Editor's Selections: Roman lead poisoning, Dyslexia, Intelligence in context, and A. bosei's teeth


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Krystal D'CostaKrystal D'Costa is an anthropologist working in digital media in New York City. You can follow AiP on Facebook. Follow on Twitter @krystaldcosta.

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--> Krystal D'CostaAnthropology in Practice (AiP) examines the relationships we share with each other and the world-at-large by drawing on ethnography to explain practical, everyday events and behaviors. It invites everyone to consider and discuss the world around them in terms of history and psychology. 

AiP is written by Krystal D'Costa, an anthropologist in New York City. Her interests include networks and identities, technology, and history. Krystal has written for Canvas8 and Food and Think. She is the current Research Blogging Social Sciences editor and occasionally blogs at The Urban Ethnographer. Krystal has also been featured by We Are NY Tech, and has spoken at Ignite NYC and IWNY 2011. 

Commenting on AiP—A Note From Krystal:

You are invited to join the conversation here at AiP by leaving a comment. At this time SciAm requires commenters to register. We are working on changing the registration requirements, but that will take time. In truth, you can register as a pseud or under your name and only I see your email address—whatever email address you choose to enter. And I will always honor the displayed registration name in public communications.

Please note the following commenting policy—with summary by Dr. Seuss:

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Part of my online life includes editorial duties at ResearchBlogging.org, where I serve as the Social Sciences Editor. Each Thursday, I pick notable posts on research in anthropology, philosophy, social science, and research to share on the ResearchBlogging.org News site. To help highlight this writing, I also share my selections here on AiP.

Bloggers in the social sciences have been busy in the last week. You?ll find no shortage of interesting posts. There were some tough calls to make, but choose I must:

  • The fall of one of the most powerful empires to have existed continues to fascinate us 1500 years after the fact. At Powered by Osteons, Kristina Killgrove investigates whether lead poisoning might have played a role in the Roman Empire?s undoing.
  • One in ten people are on the spectrum for dyslexia. Dr. Stuart Farrimond makes a brief case for the genetic preservation of dyslexia, suggesting that it would have granted our evolutionary ancestors much needed benefits for survival in a world that was vastly different from out.
  • Have you ever been in a situation where you just didn?t feel smart? Greg Laden explains that intelligence may be a socio-cultural signal that varies from context to context.
  • What big teeth you have, A. bosei! At Lawn Chair Anthropology, Zachary Cofran tries to make sense of A. bosei?s dentition, which does not seem suited for its diet.

I?ll be back next week with more from anthropology, philosophy, and research.

Krystal D'CostaAbout the Author: Krystal D'Costa is an anthropologist working in digital media in New York City. You can follow AiP on Facebook. Follow on Twitter @krystaldcosta.

The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=5ba74019b422975348d70424cd2df229

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