As a serious student of archaeology, I was expecting to decode Mayan text and unearth priceless artifacts. Yet somehow, I stumbled upon one of the most ancient truths of humanity: the importance of persuasion, and …
Read the full story »Human insights and observations.
People and the way we do business.
Design, art, music, and all things man made.
Food, meal culture, and the social trade with every dish.
It’s all about the bling, baby. Displaying value in some shape or form is existent in many different countries, clubs, tribes, and all socioeconomic classes. Yet, during times of high unemployment and recession, many companies go into …
Sometimes good or extraordinary design is associated with something that is very complicated. But many times, a great amount of intelligence is needed to address simple tasks. Just take this cool bench as an example! …
I’ve spent a number of years in Provo, UT where the highest concentration of devout Mormons-Latter Day Saints (LDS) live. Then recently, I’ve spent several months in Midwood-Brooklyn, NY where there is a high concentration …
You never know what nation you will be swept away to when walking down the streets of Manhattan. A stand selling preserved eggs and fried tofu will take me to the Canton Provence of China. …
Human beings, regardless of culture and location, look at all things according to their use, purpose, and value. Two of the most common questions we ask ourselves when we discover any new thing are “What …
Being able to laugh at a situation or at yourself seems to be an evolutionary advantage. There have probably been a number of situations in the lives of people and gorillas where things were so …
If a newcomer to New York City thinks about cupcakes, she probably has sweet memories of third grade birthday parties where the whole class would get the little cakes heavy with frosting. But in NYC, the …
While most American citizens prepare for summer vacations and weekend get-a-ways to a lake or beach, every ballet theatre and sizable ballet academy is starting to plan for their annual performance of the Nutcracker. Every …
Archaeologists get giddy when their strata reveal a clean progression in the style and functionality of the artifacts found within the layers of earth. But, archaeologists don’t have to be the only ones excited about …
Go ahead and watch the babies boppin and dancing in the Snazl above. All of the clips are cute and one clip shows a baby dance prodigy. But with a pair of anthropological glasses, one …
Most people think modern societies are materialistic—we prize our possessions too much. But after working on a fun design-anthropology project on the co-evolution of medium and content, I realized we don’t appreciate our stuff …
Some cultures come with an expiration date. Sometimes intentional, more often not, these movements are never meant to last. One of the starkest examples is the formation and demise of cults. It usually starts
It is so easy for people to take the way they see the world for granted. This fact is even more painfully obvious when the subject is sight and blindness. Human beings are so heavily …
Something significant occured in Berkeley, CA in 1966 that continues to affect students, thinkers, and visitors till this day. Was it the famous riots on Berkeley campus? The establisment of the People’s Park? Or, perhaps …
