Native American games - cognitive achievements A fascinating archaeological hypothesis involving the North American southwest, and the archaeological site that left me totally awe inspired, Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. #Indigenousknowledges #oraltradition #memorycode www.nbcnews.com/science/scie...

More great Citizen Science news from The Conversation, including the adorable wombats. What we’ve learned from citizen science: 5 projects that made a difference theconversation.com/what-weve-le...

Extreme heat is fast becoming one of the biggest threats to global food systems. Our new piece in The Conversation looks at how intense heatwaves put crops and native species at risk — and what we can actually do about it. 🔗 theconversation.com/intense-heat...

CITIZEN SCIENCE - Two excellent articles on how good it is! ‘My head feels clearer’: how citizen science can improve people’s health theconversation.com/my-head-feel...? theconversation.com/there-may-be...? All Damian's birding goes into e-bird - I go with him but he's the one with the knowledge.

ROCK ART as knowledge - as it should be portrayed! NT rock art thousands of years old sheds new light on the mysterious Tasmanian tiger theconversation.com/nt-rock-art-...? "These variations ... more likely they relate to different ways paintings were used to pass on information about the animal."

NEANDERTHAL INTELLECT A fascinating article addressing intellectual achievements. I write about Bruniquel Cave and art work in terms of the cognitive abilities of those who use memory methods other than writing. knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...? #theknowledgegene #Indingeousknowledges #memory

British archeologist and writer Mike Pitts recently argued that the Easter Island statues were meant to be where they are - not all heading for the platforms. I argued this way in The Memory Code. I compare our different approaches reaching the same conclusion: www.lynnekelly.com.au?page_id=6876

Art or scribbles? In the Eye of the Beholder: The Evolutionary Emergence of Visual Communication by Iain Davidson (Springer, 2025) www.lynnekelly.com.au?page_id=6859 At last we have an authoritative book on the story of art from its first emergence as human mark-making to contemporary works.

Bibi and Donald climbing the Escherian Stairwell.

ALL IN MEMORY - SELVAGEM This Brazilian organisation has produced a really practical free Notebook based on one of my talks on Indigenous knowledges and memory systems. More on my website. I would love this to bring more international readers to my books. www.lynnekelly.com.au?page_id=6829

“The organization [of the markings] points to the transmission of more complex ideas,” von Petzinger says. In my books, especially The Knowledge Gene, I talk about the role of art in non-literate cultures. All modern humans are capable of complex ideas! www.scientificamerican.com/article/ston...

Neanderthals: some fascinating ideas about an isolated population and asking whether the lack of interbreeding may have contributed to their demise. This will be an interesting debate to follow. www.zmescience.com/science/news...

ART - adding support to the argument that Australia has a 65,000 year old continuous First Nations culture. Art is absolutely critical to knowledge systems of Indigenous cultures - and inherent in Homo sapiens and Neanderthals. www.theguardian.com/science/2026...? #theknowledgegene #memorycode

Interesting debate on the earliest evidence of mathematics: “Like everything in human development, aspects of mathematics also developed in an evolutionary way from the simple to the more complex,” he said. edition.cnn.com/2026/01/16/s...

Neurodiversity, Indigenous knowledges and learning I gave a talk on why understanding Indigenous ways of memorising vast amounts of information shows the value of a neurodiverse population - why evolution favoured neurodiversity for every human population. www.lynnekelly.com.au?page_id=6643

Cultures without writing store vast amounts of pragmatic information through song, story, dance - essential for survival. Memory devices (such as skulls) are involved. Why is the role of knowledge systems not included when interpreting performance sites? www.iflscience.com/neanderthals...?

Really looking forward to today being over. Three days in a row over 40 deg C and winds mean endless sirens. Fires breaking out all around us in Central Victoria, but most being contained so far. The electricity grid is out. So glad we have solar and a battery, so our cooling is still going.

Winter counts - Native American brilliance I have researched and written about non-literate memory devices for two decades now. One of my favourites is the winter count. Good stuff starts after the asterisk * www.sapiens.org/culture/cult... #MemoryCraft #TheKnowledgeGene #TheMemoryCode

30 MINUTES WITH A STRANGER I love data. This article is apparently very well known, but I've never seen it before. Fantastic use and presentation of data. pudding.cool/2025/06/hell...

A fascinating article by one of Australia's leading archaeologists, Iain Davidson. First Nations knowledge and archaeology go hand in hand - up close and personal! Stories from traditional knowledge combined with archaeological work trace 2,300km of Songlines theconversation.com/stories-from...

ARCHEOLOGY of Brittany - Endlessly fascinating with Carnac, Brest, Gavrinis ... and now more.

New Holland Honeyeaters. Husband Damian @ninoxconnivens.bsky.social has been photographing one of our most common backyard birds, the New Holland Honeyeater. They are breeding within a few metres of our lounge room window. Yes, I know how lucky I am!

Music is fundamental to storing information, bonding groups and so much more. www.theguardian.com/science/2025...? In 'The Knowledge Gene', I argue that music is fundamental to being human for all of the reasons suggested in this article - and has been for tens of thousands of years.

If you love a book, write a nice review. It gives the author encouragement for bad days when they want to take up scorpion petting. - @lianabrooks.bsky.social #BookSky #KidLit #BookPromo

Good morning Bluesky. Right from the mouth of a red wing blackbird. Such an amazing shot.

Marlene Engelhorn - someone to truly admire. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...

WRITERS - we will still be needed! Conclusion: "it’s quite possible that thoughtful, original, human-generated writing will become even more valuable." I want to believe this is the case - so believe it I will! theconversation.com/more-than-ha...

INEQUALITY be cursed! This article says "Inequality is one of the most urgent challenges facing Australian schools." I agree totally, but would take it much further: Inequality drives most of society's ills - especially given politics is so biased to the rich. theconversation.com/full-service...?

Isolating and bypassing Trump is the best weapon we have against power binded to ignorance. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...

However, THIS is infuruliating and dangerous. 🤬 UN climate talks fail to secure new fossil fuel promises

For those interested in the ritualistic and monumental places of ancestral peoples, I cannot recommend Dr. Kelly's "The Memory Code" highly enough. Its narrative approach to the anthropology of pre-literate memory is filled with a deep respect and affection for humanity and its grand endeavors.

LIBRARIES - ours is the heart of Castlemaine. I'm going to Carmel Bird's book launch there on Thursday. Australia’s public libraries are thriving as the cost of living rises. We can’t afford to lose them theconversation.com/australias-p...

An Oratorio from geneticist Jenny Graves This is a great article about the amazing Jenny Graves who is one of the most fascinating people I have ever met. The article links to a YouTube of the full oratorio. We need to sing our science! knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...?

So true - the number of times I have been in such loops defies counting.

Archaeology, anthropology and dogs - what more could you ask for in an article? Love it! Dogs 10,000 years ago roamed with bands of humans and came in all shapes and sizes theconversation.com/dogs-10-000-...

Art for knowledge sake Fascinating article about art recording information, and the complex knowledge of the ancient Caral culture of South America. "... the latest research shows that neither writing nor the wheel were necessary to achieve a complex society.? www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

Most teens are 'good kids'! Yes! It is lovely to see the media reporting my everyday experience - the vast majority of teens are great kids - sensible and terrific to be around. 'Manliness' and gender inequality are outdated attitudes. I love good news! www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...?

SITKA Whalefest I wish Sitka, SE Alaska wasn't on the opposite side of the planet! This interview is about Whalefest which features Tlingit Elder and Storyteller, David Kanosh, who was so much a part of my book 'The Knowledge Gene'. Great ideas about memory systems. www.kcaw.org/2025/11/03/w...

Great news for Australian bird watchers. Merlin now works in Australia. If you don’t know what Merlin is, it’s basically Shazam for birdsong.

Newborns. www.news-medical.net/news/2025102...

There’s something useful you could do with a minimum of fuss @albomp.bsky.social @chrisbowenmp.bsky.social - install solar/battery systems in all First Nations people’s housing in NT & Western Australia ASAP - works for me! #auspol #SolarEnergy

Need a chuckle?

AI tech execs wanted my intellectual property for free! Thank you government and the various organisations - such as the Australian Society of Authors - who fought this greedy grab. AI rich guys want to be legally endorsed to steal my books! #AI #copyright #writing www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

Grog's rule of privatisation: "The day you decide to allow the private sector deliver a public service is also the day you should set the future date for the Royal Commission into abuses in the system."

ORKNEY - please protect it I have been there twice for research, before it was so popular. Everything was astounding: the archaeology, birds (puffins are adorable), the people, landscape ... Overtourism is a global problem. I won't go back, for Orkney's sake. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...?

An email from a fabulous new memory fanatic today wanted to ensure that I'd heard about The Memory Code. Which reminded me that I hadn't updated the discussion page about this epic books with @lynne-kelly-42.bsky.social in a long while. Remedied! www.magneticmemorymethod.com/the-memory-c...

How good is your memory? Research shows that having a good memory is less about natural ability and more about practise. This guide will show you how your memory can be improved with the right techniques @lynne-kelly-42.bsky.social

I have an article featured on Psyche - from Aeon / Psyche media. Given how much I admire the articles from this outlet, I am really proud to be there. I highly recommend you sign up for the free Aeon and Psyche newsletters if you haven't already discovered them. psyche.co/guides/how-t...

ABC Hobart and ABC Adelaide - same topic! Seems memory is a hot topic at exam time! I'll be talking with Leon Compton, ABC Hobart tomorrow, Thursday 16 October at 10:40 AM And with Rory McClaren ABC Adelaide at 9:30 AM (Adelaide time) on Tuesday 21 October.