Experimental Archaeology, Animal Thought, and Brain Rot
Spear-Throwing for Science (Ars Technica)
by Jennifer Ouellette
Archaeologists normally dig up artifacts like Stone Age tools and use context to try to figure out how they were used. But another approach, experimental archaeology, involves making and using technologies of the past.
Thinking Like a Beast (Psyche)
by Bryony Tolhurst
It’s becoming increasingly obvious to scientists that many non-human animals possess the thing we call consciousness. But understanding just what that means requires investigating the way human minds can operate without language.
Foxes are Made for the Snow (NPR)
by Nell Greenfieldboyce
There’s a unique kind of athleticism in a fox diving into a snowy field to catch tiny prey. Now, scientists are learning about how the creature’s skull shape makes it especially adept at navigating the unique physics of snow.
A History of Brain Rot (Literary Hub)
by Josh Abbey
“Brain rot” may be the word of 2024, but complaints about mindless, repetitive entertainment blunting the senses have been with us from William Wordsworth to Allen Bloom and from the advent of the novel to the heyday of Prince.
Have Men Really Stopped Reading? (Vox)
by Constance Grady
The crisis of men becoming disconnected from literature has gripped cultural and political commentators. And one statistic in particular worries many of them. But is it real?
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