June 20, 2023
Africa: Scientific Fraud Is Rising, and Automated Systems Won't Stop It. We Need Research Detectives
Fraud in science is alarmingly common. Sometimes researchers lie about results and invent data to win funding and prestige. Other times, researchers might pay to stage and publish… Read more »
June 19, 2023
Africa: African Cities and Climate Change - the Real Debate Is Who Should Pay to Fix the Problem
For most city mayors and managers in Africa, the debate about whether climate change is real is a moot topic. They know it is. They are on the front lines dealing with the impact… Read more »
June 15, 2023
Africa: Nigeria Is Africa's Leading Rice Producer, but Still Needs More
Rice is one of the staple foods globally, ranking third after wheat and maize in terms of production and consumption. It contributes over 20% of the total calorie intake of the… Read more »
June 14, 2023
Africa: Why Does My Back Get So Sore When I'm Sick? the Connection Between Immunity and Pain
Have you ever wondered why your back aches when you're down with the flu or a cold? Or COVID? Read more »
Africa: What If China Really Did Develop Covid As a Bioweapon? Here Are the Issues Involved
China is facing renewed allegations that the COVID-19 outbreak was caused by a leak from one of their laboratories - and that this research is connected to biowarfare. Read more »
June 12, 2023
Africa: Betelgeuse - Star Is Continuing to Behave Mysteriously - Here's What Would Happen If It Exploded
The bright, red star Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion has shown some unexpected behaviour. In late 2019 and 2020 it became fainter than we had ever seen it - at least in… Read more »
June 13, 2023
Africa: Experts Explain Why It's Still Africa's Best Option for Cleaner, Greener Cooking (For Now)
Africa's growing population desperately needs clean, modern energy in the home. Currently, more than 900 million people, 85% of the region's population, still rely on solid biomass… Read more »
June 09, 2023
Africa: UK Ivory Trade Ban Extended to Five More Species - Here's Why We Think It Will Be Ineffective
The loss of nature is one of the many environmental crises facing our planet. And a key challenge in addressing this is halting the poaching and trafficking of wildlife, which is… Read more »
June 12, 2023
Africa: Long Covid - Effects On Fatigue and Quality of Life Can Be Comparable to Some Cancers - New Research
As of March 2023, the Office for National Statistics estimated that 1.7 million people in the UK were living with self-reported long COVID. This refers to symptoms, including… Read more »
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 »