In Melanesia, Indigenous communities developed elaborate rituals to bring themselves material wealth starting in the late 19th century. These practices…
Why AI Will Never Fully Capture Human LanguageResearchers in artificial intelligence have made extraordinary strides in mimicking human language—but they still can’t capture the parts that truly…
What Is Cultural Anthropology?Cultural anthropologists seek to understand the dizzyingly diverse ways people live today, including how they think, act, create, struggle, make…
A Reader’s Question About Surviving the Ice AgeAn anthropologist describes the multiple ice ages of the Earth’s past and how our species survived the most recent one.…
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…
Is Donated Blood a Gift or a Commodity?An anthropologist dives into the morally fraught blood and plasma industry and what it reveals about human societies—the good, the bad, and the gory.
Tree Rings Are Evidence of the Megadrought—and Our DoomScientists are using dendroclimatology to investigate megadroughts in the western U.S., and the trees are telling a disturbing tale.
What Is SAPIENS Magazine?Launched in 2016, SAPIENS magazine brings anthropology to the public through accessible, thought-provoking, and entertaining stories.
SAPIENS Podcast Season 4 Reflections and CelebrationsIn this live event, a panel of archaeologists and podcasters celebrates the completion of SAPIENS Podcast Season 4 and RadioCIAMS’ SAPIENS Talk Back series.
What Do Anthropologists Do?Anthropologists study humans in all our extraordinary history and diversity. Check out this overview of professional anthropology.