.
Did Women and Children Exist in Prehistory?Mother Nature doesn’t play fair when it comes to the preservation of archaeological remains.
Remember Your Loved One—Build a BirdhouseHumans are symbolic animals who create meaning from things. An eccentric movement to craft birdhouses into personal memorials has arisen spontaneously in central Florida.
