Ancient technology Articles
The surprisingly recent origins of a vengeful god
Religion has a deep history in our species. But there's growing evidence that a moralising god is a lot more recent; emerging within the last 15,000 years.
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How were the first cave paintings made?
40,000 years ago people made the first cave paintings. Scientists are studying how they did it, shedding light on prehistoric life in the process.
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The explosive origins of pottery during the last ice age
The oldest pottery we've found are a few fragments from China ~20,000 years old. But the technology has explosive origins deeper in the ice age
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Articles Evolution of our body
Nutcracker man accidentally evolved weak teeth
The teeth of Nutcracker man (aka Paranthropus) are riddled with defects. Did evolution undermine the teeth of the species famous for its powerful bite?
Ancient technology Articles
Neanderthal medicine inferior to human healthcare
Neanderthal medicine was a thing and they took care of each other. But just how effective was it? An analysis of their rate of survival suggests “not very”.
Articles Brain & behaviour
Why did people make the first prehistoric art?
The first prehistoric art consists of engravings on shells. These were made for almost half a million years. Why did people make them, and why for so long?
Articles Creationism
New Ardipithecus fossils shows creationists are wrong about Lucy (again)
Oh dear. This is one of the times I discover I’ve been spending too much time on the internet. Simpson et al. just found a bunch of new Ardipithecus ramidus fossils1; and whilst everyone else is celebrating I’m left going Read more…
Articles Brain & behaviour
Looking for love on Instagram? Exploit evolution!
Evolution influences how we behave. If you’re looking for romance, could this be exploited to encourage people to slide into your Instagram DMs?
Articles Evolution of our body
Why did the human nose evolve?
The human nose is unique amongst primates, being all pointy. Why did this unusual feature evolve? New research speculates it might help with navigation.
Articles Evolution of our body
Inbreeding anomalies found in Neanderthal family
Genetics shows Neanderthals lived in isolated groups, often inbreeding. But did this impact their health? A study on the El Sidrón Neanderthals suggest yes.