Neanderthals probably used birch tar for multiple functions, including treating their wounds, according to a study published March 18, 2026 in the open-access journal PLOS One by a team of researchers led by Tjaark Siemssen of the University of Cologne, Germany, and the University of Oxford, U.K.

Mental health is an important issue for U.S. voters, ranking above border security, TikTok bans and the Billionaire Tax, in hypothetical voting study of salient policy issues

Fear-eliciting images of modern and ancestral threats are equally likely to evoke physiological reactions, despite their distinct evolutionary origins, according to a study published March 18, 2026, in the open-access journal PLOS One by Eva Landová from Charles University, the Czech Republic, and colleagues. However, ancestral threats such as heights and venomous snakes trigger greater skin resistance responses, a measure of sweating, compared to modern threats and harmless stimuli.

Road traffic noise is annoying during walks in both urban forests and built urban environments and is a ‘significant health-related stressor,’ according to a randomized controlled trial in Zurich, Switzerland

An international team of archaeologist has uncovered the earliest known clay ornaments in Southwest Asia, revealing a forgotten chapter in the story of how humans began to express identity, belonging, and meaning through material culture. The findings, published this week in Science Advances, push back the symbolic use of clay in the region by thousands of years.