Cave paintings of mutilated hands could be a Stone Age sign language
15 March 2023
Palaeolithic hand stencils with missing fingers could indicate ritual mutilation or frostbite – but new research suggests they might be trying to tell us something
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Premium
Simple puzzles are revealing why humans are the only talking apes
13 September 2022
Cognitive scientist Gillian Forrester is challenging chimps and gorillas to solve puzzles in an attempt to address the long-standing mystery of how humans evolved the ability to speak
How the secrets of ancient cuneiform texts are being revealed by AI
3 August 2022
Much of the world’s first writing, carved into clay tablets, remains undeciphered. Now AI is helping us piece together this ancient Mesopotamian script, revealing the incredible stories of men, women and children at the dawn of history
Why everything you thought you knew about posture is wrong
16 February 2022
If you're worried that slouching is causing your back pain, think again. New evidence is overturning many common assumptions about posture, and rewriting the rules of how to sit and stand
The secret life of cheese: How marvellous microbes create its flavour
15 December 2021
We have been making cheese for millennia, but researchers are only now getting to grips with how bacteria, fungi and viruses combine to create its characteristic flavours and textures
Why are we conscious? The answer lies in other animals’ heads
17 November 2021
It’s easy to think human conscious experience is unique, but a better understanding of consciousness’s mysteries comes by tracing it back in the evolutionary tree
Lost art of the Stone Age: The cave paintings redrawing human history
28 July 2021
Newly discovered cave art gives fresh insight into the minds of our ancestors - and upends the idea that a Stone Age cultural explosion was unique to Europe
Cold-water swimming: What are the real risks and health benefits?
10 March 2021
Social media is awash with people claiming that regular cold dips have transformed their health and well-being. We investigate whether it is actually good for you
Why we’re in tune with our emotions – but suck at judging our smarts
9 December 2020
“Know thyself” is a piece of wisdom handed down from the ancients – but a slew of delusions and biases means you might be better off asking someone else
Think your sense of self is located in your brain? Think again
9 December 2020
Most of us instinctively think that our sense of self is located in our head – but experiments show that our brains aren’t working alone in creating our sense of self
