Scientists battle over whether violence has declined over time

Study of wartime deaths suggests that larger populations remain violent but find safety in numbers

Masai warriors

NOT TOO VIOLENT  Small-scale human societies, represented here by African Masai warriors, are neither more nor less violent than state societies, a new study concludes. As often happens in investigations of warfare, the report has sparked controversy.

Vadim Petrakov/Shutterstock

Contrary to a popular idea among researchers, modern states haven’t dulled people’s long-standing taste for killing each other in battle, a controversial new study concludes.