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The bone outline of a skull is seen in relief where excavated on a cave floor

Rituals and celebrations

idea

Digging for answers in a cave filled with Neanderthal skeletons

When a team of researchers returned to an Iraqi cave believed to be a Neanderthal burial site, here’s what they found

by Shayla Love

Futuristic cityscape with futuristic buildings and structures, featuring a group of people on a hill during sunset, with flowers in the foreground.

Human evolution

idea

Let everyone sparkle: psychotechnology in the year 2067

In the year 2067, the decorations are not the only things that sparkle. We ourselves glow and fizz with psychotechnology

by Eric Schwitzgebel

Snow-covered lake surrounded by forested mountains on a sunny day with a clear blue sky.

The body and physical health

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We’re children of ice and snow. Can we survive the coming heat?

Temperature is more than a number; it’s an experience of our flesh. How will our bodies cope with an ever-warmer planet?

by Robert Frodeman & Mark Bullock

A woman in a green jacket, wearing a headscarf, gesturing while others handle green plants in the background.

Communication and language

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Humans’ gift for charades helps explain the origin of language

How did humans create the earliest words? Iconic vocal sounds, which match form and meaning, likely played a key role

by Marcus Perlman

Man in yellow jacket wearing smart glasses, standing out in a crowd. Dark background with people mostly in shadows.

Human evolution

idea

Our evolved intuitions about privacy aren’t made for this era

Our emotional responses evolved in a very different world. In the online era, that makes us more vulnerable to privacy risks

by Joe Green & Azim Shariff

Silhouette of a person against a blue background with blurred characters and symbols.

Sleep and dreams

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What dream characters reveal about the astonishing dreaming brain

Such stuff as dreams are made on: the characters who populate your dreams have their own minds, separate from yours

by Antonio Zadra

Impressionist painting of a rural landscape with cows grazing, trees, houses, a church spire and a hazy sky at sunset.

Human evolution

idea

Why it took us thousands of years to see the colour violet

The colour violet was largely missing from art before the Impressionists, and is seen differently by different cultures. Why?

by Allen Tager

Photo advert of a waitress serving pizza to a smiling man and woman wearing 1950s clothing at a table with beer bottles and glasses, against a wood-panelled background.

Cooperation and collaboration

idea

If smiles are so easy to fake, why do we trust them?

Smiles can be a way to dupe people because they’re easy to fake – but we’ve figured out which smiles can be trusted

by Alexander Danvers

Two people stands on a rocky cliff edge under a cloudy sky, overlooking a vast countryside with rolling hills and fields.

Nature and the environment

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Why awesome natural beauty drops the jaw and lifts the spirit

Experiencing awe in nature can transform our sense of connectedness to other people and help maintain a spiritual vitality

by T Ryan Byerly

Black-and-white photo of a busy London underground train station platform in a tunnel with people waiting and departing.

Difficult emotions

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Most anguish isn’t an illness but an evolved response to adversity

An anthropological view shows us that the root causes of depression and anxiety are usually social conflict and adversity

by Kristen Syme & Edward H Hagen

Painting of early hominids using tools in a rocky landscape with scattered animal skulls and a distant horizon.

Human nature

idea

Do humans really have a killer instinct or is that just manly fancy?

The killer-instinct idea achieved such cultural power because it came embedded in gripping stories about human nature

by Nadine Weidman

Ivory sculpture of a lion-human figure shown from three angles on a black background.

Creativity

idea

Our greatest invention was the invention of invention itself

Hypothetical thinking is the key to sustained innovation and creativity: invention drove the evolution of the human mind

by Keith Frankish