Seychelles: floating baby corals can help save damaged reefs – new study: The Seychelles archipelago of 115 islands stretches across a vast area of the western Indian Ocean. Each island is fringed by coral reefs. Coral reefs are formed by colonies of invertebrate animals that build hard skeletons and grow in a myriad of forms. …
Haiti: first Kenyan police arrive to help tackle gang violence – but the prospects for success are slim: An advance team of Kenyan special forces police have arrived in the troubled Caribbean nation of Haiti. They are part of a larger UN-backed “support” mission tasked with establishing order, pushing back the advances of criminal gangs …
Small businesses can help South Africa fight unemployment if they get proper support – study: South Africa has an alarming unemployment rate of approximately 32.1%. Solutions have been elusive. The unemployment rate has been consistently high for decades. Our research has revolved around entrepreneurship. We have examined the “liability of newness” related to small and …
African wild dogs will soon have their own sperm bank – how artificial breeding will help them survive: Scientists from the Institute for Breeding Rare and Endangered African Mammals have been working in southern Africa for over 15 years to protect endangered African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus). They’ve now decided to freeze sperm from as …
How conspiracy theories help to maintain Vladimir Putin’s grip on power in Russia: As Russians head to the polls on March 15 for the presidential election, conspiracy theories are swirling everywhere. In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, we speak to a disinformation expert about the central role these theories play in Vladimir Putin’s …
The Turing scheme was supposed to help more disadvantaged UK students study abroad – but they may still be losing out: Kichigin/Shutterstock The loss of access for UK university students to the Erasmus+ scheme – a Europe-wide exchange programme that offers students the opportunity and funding to study or work abroad for up to a year …
Nigeria’s ban on alcohol sold in small sachets will help tackle underage drinking: Sachet alcoholic drinks on display. Kofo Belo-Osagie On February 5, 2024, Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control announced a ban on alcoholic beverages sold in sachets or bottles less than 200ml. The agency asserts that the ban will, …
80% of premature baby deaths happen in poorer countries. Five simple measures that can help save them: Worldwide in 2020 a baby died every 40 seconds because of complications of prematurity. Preterm birth is the leading cause of death among children under 5 years old. The burden of preterm birth is heavier in in low- …
Social workers can help children more effectively by assessing the needs of the whole family – study: What do children need most? The answer often depends on a person’s relationship with the child. When people think about children outside their family and close friends, they commonly make basic needs the priorities. Food, shelter and services …
PhD students’ mental health is poor and the pandemic made it worse – but there are coping strategies that can help: ESB Professional/Shutterstock A pre-pandemic study on PhD students’ mental health showed that they often struggle with such issues. Financial insecurity and feelings of isolation can be among the factors affecting students’ wellbeing. The pandemic …
Studying engineering is tough: 6 insights to help university students succeed: Support and a sense of community are among the ways that students build academic resilience. ASphotowed/iStock/Getty Plus Engineering courses are a popular choice among South African university students. But these courses are also gruelling and the attrition rates are high. The Council on Higher …
Using your phone at work can help to balance your home life – new research: Jacob Lund/Shutterstock You might not think twice about using your phone while you’re at work. Maybe you need to send a quick message to a family member or a friend, or catch up on the news. Then there’s that dental …
Dyspraxia affects children’s wellbeing – here’s how parents and caregivers can help: Vietnam Stock Images/Shutterstock It’s likely at least one child in every classroom has movement difficulties in the form of developmental coordination disorder (DCD), also known as developmental dyspraxia. DCD is a disorder that affects a child’s ability to perform and learn everyday tasks …
Stressed out? Why mindfulness and meditation help us cope with the world: In a world fraught with anxiety, stress, and environmental and humanitarian disasters, people are looking for ways to cope. Many have turned to practices originating in ancient eastern philosophies for guidance. Among these is mindfulness, which is linked to meditation. Lucy Draper-Clarke, researcher …
Expert advice to help you keep your new year resolutions: Dirima/Shutterstock If you’re in need of some extra motivation to stick to your new year resolutions, there’s no better place to look than The Conversation’s archives. Our Quarter Life series is full of expert advice to help readers in their 20s and 30s navigate life’s …
School uniforms may trigger sensory overload in kids who are sensitive to fabrics – our research can help: Children who experience sensory overload struggle with many items of clothing, including school shirts. macniak Many people live with what’s known as sensory over-reactivity or over-responsiveness. Those with this condition experience an over-reaction to sensory stimuli, such …
Can golf courses help save the planet? Ask a herd of wild pigs: Mathilde.LR/Shutterstock An Arizona golf course, so picture-perfect it was described as “the Imax of golf”, was wantonly trashed by intruders in the autumn of 2023. But no, this was not Just Stop Oil back for another round, nor the result of a …
HIV drugs might help prevent multiple sclerosis, large new study suggests: Showtime.photo/Shutterstock Over the last decade, several case studies have reported that people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who started antiretroviral therapy for HIV (to keep the virus in check) subsequently found that their MS symptoms had either disappeared completely or the disease progression had slowed …