An anthropologist follows a group of men who work in India’s rickshaw industry, revealing how their practices of masculinity and mutual aid shape their responses to intensifying flood disasters and political divides. THE RICKSHAW MEN RECEIVE HORRIBLE NEWS “I’m feeling too much tension to work,” says Aandhit. ( All names have been changed to protect people’s identities. ) He turns away potential customers as he sits on his cycle rickshaw—a three-wheeled, pedal-powered taxi—at a busy intersection in South Delhi. A group of rickshaw men gather close, draping their arms on his shoulders while they ..read more

A researcher who studies animal behavior looks at tool use in nonhuman primates to better illuminate tool use in humans. Many of our primate relatives use tools. How do they use them? And why?And what do these skills mean for understanding tools across the animal kingdom, including for us humans? In this episode, host Eshe Lewis delves into a conversation with Kirsty Graham, an animal behavior researcher. Kirsty explains how primates such as chimpanzees use tools to forage. Such innovative methods to access food reflect the basic yet profound necessities that drive tool innovation. Contrasting ..read more

SAPIENS’ 2024 poet-in-residence imagines a wordless conversation with a troubled figure from the past and considers legacies of marginalization during the figure’s life and in archives. The Visit – Listen the bedroom is a chamber of whispers. the midnight wind blows the curtains, pushing air into silk lungs. she sits in the corner, outlined faintly by the soft glare of the moon. she does not wear clothes, no nightrobe, no plush slippers. there is no spine to turn, no torso to twist, only the sobbing. the shadows of the room move, dance under the light, her features still blurred, but i imagin ..read more

An anthropologist examines what past farmers can teach us about adapting to climate change amid—and sometimes against—powerful political influences. This article was originally published at The Conversation and has been republished under Creative Commons. ✽ IN DOZENS OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL discoveries around the world, from the once-successful reservoirs and canals of Angkor Wat in Cambodia to the deserted Viking colonies of Greenland, new evidence paints pictures of civilizations struggling with unforeseen climate changes and the reality that their farming practices had becom ..read more

Neanderthals made the oldest string ever found, providing new insights into the technology and culture of our hominin cousins. At the Abri du Maras site in southern France, archaeologists recovered twisted plant fibers dating back 50,000 years, suggesting Neanderthals had knowledge of plant materials and the seasonal cycles necessary for making durable string. This finding challenges a view of Neanderthals as simplistic and inferior to modern humans, highlighting their sophisticated use of technology and deep environmental knowledge. In this episode, Bruce Hardy discusses with host Eshe Lewis ..read more

A Paleolithic archaeologist sets out on a journey in search of the first cyborg, making discoveries that end up very close to home. These days, a mention of cyborgs often conjures images from a science fiction future: robot arms and legs, infrared eyes, and other modified humans. However, we don’t need to look into the future to find cyborgs. In many ways, people today are already cyborgs. We are deeply intertwined with technology—from the clothes we wear to the structures we live in. But when did our relationship with technology start? Who was the first cyborg? These questions take us from th ..read more

An anthropologist takes us on a journey “down the line” to explore what freediving can teach us about ourselves and kinship with the sea. ✽ Face down in deep water, I float. I inhale through a snorkel. My eyes are closed. Body relaxed. I raise one finger, motioning to my dive buddy that I am taking my last breath. Finally, after several minutes of floating meditation, I am ready. I exhale all the air I possibly can. My chest deflates. An uncomfortable tightness grips. Grips me. I take a single breath. It is deep and full. My chest expands. My stomach too. I feel it in my throat. The author and ..read more

Meet Anuli Akanegbu, the host of the BLK IRL podcast and a doctoral candidate researching Black creatives who are contract workers in Atlanta, Georgia. Anuli Akanegbu is the host of BLK IRL, an audio docuseries. She is also a Ph.D. candidate in cultural anthropology at New York University, conducting research on Black creatives who are contract workers in Atlanta, Georgia. In conversation with SAPIENS’ podcast host, Dr. Eshe Lewis, Anuli delves into the historical and current successes and struggles of Black influencers, content creators, and artists for labor rights and recognition. Through i ..read more

An anthropologist’s memoir in prose poems offers insights into her experiences working with refugees and on humanitarian projects in many parts of the globe over the last 20 years. Excerpted from The Trauma Mantras: A Memoir in Prose Poems by Adrie Kusserow. Copyright Duke University Press, 2024. All rights reserved. ✽ Since childhood, I have been keenly interested in different cultural conceptions of suffering and trauma. In my recent memoir in prose poems, The Trauma Mantras, I peel back assumptions many people in the U.S. hold about the self, emotions, and healing while reflecting on m ..read more

In the seventh season of the SAPIENS podcast, listeners will hear a range of stories about how technology—in a variety of configurations—shapes humanity. Since the dawn of our species, the ability to make things has made us who we are. Human-made objects, large and small, have enabled and molded evolutionary forces, sparked and expressed our imagination, guided and structured social relations, transformed and destroyed the environment–and much more. This season of the podcast looks at how a wide range of technologies—from smartphones to comic books to cooking to hydroelectric dams—are intertwi ..read more