Dawn of the smileThe smile is a universal expression, but its meaning and origins remain debatedFeb 16Feb 16
The quest for human uniquenessTucked deep in the brain, toward the back, there’s a tiny ridge. It’s easy to miss, frankly — a “physically unimpressive” structure, in…May 12, 2022May 12, 2022
The eye’s mindThe world’s largest eyeball belongs to the giant squid. It was measured for the first time in 2012, at roughly a foot across. The pupil…Sep 30, 2021Sep 30, 2021
The puzzle of piloerectionDo you remember the last time you got goose bumps? Not the kind you get when you’re cold — those aren’t particularly memorable. I mean the…May 26, 2021May 26, 2021
Telling tracksIt began with a bang — an eruption, to be exact. Around 3.6 million years ago, in a region now known as Laetoli, in Tanzania, a volcano…Jan 6, 2021Jan 6, 2021
The root-brain hypothesisMany thinkers start to think loftier thoughts as they get older. They zoom out; they try to take in the bigger picture, the 32,000-foot…Oct 14, 2020Oct 14, 2020
WEIRD: Adventures of an AcronymTen years ago, an acronym was born. There was nothing particularly unusual about the circumstances surrounding its birth. It first…Jul 2, 20201Jul 2, 20201
Me, my ‘umwelt,’ and IAt one point or another, we’ve all pondered some version of the “what is it like” question. What is it like to be bird, gliding over the…Jun 24, 2020Jun 24, 2020
The Monkey in the MirrorA sense of self — we all have one. We know where we end and where others begin. We know what it’s like to have thoughts, to see with our…Jun 19, 2020Jun 19, 2020
