March 11
Africa: Why Do Trees Need Sunlight? an Environmental Scientist Explains Photosynthesis
Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you'd like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com. Read more »
Africa: The Next Pandemic? It's Already Here for Earth's Wildlife
I am a conservation biologist who studies emerging infectious diseases. When people ask me what I think the next pandemic will be I often say that we are in the midst of one - it's… Read more »
March 13
Africa: Corrupt, Brutal and Unprofessional? Africa-Wide Survey of Police Finds Diverging Patterns
Africans generally have a low regard for the quality of policing on the continent. Perceptions of police misconduct, corruption and brutality are widespread, according to a new… Read more »
February 23
Africa: Slouching Isn't As Bad for You As You Might Think
Often a posture assigned to teenagers and disaffected youth, slouching is traditionally considered to be a "bad" posture - with some claiming it will damage your spine and cause… Read more »
March 04
Africa: Ultra-Processed Foods - Largest Ever Review Shows Many Ill Effects On Health - How to Understand the Evidence
Ultra-processed foods, such as cereals and fizzy drinks, have been linked to 32 harmful health effects, according to the largest review of the evidence to date. Read more »
February 20
Africa: Screen Time Doesn't Have to Be Sedentary - 3 Ways It Can Get Kids Moving
There have been concerns about screens making kids more sedentary and less active since TV was introduced more than half a century ago. Read more »
March 04
Africa: Daily Fibre Supplement Improves Older Adults' Brain Function in Just Three Months - New Study
In just 12 weeks, a daily fibre supplement improved brain function in twins over the age of 65. Could the microbes in our gut hold the key to preventing cognitive decline in our… Read more »
March 12
Africa: What's Behind the Worldwide Shortage of Cholera Vaccines? for Starters, They're Only Made By One Company
In February 2024 the World Health Organization announced southern Africa was suffering the deadliest regional outbreak of cholera in at least a decade. At the epicentre of the… Read more »
Africa: Colonial Statues in Africa Have Been Removed, Returned and Torn Down Again - Why It's Such a Complex History
In 2020, the murder of George Floyd in the US served as a catalyst for the global Black Lives Matter movement. It sparked widespread protests against police brutality and systemic… Read more »
March 11
Africa: Fintech Is Sold As the Answer to Africa's Problems, but Digital Money Services Have Downsides Which Media Often Overlook
The online financial products and services known as "fintech" have become deeply embedded in the economic and social life of many African countries over the past decade. Read more »
Africa: As the Pandemic Turns Four, Here's What We Need to Do for a Healthier Future
Anniversaries are usually festive occasions, marked by celebration and joy. But there'll be no popping of corks for this one. Read more »
March 07
Africa: Why 'One Health' Needs More Social Sciences - Pandemic Prevention Depends On Behaviour As Well As Biology
On March 11, 2024, it will be four years since the World Health Organization characterized the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak as a pandemic. And while COVID-19 continues to impact people… Read more »
East Africa: Somalia-Turkey Maritime Deal Is a Win for Both Countries, and Not a Power Play for the Horn of Africa
A recent defence deal between Somalia and Turkey has great significance for Somalia and the region's security. The agreement, which covers both land and sea, aims to enhance… Read more »
February 28
Africa: The True Cost of Food Is Far Higher Than What You Spend At the Checkout Counter
After several years of pandemic-driven price spikes at the grocery store, retail food price inflation is slowing down. That's good news for consumers, especially those in… Read more »
February 29
Africa: How Teens Benefit From Being Able to Read 'Disturbing' Books That Some Want to Ban
Should we worry, as massive book-banning efforts imply, that young people will be harmed by certain kinds of books? For over a decade and through hundreds of interviews, my… Read more »
Africa: Why and How Often Do I Need to Wash Makeup Brushes and Sponges?
From the bristles of brushes to the porous surfaces of sponges, your makeup kit can harbour a host of bacteria and fungi. Read more »
March 04
Africa: Cost-of-Living Crisis - Experts Share 3 Survival Tips
The price increases for essential goods such as food, petrol and household utilities are a global concern, but the region most hurt by the surge in food prices is sub-Saharan… Read more »
March 01
Africa: Wild Solitary Bees Offer a Vital Pollination Service - but Their Nutritional Needs Aren't Understood
As I walk around the supermarket, I pick up vegetables for tomorrow's dinner, eggs and bread for tonight and some sweet treats for the week. By choosing a range of different food… Read more »
March 06
Africa: Fake Academic Papers Are On the Rise - Why They're a Danger and How to Stop Them
In the 1800s, British colonists in India set about trying to reduce the cobra population, which was making life and trade very difficult in Delhi. They began to pay a bounty for… Read more »
Africa: U.S. Christian Right Has Taken Aim At LGBTIQ+ Rights, Sex Education and Abortion in Africa - New Book
A new book - The US Christian Right and Pro-Family Politics in 21st Century Africa - reveals the role played by some right wing US Christian groups in trying to spread their social… Read more »
March 05
Africa: The African Union Is Weak Because Its Members Want It That Way - Experts Call for Action On Its Powers
The African Union (AU) comes in for a lot of criticism. Most recently this is from within its own ranks. The AU Commission chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, set out his… Read more »
Africa: Drought Hits Southern Africa's Farmers, Putting Key Maize Supplies At Risk - How to Blunt the Impact
South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe have recently published reports indicating a potential decline in grain harvest because of intense El Niño-induced dryness. These… Read more »
February 28
Africa: Understanding How the Brain Works Can Transform How School Students Learn Maths
School mathematics teaching is stuck in the past. An adult revisiting the school that they attended as a child would see only superficial changes from what they experienced… Read more »
March 01
Africa: Measles Is One of the Deadliest and Most Contagious Infectious Diseases - and One of the Most Easily Preventable
"You don't count your children until the measles has passed." Dr. Samuel Katz, one of the pioneers of the first measles vaccine in the late 1950s to early 1960s, regularly heard… Read more »
Africa: Covid-19 Rapid Tests Still Work Against New Variants - Researchers Keep 'Testing the Tests,' and They Pass
By September 2020, just six months after COVID-19 triggered shutdowns across the U.S., it was clear that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, had mutated from its original… Read more »