Anthropology
The Legend of the Christmas Stocking
What's behind the holiday tradition of hanging hosiery on the fireplace?
December 14, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
New Discovery of 7000-Year-Old Cheese Puts Your Trader Joe’s Aged Gouda to Shame
Previously traced to ancient Egypt, prehistoric pottery indicates that cheese was invented thousands of years earlier
December 12, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Can Tattoos Be Medicinal?
In his travels around the world, anthropologist Lars Krutak has seen many tribal tattoos, including some applied to relieve specific ailments
December 10, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
Cavemen Were Much Better At Illustrating Animals Than Artists Today
A new study finds that prehistoric humans correctly depicted the gait of four-legged animals much more frequently than modern artists
December 05, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Are You Smarter Than Your Grandfather? Probably Not.
Senility isn’t the answer; IQ scores are increasing with each generation. In a new book, political scientist James Flynn explains why
December 03, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
Why Oliver Sacks is One of the Great Modern Adventurers
The neurologist’s latest investigations of the mind explore the mystery of hallucinations – including his own
December 2012 |
By Ron Rosenbaum
People Have Been Using Stone-Tipped Spears For Way Longer Than We Thought
A new study adds 200,000 years to their run
November 20, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
These Communities Decided Not To Rebuild After Disaster
It seems that despite always asking the question, the answer is always the same: rebuild. Except in these cases - when entire communities just pick up and leave
November 19, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Favorites From the Cooper-Hewitt’s New Online Collection
The museum's clothing and textiles are unwrapped for view as never before
November 06, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
5 Weird Things That Shouldn’t Influence Your Vote But Do
A number of irrelevant factors—from a polling place's location to a home sports team's winning percentage—have been found to sway voters
November 06, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Why Do Readers Cheat Content Paywalls in Online Journalism?
A new study shows that justifying paywalls as fair makes readers much more likely to pay for online content
November 02, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Newly Uncovered, 6,500-Year-Old Fortified Stone City the Oldest in Europe
This 350-person town is the oldest of its type found to date
November 01, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Want to Eat a Triceratops? Try Ripping its Head Off
Recent research has uncovered how the Tyrannosaurus probably ate the Triceratops: head first
October 25, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
New Evidence That Grandmothers Were Crucial for Human Evolution
A computer simulation supports the idea that grandmothers helped our species evolve social skills and longer lives
October 23, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Dress Codes and Etiquette, Part 2: Diana Vreeland vs. Emily Post on Vulgarity
How much drama is too much? These two famous women, who wielded power over how we dress, could have debated the subject
October 23, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
The Carbon Dioxide in a Crowded Room Can Make You Dumber
A new experiment shows that the collective carbon dioxide exhaled by people around you might cause you to think more slowly
October 22, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Men Chasing Cat Stumble Upon 2,000-Year-Old Roman Treasures
A 2,000-year old burial chamber was discovered with the help of a cat
October 19, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
A New Leap Forward for Radiocarbon Dating
Sediments and ancient leaves recovered from the bottom of a Japanese lake will help scientists around the world more precisely date ancient objects
October 18, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
The Marshmallow Test Gets More Complicated
A new study finds that in a study of self control, the perception of trustworthiness matters
October 15, 2012 |
By Sarah Zielinski
100-Million-Year-Old Spider Caught in the Act of Pouncing on Its Prey
A rare fossil captured a 100-million-year-old moment in time, a spider attacking an insect trapped in its web
October 15, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
