A different history of humanity (The Atlantic)
by William Deresiewicz
We’re all been taught that human society began with nonhierarchical hunter-gatherer bands, and that agriculture and urbanization brought centralized authority and complex civilizations. A new book argues that this story is all wrong and that the reality is much weirder.

The noble virus (The Conversation)
by Ivan Erill
From our human perspective, there’s a lot to hate about viruses. But when they’re not busy killing us, the tiny, kind-of-alive things are some of the greatest innovators in biology, filling roles that help us too.

The creatures of the far future (Vox)
by Mandy Nguyen
Carnivorous pigeons the size of ostriches? Dog-sized, plastic-eating cockroaches? Scientists imagine the creatures that could evolve in the next million years.

The sweet power of honey (Knowable Magazine)
by Berly McCoy
Honey isn’t just a calorie-packed treat for the bees that make it. It’s also a pharmacy full of different medicines—at least as long as the bees have access to a variety of plants.

African sex and gender before colonialism (Black Perspectives)
by Bright Alozie
No, European colonists didn’t bring same-sex relationships to Africa. The continent was home to a vast array of different approaches to sex and gender long before they arrived.

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