Anthropology

Eight Penn professors elected 2022 AAAS Fellows

Researchers from the School of Arts & Sciences, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Perelman School of Medicine, and School of Veterinary Medicine join a class of scientists, engineers, and innovators spanning 24 scientific disciplines.

Michele W. Berger

What secrets might 2-million-year-old DNA hold?

Scientists from Denmark recently extracted and sequenced the oldest-ever DNA, from permafrost in Greenland, revealing a robust ecosystem of 135 species. Penn Today spoke with four faculty members about the potential power of ancient DNA.

Katherine Unger Baillie

The allure of fad diets, and why they fail

In a new book, Penn nutritional anthropologist Janet Chrzan and Kima Cargill of the University of Washington, Tacoma, explain the cultural, social, and psychological fixation on fad diets and why they don’t typically succeed.

Michele W. Berger



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In the News


The New York Times

Glace brings French ice cream and gluten-free cones to the Upper East Side

The Penn Museum is inaugurating an indoor and outdoor exhibit about food and drink that will provide a better understanding of ancient civilizations and their habits.

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Wine Enthusiast

Is white zinfandel a rosé? And more rosé questions answered

Research by Patrick McGovern of the School of Arts & Sciences demonstrates that paleolithic humans knew how to make rudimentary wine.

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Vice

How Ozempic warps our relationship with food and pleasure

Janet Chrzan of the School of Nursing and the School of Arts & Sciences discusses people’s fear of food and the negative impact of diet culture.

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The Washington Post

Ancient Mayan ballgame marker unearthed at Chichén Itzá

Simon Martin of the Penn Museum and the School of Arts & Sciences says that a newly discovered Mayan stone marker at Chichén Itzá is more akin to a field marker for scoring points than a scoreboard.

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Associated Press

Their stories were lost to slavery. Now DNA is writing them

Theodore Schurr of the School of Arts & Sciences contributed to the Anson Street African Burial Ground Project in order to trace the genetic roots of African remains.

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Associated Press

Women’s Day events highlight major gaps in gender equality

Kristen Ghodsee of the School of Arts & Sciences says that International Women’s Day has a history of promoting progressive, socialist causes within the entire working class.

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