News articles and commentary on the place of the humanities in the modern world.
Leonardo and the science of scent (Tim Brinkhof, Artnet)
Leonardo and the science of scent: a recent exhibit explores da Vinci's fascination with smell. From the article: Touted as a multi-sensory, olfactory experience, the exhibition shows that Leonardo got interested in perfumes after [...]
Song of the whales (Katherine Latham and Anna Bressanin, BBC Future)
Patient study of sperm whales' soundings uses AI to discern their language.
Art Therapy in The Great War (BBC News)
An insightful nurse used art to help WWI soldiers heal.
Decoding the DNA of human sacrifice (Aylin Woodward, Wall Street Journal)
How genetic science helps us understand the rituals of human sacrifice among the Mayans.
The novel brain (Carol Clark, Emory University eScienceCommons)
Greater engagement with language and with other lives through reading novels.
Language learning in the wild (Guardian, Agence France-Presse)
Researchers gain insight into elephants' individualized communication.
Cutting-edge ancient medicine (Tatiana Tondini, Albert Isidro, Edgard Camerós)
Microscopic analysis reveals ancient Egyptian skill at cancer surgery.
Pyramid formation (Malu Cursino, BBC News)
How a research team uncovered the waterway for building the pyramids.
Mona Lisa’s mysteries (Dalya Alberge, The Guardian)
How an art historian and a geologist discovered the location of Mona Lisa.
Mind and machine (Dvija Mehta, BBC Future)
Why implanting computing chips into the brain can challenge our sense of self.