Human Origins / Evolution of Intelligence

Monkey See, Monkey Do, Monkey Connect

The most profound bonds between people begin in our bodies with imitation and synchronized movements. 11.19.2009

Unearthing the Mayan Creation Myth

Researchers find that the tale of the "Hero Twins" goes back more than 2,000 years. 05.16.2009

The Biocentric Universe Theory: Life Creates Time, Space, and the Cosmos Itself

Stem-cell guru Robert Lanza presents a radical new view of the universe and everything in it. 05.01.2009

The Big Similarities & Quirky Differences Between Our Left and Right Brains

A broken symmetry from our evolutionary heritage is part of what makes us human. 04.15.2009

How Can You Tell If Your IM Buddy Is Really a Machine?

Hint: Ask it about Sarah Palin. 03.23.2009

Darwin's Dystopias: Ghastly Visions Inspired by Evolution

A new collection of art shows how one scientist shocked the world. 02.12.2009

Think Animals Don't Think Like Us? Think Again

One extraordinary parrot helped shatter our preconceptions about animal intelligence. 01.20.2009

What Makes You Uniquely "You"?

Nobel laureate Gerald Edelman says your brain is one-of-a-kind in the history of the universe. 01.16.2009

Is Quantum Mechanics Controlling Your Thoughts?

Science's weirdest realm may be responsible for photosynthesis, our sense of smell, and even consciousness itself. 01.13.2009

#8: Cavemen: They're Just Like Us

Neanderthals were a sophisticated bunch, according to new research. 12.21.2008

#30: Magpies Recognize Themselves in the Mirror

The birds pass the test for "rudimentary sense of self." 12.17.2008

#36: Creationism Lurks in Public High Schools

One in six teachers say they believe the earth is 6,000 years old. 12.15.2008

#56: Memory Training Can Make You Smarter

Your intelligence isn't just what you're born with. 12.11.2008

#58: Smart People Are Better Able to Keep a Beat

Good neural functioning is good neural functioning. 12.11.2008

#71: Slime Molds Show Surprising Degree of Intelligence

A creature with no brain can learn from and even anticipate events. 12.09.2008

He Found the Innate Humanity in the Human Brain

“Noam Chomsky’s position in the history of ideas is comparable to that of Darwin or Descartes.” 12.01.2008

The Man Who Found That "Genes Hold Culture on a Leash"

Edward O. Wilson looked at ants and made fundamental discoveries about humans. 11.17.2008

Are Humans Really Any Different from Other Animals?

Our language capabilities, cultures, and abstract thinking aren't as unique as we'd like to think. 08.12.2008

Laughter May Outlive Humans—and Even Numbers

Chimps and orangutans agree: Humor is truly fundamental. 06.27.2008

Chimps Agree: A Bird in Hand Is Worth Two in the Bush

Chimpanzees are downright conservative when it comes to trading for better food. 05.14.2008

The Extinct Human Species That Was Smarter Than Us

The superintelligent Boskops had small, childlike faces and huge melon heads. 03.21.2008

Consciousness in a Cockroach

The insect nervous system provides clues to attention, consciousness, and the origin of the brain. 01.10.2007

Blinded by Science: The Last Days of Gossip

When everyone knows everything, what will be the point? 08.01.2006

Sex

For better or worse, sex chromosomes are linked to human intelligence 10.24.2005

Whose Life Would You Save?

Scientists say morality may be hardwired into our brains by evolution 04.21.2004

The Gene That Made Us Human

Scientists decode a critical gene that may have led to the evolution of our big brains 03.04.2004

NeuroQuest

Why your brain doesn't always make the right decision 02.05.2004

Emotions and the Brain: Fear

Recent research shows that when something bad happens to you, part of your brain begins thinking independently, storing its own memories so it can save you next time. That worked fine a million years ago 03.01.2003

Human Origins

01.01.2003

Men Are Cheaters

07.01.1999

A Head for Numbers

Everybody has one--even rats and pigeons, to say nothing of people. The ability to grasp small numbers and map them onto a number line in the brain is an evolutionary birthright of ours. Arithmetic, of course, is another matter. 07.01.1997

A Brain That Talks

Our brains are much like those of our primate cousins, so where did we get our uniquely human gift of speech? One human says we simply rewired brain structures devoted to a different, more general primate specialty--vision. 06.01.1996

Writing Right

Some written languages are a precise reflection of a people's speech, while others, like english, are a complete mess. Is this alphabetical evolution? Or the unequal application of logic to literacy? 06.01.1994

Nerds of a Feather

09.01.1993