The book Sapiens, A Brief History of Humankind by Israeli author Yuval Noah Harari has both captivated and frenzied readers since its publication in 2011. A controversial and famously cyniecal book on the history of human society and culture, Harari’s writings have been subject to both admirant praise and harsh criticism from those who argueContinue reading “Sapiens: A Review + Essay”
Tag Archives: science
Us and Them: When we first met our siblings
Homo sapiens evolved in relative isolation in the south of Africa, so when we met our cousins the Neanderthals and Denisovans for the first time, it was quite the shocker. After all, even today we like to discriminate against those who are slightly different from us, and other hominins certainly fit the box of tooContinue reading “Us and Them: When we first met our siblings”
Out of Africa
We aren’t the only human species to have migrated out of Africa. In fact, our cousins have done it already, albeit to a lesser degree. The first time occurred just after the time our ancestors’ brains grew significantly and when we mastered the art of fire and was carried out by a species called HomoContinue reading “Out of Africa”
Australopithecus – before Man
Last time we left off with Ardipithecus ramidus, the first bipedal ape, around 4.4 million years ago. Let’s fast-forward a bit to Ethiopia, 3.3 million years ago, where a 4 foot tall, apelike creature walks the savanna. The Australopithecus afarensis is the most famous species in its genus, known for having one of the mostContinue reading “Australopithecus – before Man”
When did we start wearing clothes?
Clothes, when you think about it, are kind of weird. Like, we’re the only species to wear clothes, unless you count shells in. However, shells are used for defensive purposes, just like a suit of armor, but clothes don’t make us invincible. Some clothes protect us from the cold and from getting wet, so theyContinue reading “When did we start wearing clothes?”
Anay Ganesh 