Ghana’s first genetically modified crop: why we created a new cowpea variety, how we tested it and what we found: Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is an indigenous and staple crop in sub-Saharan Africa, but it has an enemy: an insect called the legume pod borer (Maruca vitrata). This pest can cause yield losses of more than …
Burnout and bias can lead to poor care during childbirth – we created a project in Kenya that helps health workers: An estimated 800 women die every day across the world as a result of pregnancy-related complications. Most deaths (95%) occur in low- and middle-income countries. Two-thirds are in sub-Saharan Africa. For every woman who …
It’s a myth that England was created on the battlefield – most of it happened at the negotiating table: The story of the making of England is often represented as a battleground between the English and the Vikings, with waves of plunder, conquest and combat. Of the multiple English kingdoms, only one, Wessex (based in …
Encyclopedia Britannica once published a catalogue of humanity’s ‘102 Great Ideas’ – and it created more questions than answers: Shutterstock In its January 26 1948 issue, Life magazine published a feature showcasing the “102 Great Ideas” of western civilisation. The project was the brainchild of Mortimer Adler, a professor of philosophy and law at the …
Now and Then: enabled by AI – created by profound connections between the four Beatles: In 2023, to still be working on Beatles music … to release a new song the public haven’t heard, I think it’s an exciting thing. Not surprisingly, Paul McCartney was positive about the appearance this week of what has been …
Birkenstock goes public: how an ‘ugly’ orthopaedic shoe company created a brand worth billions: Asked to choose between a brown Birkenstock and a pink stiletto, most people would be able to make a fairly quick decision. In this year’s Barbie movie, Weird Barbie challenges Stereotypical Barbie to make this very choice. To Barbie, the high …
Salif Keïta, the defiant Malian football legend who created history on and off the field: Former Malian footballer Salif “Domingo” Këita, who passed away on 2 September in Bamako, embodied a crucial moment in the history of African football, helping shape its relationship with the world. His influence was also felt in Europe, when he …
Migrant deaths at sea: the real blame lies with policies created by European states: Photo by Oliver Weiken/picture alliance via Getty Images On 15 June, the overcrowded fishing trawler Adriana sank on its illicit journey from Libya to Italy, drowning hundreds of men, women and children. In response, states have expressed shock and sadness, and …
Jenin attack created 4,000 new refugees, part of the endless cycle of Palestinian displacement since 1948: The Israeli army’s recent attack on Jenin refugee camp resulted in 13 deaths (12 Palestinians, including four children, and one Israeli soldier killed by suspected friendly fire). An additional 143 Palestinians were injured, with 20 in critical condition, and …
Scientists have created embryos from stem cells – it could help us better understand infertility and miscarriage: SciePro/Shutterstock Scientists recently announced that they have developed embryos using just stem cells. No sperm or egg cells (oocytes) were involved. These new research findings were presented by Professor Magdalena ?ernicka-Goetz of the University of Cambridge and the …
Stephen Hawking and I created his final theory of the cosmos – here’s what it reveals about the origins of time and life: Hawking and the author. Photograph: Thomas Hertog and Jonathan Wood, Author provided The late physicist Stephen Hawking first asked me to work with him to develop “a new quantum theory of the …
Sudan created a paramilitary force to destroy government threats – but it became a major threat itself: The Rapid Support Forces emerged from the Janjaweed militia known for their violent tactics. Scott Barbour /GettyImages Sudan is in crisis. Fighting continues between Sudan’s military leader, Abdelfattah Al-Burhan, and his deputy on Sudan’s ruling council, General Mohamed …
Predicting epidemics isn’t easy. We’ve created a global dataset to help: Countries around the world were not prepared to respond to COVID-19. Andrew Wasike Shimanyula/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images The world has recently seen a number of high-profile cross-border disease outbreaks and pandemics. The COVID pandemic and multi-country Mpox (monkeypox) outbreaks are just two examples. …
How the private rental sector created a homelessness crisis in Ireland and England: Housing protestors in Dublin city centre, September 2018. Benoit Daoust/Shutterstock There is a homelessness crisis in Ireland. More than 11,000 adults and nearly 3,500 children were living in emergency homeless accommodation at the end of 2022 – a 300% increase since 2014. …
How we created the first map of an insect brain – and what it means for our understanding of the human brain: Tomatito/Shutterstock Imagine trying to navigate an unfamiliar city but you’ve lost your smartphone. You don’t have a map. And the street signs are in a foreign language. This is how neuroscientists feel about studying …
Curious Kids: How are planets created?: Eight planets, including Earth, revolve around our Sun. Illustration by Tobias Roetsch/Future Publishing via Getty Images Curious Kids is a series for children in which we ask experts to answer questions from kids. How are planets created? – (Saba, 6, Kenya) Thanks for asking such an interesting question, Saba. …
Why central banks are too powerful and have created our inflation crisis – by the banking expert who pioneered quantitative easing: Iurii Motov/Shutterstock Fifty years ago, a war broke out in the Middle East which resulted in a global oil embargo and a dramatic spike in energy prices. The war, between Israel and an Arab …
Five discoveries that changed our understanding of how the ancient Egyptians created mummies: Merydolla/Shutterstock Centuries after the first golden coffins were taken to Europe, ancient Egyptian mummies still vividly capture people’s imaginations. Perhaps we’re awed by the grandeur of their rituals and tradition. But new discoveries keep challenging scientists’ perception of these ancient rites. As …