Sometimes I run across a story that has absolutely no relationship to contemporary politics or any other “serious” topic of the day, but is nevertheless compelling. Perhaps it illustrates some dimension of human reality on which we seldom focus, or perhaps – often for reasons I can’t quite put into words – it simply appeals to my sense of whimsey. Today’s pick is one of those pieces that works for me on both these levels: it is an informative report on how scientists are probing fossilized feces for genetic clues as to whether Neanderthals communicated verbally (much as we do), or were merely limited to grunts, groans and sign language. It’s a fun, interesting read, available here
.