human diversity
The black triggerfish of the Hawaiian Islands. Illustration by A. H. Baldwin (1905-6) (source).
Among the many conceptual tools used by traditional Micronesian navigators was the triggerfish—a powerful and flexible mnemonic for remembering marine geography.
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A cup of Tibetan tea. Cups of tea and other units of consumption were once widely used as measures of distance. Photo: 麦叶叶 (source).
Cups of tea, cigarettes, and coconuts used to serve as measures of distance. These and other consumption-based units attest to a strategy—using time to measure space—that was once pervasive. Arguably, it still is.
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Two unidentified Maori women performing a hongi greeting. Image taken circa 1909 by William Archer Price. Price Collection, Alexander Turnbull Library
Smell used to play a much more obvious role in human greeting rituals. What happened?
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A member of the Blemmyes, a nomadic tribe who—according to myth—were headless but had faces on their chests. Detail from a 1556 map by Guillaume Le Testu (link).
When you look across the world’s languages, terms for body parts often involve reference to other body parts. What motivates this peculiar pattern?
Read MoreAnatomical terms are some of the most wide-ranging words of all. They show up in language about shape, space, time, measurement, numbers, emotions, and more.
Read MoreAn analogy with “Pascal’s wager” makes it clear why researchers interested in human behavior should adopt a diversity stance.
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