Our language-based complex communication system is one of the defining features that makes us unique among all species. Syntax -combining words together into phrases- makes language-based communication limitless in terms of the amount and type of information we can communicate about. This is due to... click to read more

Which animal is the largest? The fastest? The most ferocious? These are some of the first topics in natural sciences to be discussed between children. These should not be considered as trivial, as they often lead to relevant questions about how, when, and why such... click to read more

We recently published a study in Cell that reveals that the Viking period, spanning from the late 8th to mid-11th century, saw a massive influx of people into Scandinavia. Interestingly, later Scandinavians don't have as much ancestry from other places from outside Scandinavia as their... click to read more

“Intelligent animals” like chimpanzees and dolphins, possess an ability to recognize themselves in a mirror. Mirror self-recognition (MSR) via mental image of the self provides a background of the animal’s private self-awareness or “mind”. However, implications remain controversial since an alternative process, such as checking... click to read more

Humans’ interactions with nature have been the key to our global ecological success. But such interactions are typically one-sided—humans gain the largest benefits; nature pays the larger cost—thereby fueling the current global ecological crisis. Compared to the widespread escalating human-wildlife conflicts, interactions that benefit both... click to read more