Tag Archives: Anthropology

16Mar/26

The coefficient of relationship

March 16, 2026FamilyAlliance theory, Anthropology, Claude Lévi-Strauss, Coefficient of relationship, Cousin, Family, Incest, Incest taboo, Kinship, Kinship and descent, Parallel and cross cousins, Pedigree collapse, Population genetics, United Statesadmin

Beyond the Family Tree: 5 Surprising Truths About How We’re Actually Related

March 15, 2026 /Mpelembe Media/ — If you have ever stood at a family reunion, plate of potato salad in hand, while a well-meaning relative attempted to explain how their daughter is your “second cousin twice removed,” you have entered a linguistic labyrinth that has frustrated family historians for centuries. To the uninitiated, the branches of a family tree look less like a neat diagram and more like a tangled thicket of confusing jargon.However, beneath this terminology lies a hidden logic—a fascinating intersection of ancient social strategy, mathematical probability, and cultural “glitches.” As both an anthropologist and a genetic genealogist, I see these relationships not as mere labels, but as a complex map designed to ensure both biological survival and social continuity. Here are five truths that reveal the underlying architecture of human connection. Continue reading →

18May/23

Juvenile male delinquency

May 18, 2023Human InterestAnthropology, Casual sex, Criminology, Human behavior, Human sexuality, Juvenile delinquency, Promiscuity, Sexual promiscuity, Sexuality, testosteroneadmin

May 18, 2023 /Lifestyle/ –The phrase “sowing wild oats” is thought to have originated in the 16th century. It is a metaphor for engaging in reckless or promiscuous behavior, especially during youth. The phrase is often used to excuse or explain such behavior, as if it were a natural part of growing up. Continue reading →

08Sep/22

Digital nomads have rejected the office and now want to replace the nation state. But there is a darker side to this quest for global freedom

September 8, 2022Human InterestAgnes Nyamwange, Alex Garland, Andrew Keen, Anthropology, Augusta, Australia, Balaji Srinivasan, Bangkok, Barbados, Barbara Jovanovic, Ben, Blue, Brazil, Chiang Mai, China, Coinbase, Creative Commons, Cultural anthropology, Culture, Dave Cook, Digital nomad, dropshipping, eBay, El Salvador, Estonia, Eventbrite, Fabian Dittrich, Feli Hargarten, Geoarbitrage, Hamburg, Humans, Internet culture, John Perry Barlow, Karoli Hindricks, Ko Pha Ngan, Larry, Lauren Razavi, Lena Leonhardt, Levels, London, Lyft, Manila, Marcus Meurer, Montenegro, Natalie Sissons, New York, Nomad, PAYPAL, Pete, Philippines, Pieter Levels, Portugal, Russia, Shopify, SHUTTERSTOCK, SNAPCHAT, Stasi, Sydney, Ted, Thailand, Theresa May, Thom, Tim Ferriss, Tony Simonovsky, Tsugio Makimoto, Uber, United Kingdom, United States, Yassin, Zenaadmin

Dave Cook, UCL

A ‘network state’ is ideologically aligned but geographically decentralised. The people are spread around the world in clusters of varying size, but their hearts are in one place.

In June 2022 Balaji Srinivasan, former chief technology officer of the Coinbase cryptocurrency exchange, published an ebook entitled The Network State: How To Start a New Country. It is the latest in a flurry of utopian visions by self-styled digital visionaries, crypto believers and web 3.0 evangelists who are lining up to declare the death of the traditional concept of countries and nationhood.

Continue reading →