August 25, 2011

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Editor's Selections: Last Names, Death and Remembrance, Puberty, and Stray Pottery

By Krystal D'Costa

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This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

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If you've been the path of earthquakes or the hurricanes this week, hope you're safe! Here are this week's picks:

  • Should you or shouldn't you take your husband's last name after marriage? Though it seems a matter of personal preference, opinions are hotly divided. At The Jury Room Rita Handrich discusses a study that finds that women who take their husband's last name are judged more harshly, and may make less money over their lifetime.

  • Treatment of the dead varies from culture to culture. Kristina Killgrove of Powered By Osteons reviews the idea of the extended burial and asks whether there is a resurgence in the practice of prolonged mourning and memorial.

  • Hormones can make you do all sorts of crazy things as a teen, but can they also increase your risk of death? At Inkfish, Elizabeth Preston discusses how the earlier onset of puberty coincides with risky behavior which can have dire consequences.

  • Nath of Imprints of Philippine Science asks, how did a Visayan pot get to Luzon? This discussion of a sole pot Visayan found in Calatagan walks readers through the process of analysis in trying to determine the origin of unusual pottery.

PSA: If you enjoyed the first installment of The Roman Archaeology Carnival, you may want to take a look at the second edition.

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