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Science / Human Behavior

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The Definition of Home

Be it ever so humble, it’s more than just a place. It’s also an idea—one where the heart is

What's going on in this guy's head? Read How to Think Like a Neanderthal to find out.

A Human Evolution Summer Reading List

As you plan for summer vacation, don’t forget to pack one of these reads on Neanderthals, human origins, new fossils or the first people in the New World

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Meat Helps Human Populations Grow

A new study links eating meat to shorter periods of nursing, allowing women to bear more children

A piece of the elbow from Australopithecus anamensis found in northern Kenya.

The Top Seven Human Evolution Discoveries in Kenya

For more than 40 years, fossil hunters in Kenya have been excavating a treasure trove of hominid fossils, including a few species found nowhere else

Jorge Cham is the creator of Piled Higher and Deeper, one of many popular science-themed web comics

Science Comics Rule the Web

Where do Schrödinger’s cat and lolcats collide? On the science-themed web comics that appeal to our inner nerd and inner child at the same time

An artist's reconstruction of Homo georgicus

Four Species of Homo You’ve Never Heard Of

Homo helmei is one of several obscure species of our own genus that are represented by a few fossils that don’t fit neatly into existing hominid species

Our beliefs about the morality of beaning a player with a pitch differ from our believe about other areas of life.

High and Inside: Morality and Revenge in Baseball

Does beaning in baseball represent an ethical holdover from our earlier days of family feuds and a culture of honor?

New research suggests hominids were building fire by at least one million years ago.

The Earliest Example of Hominid Fire

New research reveals hominids were building fires one million years ago, pushing back the origins of controlled fire by more than half a million years

A new study suggests that a daydreaming is an indicator of a well-equipped brain

The Benefits of Daydreaming

A new study indicates that daydreamers are better at remembering information in the face of distraction

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Who Would Live on Wall Street?

In the wake of the financial crisis, New York’s financial district is getting something new: full-time residents

Wilson says our instinct to settle down both ensures our success and dooms us to conflict.

Edward O. Wilson’s New Take on Human Nature

The eminent biologist argues in a controversial new book that our Stone Age emotions are still at war with our high-tech sophistication

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How to Become the Engineers of Our Own Evolution

The “transhumanist” movement says better technology will enable you to replace more and more body parts—even your brain

Will computer servers like these be the reporters of tomorrow?

Is the Future of Journalism Computerized?

New artificial intelligence programs can analyze data sets to produce news articles that mimic the human voice

Pulitzer Prize-winning scientist E.O. Wilson appears in his office at Harvard University, in Cambridge, Mass. Wilson, an author, biologist, and humanist made well-chronicled efforts to team with evangelical Christians to fight global warming.

What Does E.O. Wilson Mean By a “Social Conquest of the Earth”

Carl Zimmer asks the evolutionary biologist about the theories in his high-profile new book

People in their 80s rarely complain of sleep problems.

Better Sleep in the Golden Years?

A large survey finds that the elderly are more satisfied with their sleep habits than are people in any other age group

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Did the Titanic Sink Because of an Optical Illusion?

New research may have found the reason why the ship struck an iceberg: light refraction

After playing a sad movie scene for a group of women, researchers collected their tears and placed the unidentified fluid under men's noses. The result was a reduced sexual arousal and testosterone levels.

The Truth About Pheromones

Yes, scientists say, your airborne compounds send signals about your moods, your sexual orientation and even your genetic makeup

"The questions is not what you look at, but what you see." - Henry David Thoreau

Perception, Defined

The renowned author of A Natural History of the Senses visits Florida’s Morikami Japanese Gardens to examine the astonishing wealth of human perception

Studies show most football coaches make poor decisions on fourth down. Does Bill Belichick have a secret advantage?

Super Bowl Science: Are Football Coaches Irrational?

Studies show that coaches often make poor choices in crucial situations. But one coach may have a secret advantage

According to author Eric Klinenberg, there are more than 32 million people living alone—about 28 percent of all households.

Eric Klinenberg on Going Solo

The surprising benefits, to oneself and to society, of living alone

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