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.
An anthropologist’s extensive study of water scarcity in Mumbai reveals how such crises are often driven less by nature’s limits and more by human choices.
BlindedA SAPIENS poetry contest winner peers through imagination’s angled lens to consider a city that is both visible—and invisible.
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.
Without Parking, Those Who Live in Vehicles Have Nowhere to GoPeople who dwell in RVs or cars may have “homes”—but their lives are often unnecessarily precarious.
Closer to HomeWhat can squatting—occupying otherwise unoccupied buildings without any title, right, or payment—teach us about how cities work?
The Hidden Resilience of “Food Desert” NeighborhoodsAnthropologists and other scholars are delving into the plight of urban communities where people struggle to meet their nutritional needs. In the process, these researchers are discovering the power—and limits—of self-reliance.
Why Eradicating Polio Is More Complicated Than It SeemsPolio retains a foothold in Pakistan—and will likely continue to do so as long as basic health services are neglected.
What the Archaeology of Night RevealsStudying ancient peoples’ nocturnal lives shows us why we should begin working to reclaim the darkness.
Secrets of a Brothel PrivyThe outhouse of a 19th-century Boston brothel might not be the first place you’d think to look for revealing clues about the past—but maybe it should be.
Digging Into the Myth of TimbuktuLong considered by Europeans to be void of archaeological riches, Timbuktu is a treasure trove of ancient human history.
