Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Shelby Putt
Preschoolers help solve a three-million-year-old mystery
What can a three-year-old teach us about the first humans and the origins of technology? This summer, I have been working with Indiana preschoolers to answer that question. Like a cartoon villain, I trapped dozens of innocent toys in ice balls and locked boxes, then challenged young heroes to rescue them using nothing more than their wits and simple stone tools.
Humanity's Story Has No End of Surprising Twists
Where did we humans come from? Some 40 or so years ago, our origins seemed quite straight forward. But now we see that the human story is far more complex. As summarized by Christopher Bae and colleagues in their December 2017 paper in Science, data from Asia and Australia is becoming vital in piecing this new history together. The original story went something like this: Modern humans (Homo sapiens) evolved to their current anatomical form in sub-Saharan Africa sometime after 200,000 years ago.
How Smart Were the First Toolmakers?
How did humans get to be so smart, and when did this happen? To untangle this question, we need to know more about the intelligence of our human ancestors who lived 1.8 million years ago. It was at this point in time that a new type of stone tool hit the scene and the human brain nearly doubled in size. Some researchers have suggested that this more advanced technology, coupled with a bigger brain, implies a higher degree of intelligence and perhaps even the first signs of language.
Brain Scans Hint at How Humans Got So Smart
How did humans get to be so smart, and when did this happen? To untangle this question, we need to know more about the intelligence of our human ancestors who lived 1.8 million years ago. It was at this point in time that a new type of stone tool hit the scene and the human brain nearly doubled in size. Some researchers have suggested that this more advanced technology, coupled with a bigger brain, implies a higher degree of intelligence and perhaps even the first signs of language.
How Smart Were Early Humans? “Neuroarchaeology” Offers Some Answers
How did humans get to be so smart, and when did this happen? To untangle this question, we need to know more about the intelligence of our human ancestors who lived 1.8 million years ago. It was at this point in time that a new type of stone tool hit the scene and the human brain nearly doubled in size. Some researchers have suggested that this more advanced technology, coupled with a bigger brain, implies a higher degree of intelligence and perhaps even the first signs of language.
Brain-imaging modern people making Stone Age tools hints at evolution of human intelligence
How did humans get to be so smart, and when did this happen? To untangle this question, we need to know more about the intelligence of our human ancestors who lived 1.8 million years ago. It was at this point in time that a new type of stone tool hit the scene and the human brain nearly doubled in size. Some researchers have suggested that this more advanced technology, coupled with a bigger brain, implies a higher degree of intelligence and perhaps even the first signs of language.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Shelby
Contact Shelby, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack