Humans news stories

Neanderthal and early modern human stone tool culture co-existed for over 100,000 years
2nd March 2021 | eurekalert.org | Ancient, Humans

Research from the University of Kent’s School of Anthropology and Conservation has discovered that one of the earliest stone tool cultures, known as the Acheulean, likely persisted for tens of thousands of years longer than previously thought.

Image from: José-Manuel Benito Álvarez (Wiki Commons)

Lab-grown ‘mini brains’ suggest one mutation might have rewired the human mind
1st March 2021 sciencex.com | Ancient, Humans

How we humans became what we are today is a question that scientists have been trying to answer for a long time. How did we evolve such advanced cognitive abilities, giving rise to complex language, poetry and rocket science?

Archaeologists find unique ceremonial vehicle near Pompeii
1st March 2021 | theguardian.com | Ancient, Humans

Well-preserved iron, bronze and tin carriage discovery is ‘without precedent in Italy’.

Recreated Particles of Titan’s Haze Could Help Us Understand How Life Began on Earth
1st March 2021 | sciencealert.com | Humans, Space

Beyond Earth, the general scientific consensus is that the best place to search for evidence of extraterrestrial life is Mars. However, it is by no means the only place.

UK meteor spotted above Midsomer Norton and Bath
1st March 2021 | bbc.co.uk | Humans, Space

Video footage captured on security cameras shows a meteor lighting up the sky above Midsomer Norton and Bath.

Image from: Night sky near Flagstaff (Wiki Commons)

Prisons should trial free cannabis, says UK’s former chief drug adviser
1st March 2021 | theguardian.com | Humans, Misc.

Prof David Nutt supports study into whether move could cut violence and deaths

Ancient Egyptian manual reveals new details about mummification
27th February 2021 | eurekalert.org | Ancient, Humans

Based on a manual recently discovered in a 3,500-year-old medical papyrus, University of Copenhagen Egyptologist Sofie Schiødt has been able to help reconstruct the embalming process used to prepare ancient Egyptians for the afterlife. It is the oldest surviving manual on mummification yet discovered.

We Finally Know The True Age of These Huge, Mysterious Jars Scattered in Laos
27th February 2021 | sciencealert.com | Ancient, Humans

These surreal cauldron-like megaliths in Laos are known as the Plain of Jars, an archaeological relics whose original purpose is still shrouded in mystery, their significance long forgotten.

An Urgent Plea to Users of Psychedelics: Let’s Consider a More Ethical Menu of Plants and Compounds
27th February 2021 tim.blog | Humans, Misc.

Psychedelics have saved my life several times over, including helping me to heal from childhood abuse. So, it’s with a very heavy heart that I’ve come to accept several sad truths.

A 4.4 million-year-old skeleton could reveal how early humans began to walk upright
25th February 2021 phys.org | Ancient, Animal Life, Humans

Thomas Cody Prang, assistant professor of anthropology, and colleagues examined the skeletal remains of Ardipithecus ramidus (“Ardi”), dated to 4.4 million years old and found in Ethiopia. One of Ardi’s hands was exceptionally well-preserved.

First DNA extracted from modern, ancient and fossil tropical shells
24th February 2021 phys.org | Ancient, Animal Life, Earth, Humans

In Wonderland, Alice drank a potion to shrink herself. In nature, some animal species shrink to escape the attention of human hunters, a process that takes from decades to millennia.

Gorgeous Egyptian Art From 4,600 Years Ago Reveals an Extinct Goose
24th February 2021 | sciencealert.com | Ancient, Animal Life, Humans

Artwork that had adorned the walls of an Egyptian prince’s tomb for more than four millennia has been found to contain images of a bird completely unknown to modern science – until now.

Beaver believers: Native Americans promote resurgence of ‘nature’s engineers’
24th February 2021 | theguardian.com | Animal Life, Humans

The rodents are often considered ‘nuisance animals’, but they can play a vital role in maintaining healthy landscapes

Did Neanderthals Have the Capacity for Verbal Language?
23rd February 2021 gizmodo.com | Ancient, Humans

The Neanderthal of popular imagination is a hideous, ape-like being, lumbering around with his or her crude spear.

New Jersey just legalized marijuana
23rd February 2021 | vox.com | Humans, Misc.

New Jersey effectively legalized marijuana on Monday, following voters’ approval of marijuana legalization in the November general election.

Australia’s oldest known rock art is a 17,000-year-old kangaroo
23rd February 2021 | newscientist.com | Ancient, Animal Life, Humans

A life size kangaroo painted in red ochre around 17,300 years ago is Australia’s oldest known rock art. This indicates that the earliest style of rock art in Australia focused on animals, similar to the early cave art found in Indonesia and Europe.

News stories covering humans, psychology and health.