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Humans

Early hominin had human-like dexterity and gorilla strength

The first confirmed fossil hands of Paranthropus boisei show that this ancient relative was capable of making tools, but was also much stronger than modern humans

News

Humans

Who were the first humans to reach the British Isles?

Comment

An illustration of a scroll being unfurled by two hands, surrounded by Roman columns and wisps of smoke, with a Roman figure in a toga at the centre

Humans

We’re finally reading the secrets of Herculaneum’s lost library

Features

Technology

Chatbots work best when you speak to them with formal language

News

Humans

Evolution of intelligence in our ancestors may have come at a cost

News

2AGP4K2 FBI Laboratory analysis of Castor Beans used to manufacture the highly poisonous agent Ricin. Ricin (/'ra?s?n/ RY-sin), a lectin (a carbohydrate-binding protein) produced in the seeds of the castor oil plant, Ricinus communis, is a highly potent toxin. A dose of purified ricin powder the size of a few grains of table salt can kill an adult human. The median lethal dose (LD50) of ricin is around 22 micrograms per kilogram of body weight if the exposure is from injection or inhalation (2 milligrams for an average adult).

Technology

Should we worry AI will create deadly bioweapons? Not yet, but one day

Analysis

Health

We now know why a belly button becomes an 'innie'

News

Central market in Acanceh, Yucatan state, Mexico

Humans

We evolved to match local micronutrient levels, which may be a problem

News

Los Angeles - CIRCA 1985: Author William Gibson poses for a portrait circa 1985 in Oakland, California (Photo by Aaron Rapoport/Corbis/Getty Images)

Technology

Is Neuromancer's cyberpunk dystopia still thrilling in 2025?

Culture

Illustration of a teenage girl who is the offspring of a Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalensis) mother and Denisovan (Homo sapiens denisova) father. A bone fragment with this hybrid ancestry was found in the Denisova Cave in Russia. The bone belonged to a female who was at least 13 years old and died around 90,000 years ago. It was known from genetic analysis of other fossils that the two species had interbred, but this is the first first-generation offspring of such a pairing to be found.

Humans

Understanding the Denisovans means understanding ourselves

Categorising the Denisovans as a distinct species would allow us to more comprehensively trace our own evolutionary development

Leader

Humans

An incredible Denisovan skull is upending the story of human evolution

Features

Humans

Did childcare fuel language? A new book makes the case

Culture

Technology

I'm a cyclist. Will the arrival of robotaxis make my journeys safer?

Comment

Humans

Exploring humanity's ancient origins in fantastic new BBC documentary

Culture