Human evolution

A cheerful picnic by a river with adults and children relaxing on blankets under a blue sky with scattered clouds.

For a happier life, we must balance two old psychological needs

Personal autonomy is abundant in the modern world. As a result, many of us get what we want but not what we need

by William von Hippel

A blurred black cat jumps on dirt ground in the foreground, with a distant statue of Pope John Paul II with arms outstretched against the sky in the background

Cultural taboos arise from a basic feature of the human mind

Unquestioned community rules on marriage, dining and even black cats often stem from our hunger to explain random events

by Kevin (Ze) Hong

Photo of a dinosaur fossil embedded in rock and soil, with visible bone structures partially exposed.

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 painting with diverse people on a hill overlooking a cityscape blending nature, ancient monuments and advanced tech.

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

Photo of a snowy mountain landscape with a sunlit frozen lake, clear blue sky and snow-covered trees on the right.

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

Photo of women working with plants indoors, foreground woman in green engages in sign language with another person.

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

Photo of a man in a yellow jacket wearing smart glasses, standing amidst a dark crowd with light on his face.

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

Abstract image of a silhouette against blue light with blurred text in the background, digital art.

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

Painting of a serene rural landscape with cows grazing at sunset, a church spire, trees and fields in the background.

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

Retro photo of a waitress serving pizza to a smiling couple seated at a table with beer and glasses.

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

Photo of a rugged cliff edge with two people in the distance, overlooking a misty landscape under a cloudy sky.

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 underground station with people and a train on the platform.

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.

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.

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