June 07, 2023
Africa: Covid Has Highlighted the Connection Between Spirituality and Vaccine Scepticism
In the two and a half years since the first COVID vaccines were administered, anti-vaccination sentiment has grown exponentially. Scepticism about vaccines has been voiced, in… Read more »
June 06, 2023
Africa: Nearly 20% of Cultural Differences Between Societies Boil Down to Ecological Factors - New Research
In some parts of the world, the rules are strict; in others they are far more lax. In some places, people are likely to plan for the future, while in others people are more likely… Read more »
June 05, 2023
Africa: The World's First Flowers Were Pollinated By Insects
Plants existed on Earth for hundreds of millions of years before the first flowers bloomed. But when flowering plants did evolve, more than 140 million years ago, they were a huge… Read more »
June 06, 2023
Africa: China's Population Grew Older and Richer - Policy Lessons for Some African Countries
For decades China was the world's most populous country. But that's changed. Its population has peaked, and is now falling. Read more »
May 29, 2023
Africa: 'It's Actually a Human Person, Undergoing Real Emotions' - How Podcasts Can Impact Attitudes Around Mental Health
Millions of people listen to podcasts each year. Podcast content is diverse, with popular genres including true crime, comedy, and society and culture. Read more »
June 04, 2023
Africa: 'Good Soup Is One of the Prime Ingredients of Good Living' - A (Condensed) History of Soup, From Cave to Can
Hot soup on a cold day brings warmth and comfort so simple that we don't think too much about its origins. But its long history runs from the Stone Age and antiquity through to… Read more »
Africa: Removing Antimicrobial Resistance From WHO's 'Pandemic Treaty' Will Leave Humanity Vulnerable to Future Pandemics
In late May, the latest version of the draft Pandemic Instrument, also referred to as the "pandemic treaty," was shared with Member States at the World Health Assembly. The text… Read more »
June 02, 2023
Africa: What is Brics, and Why is It Presenting South Africa With a Dilemma?
South Africa will host the BRICS summit in August 2023. The event could offer the country an opportunity to exercise leadership in the BRICS' efforts to reform the arrangements for… Read more »
May 30, 2023
Africa: Some Refugee Girls Are Forced Into Early Marriage for Safety - Here's Why
Rates of child marriage increase in communities displaced by conflict as well as communities affected by natural and environmental disasters. Read more »
Africa: Increasing Heat Is Already a Factor in Human Migration - New Study
It was getting hotter. Frank May got off his mat and padded over to look out the window. Umber stucco walls and tiles, the colour of the local clay... [he] took a deep breath. It… Read more »
May 31, 2023
Africa: If We're Going to Label AI an 'Extinction Risk', We Need to Clarify How It Could Happen
This week a group of well-known and reputable AI researchers signed a statement consisting of 22 words: Read more »
Africa: The First Line of Vaccines Was Highly Effective At Restricting Covid-19's Damage
After more than three years of COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that over 763 million infections, and nearly seven million deaths, have been attributed to… Read more »
Africa: Free Secondary Education in African Countries Is On the Rise - but Is It the Best Policy? What the Evidence Says
When President Salva Kiir announced the abolition of secondary school fees in South Sudan in February 2023, he was following several fellow African leaders. Read more »
May 25, 2023
Africa: Soaring Risk of Flash Droughts in Every Major Food-Growing Region - New Research
Flash droughts develop fast, and when they hit at the wrong time, they can devastate a region's agriculture. Read more »
May 26, 2023
Africa: How AI and Other Technologies Are Already Disrupting the Workplace
Artificial intelligence (AI) is often cast as wreaking havoc and destroying jobs in reports about its growing use by companies. The recent coverage of telecom group BT's plans to… Read more »
Africa: Exercise Linked to Higher Pain Tolerance - New Study
Many benefits come from regularly exercising, including stronger muscles, lower risk of disease and improved mental health. But a recent study suggests that exercise may have… Read more »
May 24, 2023
Africa: Male Video Game Characters Speak Twice As Much As Females, Largest Study of Its Kind Reveals
Video games are played by nearly three billion people worldwide and make more money annually than the film industry. Around 50% of gamers are female but gaming has chronic problems… Read more »
May 28, 2023
Africa: Before Disney's Little Mermaid, These Creatures Existed in Mythologies From Around the World
Mermaids are multicultural mythical figures, reflecting the continuing human fascination with the sea in stories echoing thousands of years into the past. Mermaids are found in… Read more »
May 26, 2023
Africa: European Soccer Is Having Another Reckoning Over Racism - Is It Time to Accept the Problem Goes Beyond Bad Fans?
After suffering months of racial abuse on the field and off, Brazilian soccer star Vinícius Júnior had enough. Read more »
May 23, 2023
Africa: Alluring, Classic, Glamorous - The History of the Martini Cocktail
The martini cocktail has existed in a range of guises throughout its ice-cold, crisp life. Read more »
May 26, 2023
Africa: Why More Foam Makes for the Best Beer-Drinking Experience - and Always Has
What makes for the ultimate beer drinking experience? Some like theirs in a frosty glass, others with a wedge of lime. But when it comes to froth - or the head as it's commonly… Read more »
May 12, 2023
Africa: How to Navigate Difficult Conversations With Your Teenager
Important conversations with teenagers are among the biggest challenges of parenting. They can feel like walking a tightrope. Lean too much - or too little - into commands and… Read more »
May 30, 2023
Africa: Tobacco Use Is Costly, but So Is Quitting. Surveys of 8 African Countries Show Who Needs Help
Tobacco use imposes a large health and economic burden worldwide. Research estimates that, in 2019, about 8 million deaths were attributable to tobacco smoking. Tobacco also… Read more »
Africa: Half of Africa's White Rhino Population Is in Private Hands - It's Time for a New Conservation Approach
Southern white rhinos are widely known as a conservation success story. Their population grew from fewer than 100 individuals in the 1920s to 20,000 in 2012, mostly in South… Read more »
May 29, 2023
Africa: African Migration to Europe - Forced Returns Run Into Resistance
The forced return of migrants from the European Union (EU) to their countries of origin continues to be a source of major tension in African countries as well as EU member states.… Read more »