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How does our brain produce actions and thoughts?
The massive networks of neurons in our brains produce complex behaviors, like actions and thought. Now physicists want to understand ...
What separates human thinking from that of other animals and when did our uniqueness emerge?
The human mind is unlike any other. It’s the key that unlocked language, culture, abstract reasoning, long-term planning, and large-scale ...
Running out of storage: Here’s how our brains decide which memories are worth keeping
We’ve known for some time now that during sleep, the brain undergoes a memory spring cleaning of sorts, during which ...
Why did early humans turn to cannibalism? It might have had little to do with hunger
Paleoanthropologist Briana Pobiner wasn't expecting an ancient revelation during a routine examination of a Paleolithic shin bone in 2017. She observed clean, carved ...
Were Neanderthals cannibals?
At this point, there’s little doubt Neanderthals ate each other, even if the practice doesn't appear to have been widespread ...
Pinning down our ‘great leap forward’: When did ancient humans start to act behaviorally modern?
How are we different from ancient humans? Since our species first appeared, we’ve been on a wild ride from the ...
Ekgmowechashala mystery solved: Unique Chinese monkey-like creature was last primate to populate the Americas before humans arrived
Besides being a spelling bee stumper, Ekgmowechashala likely descended from animals in China and somehow migrated to North America ...
5 vestigial organs: How human evolution has rendered multiple parts useless
The natural selection process dictates that we keep the traits that continue to serve a purpose while the others become ...
‘Wandering minds’ have been critical for evolution
Our minds may have been the key to our survival. Learn the evolution and psychology of the wandering mind ...
Here’s how humans could explore the universe — without warp speed travel technology
The field equations of Einstein’s General Relativity theory say that faster-than-light (FTL) travel is possible, so a handful of researchers ...
Why do we feel fear or hatred toward robots?
AI was created to be helpful, but not all people see it that way. Scientists share why humans have an ...
On foot: ‘Evolution of walking has everything to do with what makes us human’
Going places on foot isn’t a particularly glamorous way to get around. Sure, there are proven health, social and environmental ...
1 in 100 people stutter. Genetics or the environment?
People who stutter can experience more depression symptoms and face a decreased quality of life. Despite this, there’s no available treatment at the ...
How eating ‘ultra-processed’ foods affects your mental health
Ultra-processed foods are popular because they’re convenient, ready to eat, and usually less expensive than other foods. However, they tend ...
How 3-billion year old blue green algae found in hot springs could help treat cancer and Alzheimer’s disease
While cyanobacteria can also produce certain toxins that can pose direct threats to humans and animals, there is also a ...
Life-saving venom? How deadly compounds can be used as medications
Scientists estimate that there are more than 220,000 venomous species, ranging from jellyfish to mammals. That’s 15 percent of Earth’s animal ...
Taking a break from alcohol? Here’s the positive changes in the brain when you stop drinking for a month
With the explosion of craft beer, hard seltzers and family-friendly breweries across the U.S., you may be surprised to learn ...
Fever dreams are part of our shared human experience, but elude scientific explanation
The COVID-19 pandemic had a documented effect on people’s dreams — even in those who didn’t contract the infection. But ...
Oxitec targeting corn crop-devastating fall armyworm moth as GMO test projects to control disease-carrying mosquitoes go smoothly in Brazil, Florida
Forget lions, hippos or venomous spiders. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes may be among the deadliest wildlife in the world. Their bite is relatively ...
‘Honeybees are not endangered and are doing just fine’: Xerces Society says it’s time to end public confusion, refocus on native species
When Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) occurred around 2006 and entire colonies of honeybees died, experts and the public alike were justifiably alarmed ...
Re-thinking evolution: If we ‘evolved from apes’, why do they still exist?
In 2017, actor-comedian Tim Allen famously tweeted a question that revealed just how little he understands about evolution. It seems ...
‘Eye color is as specific as a thumbprint’: Why your eyes are completely unique
As recently as the aughts, it was believed that eye color was determined by a single gene — brown, dominant; ...
Mom brain: How can science explain ‘maternal instincts’?
Is there such a thing as maternal instinct? Not exactly, scientists say. It is true that while pregnant, breastfeeding and ...
How culture and technology are shaping human evolution
Cultural changes are likely affecting modern human evolution in ways we don’t yet understand. For example, research has shown that ...
Before Neanderthals: Untangling the vast web of pre-modern human ancestors
When paleontologists and anthropologists look back at the history of hominin evolution, they find a veritable Gordian Knot, one that ...
‘You act like a Neanderthal’? Consensus view changes — Homo Sapiens no smarter than our extinct cousins
We’ve long thought that humans must have survived because we were intelligent enough to outsmart our own extinction; meanwhile the ...
Why did Neanderthals lose their battle for survival to modern humans? Here’s a new theory
Our hypotheses surrounding the Neanderthals’ fate have... changed over time. The longest-standing theory is that we outcompeted them: We were ...
How hot is too hot? Climate change likely to spark intolerable spikes in temperature and humidity
Will climate change spark increases in heat and humidity that could challenge human tolerance? As we careen toward temperatures that ...
