WEIRD ANTHROPOLOGY
Phthalates are added to PVC materials to make them more flexible. (MiguelMalo/Getty Images Signature/Canva) – By Mike McRae 2026 Sep 11 – Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is commonly added to plastics to make them more flexible. It may also affect genes that play a critical …
Inflammation is a massive problem – but so are some of the year’s biggest hype supplements that claim to combat it. Depositphotos – By Bronwyn Thompson 2026 Sep 07 – From Korean cosmetic sperm injections to experimental peptides, the wellness industry has become one of …
Scientists discover an entirely new tickborne virus. Depositphotos – By Bronwyn Thompson 2026 Sep 06 – Scientists have uncovered a new pathogen transmitted to humans from ticks, reminding us that one of the biggest threats to our health is zoonotic disease. Researchers from Beijing’s State …
Tau proteins (red) in nerve cells have a surprising origin. (Science Photo Library/Canva) – By Mike McRae 2026 Sep 03 – A protein thought to play a critical role in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease may not originate where scientists thought, according to a …
Students starting college or university are often excited – but experts advise understanding risks and recognizing danger when necessary. Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision via Getty Images – By Kaitlyn M. Sims, Assistant Professor of Public Policy, University of Denver; Institute for Humane Studies Published: 2026 Sep …
Telling tales by a fire could have helped us evolve speech in the first place. (Valerii Stoika/Canva) – By Mike McRae 2026 Sep 02 – Come, sit. Let me tell you a story. Listen closely now. – For hundreds of thousands of years, our …
Wear from joint replacements can send metal particles through the body. (Science Photo Library/Canva) – By Mike McRae 2026 Aug 31 – New findings by a team of researchers from the US and Australia have complicated an ongoing debate over whether a total joint …
Astrocytes can change into new brain cells using new nanoparticle technology. (ktsimage/Getty Images/Canva) – By Mike McRae 2026 Aug 30 – A single injection of a nanoparticle treatment engineered to encourage the generation of new brain cells was enough to reverse cognitive decline in …
Male and female or plug and socket? artpartner-images/The Image Bank via Getty Images – By Jo Mackiewicz, Professor of Rhetoric and Professional Communication, Iowa State University And by Jordan Smith, Assistant Professor of English, University of Northern Colorado Published: 2026 Aug 25 – …
Honey hunters in Nepal scale incredible heights to harvest the honey of the Himalayan cliff bee. Skanda Gautam/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images – By Prayan Pokharel, Research scientist, University of Hohenheim Published: 2026 Aug 27 – A few months ago, a friend of …
