Why it’s not a problem that dinosaurs are sold for millions of dollars – art historian: Sotheby's publicity photograph for the _Ceratosaurus_ fossil. Sotheby's, CC BY-SA A juvenile dinosaur fossil, Ceratosaurus nasicornis, has sold at Sotheby’s New York for US$ 30.5 million (£22.7 million). It is part of a recent resurgence of art-market interest in …
University graduates in Ghana must serve society for a year – study suggests it’s good for national unity: Almost 70 years after independence was gained across the continent, many African countries continue to face the complex task of managing ethnic diversity and building national cohesion. National cohesion is a broad and often abstract concept. It …
Ukraine: it’s clear right now there are no serious plans for peace: When it comes to the sincerity, or otherwise, of Vladimir Putin’s apparent willingness to talk peace with Ukraine, the Russian leader has given us plenty of hints. He may insist he wants to see a deal done and an end to the killing. …
It’s unlikely a magic bullet will ever cure Alzheimer’s – maybe a magic shotgun can: For much of the 21st century, one theory has dominated research efforts to cure Alzheimer’s disease: the amyloid hypothesis. Beta-amyloid is a protein that builds up in clumps, or plaques, in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease and is …
Humanitarian aid depends on good data: what’s wrong with the way it’s collected: The defunding of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), along with reductions in aid from the UK and elsewhere, raises questions about the continued collection of data that helps inform humanitarian efforts. Humanitarian response plans rely on accurate, accessible and up-to-date …
How dogs and cats are evolving to look alike and why it’s humans’ fault – new research: Africa Studio/Shutterstock Domestication has made cats and dogs more diverse, but also curiously alike – with serious implications for their health and welfare, new research shows. At first glance, Persian cats and pugs don’t seem like they’d have …
South Africa’s shift from coal to renewables: how it’s going: Just over 74% of South Africa’s electricity still comes from burning coal. In 2021, the country negotiated the Just Energy Transition Partnership with Germany, the UK, France, the US and the European Union. They committed to providing South Africa with US$ 8.5 billion (R157 billion) …
The Trump revolution: where it came from and where it’s going: Dancing Donald: Trump at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February, 2024. Shutterstock/Jonah Elkowitz As Donald Trump prepares for his inauguration, the world is preparing for the beginning of the second Trump Revolution. Trump’s second term will be very different from his first, when …
In Uganda rolex is much more than street food – it’s a national treasure: When Ugandans refer to getting a rolex, they seldom mean an expensive Swiss watch. Rolex is a popular kind of street food, made famous in global media. It serves more than just a practical function as fast food, but has many …
Africa’s worsening food crisis – it’s time for an agricultural revolution: Rates of hunger in Africa are unacceptably high and getting worse. The UN State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2024 report reveals that food insecurity in Africa is the highest of any world region. The prevalence of undernourishment is 20.4% (some …
Will al-Shabaab get stronger in Ethiopia? Two reasons why it’s unlikely – analyst: There have been numerous reports of arrests of al-Shabaab insurgents, the dismantling of an al-Shabaab terrorist network and interception of arms in Ethiopia in 2024. Reports have also suggested that al-Shabaab is seeking to establish “an active combat presence” in the Bale …
Fifty years after the discovery of Lucy, it’s time to ‘decolonise paleoanthropology’ says leading Ethiopian fossil expert – podcast: On November 24 1974, renowned American paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson spotted “a piece of elbow with humanlike anatomy” poking out of a rocky hillside in northern Ethiopia. It was the first fossil of a partial skeleton belonging …
From The Apprentice to It’s A Sin: the making of heroes and villains in screen depictions of Aids: Culturally, we are in the middle of an Aids “memory boom” as film and television creatives turn to stories from the terrifying crisis that began in the early 1980s. In the last few years we have seen …
Open-source imagery is transforming investigations of international crimes – but how do judges know if it’s real?: Skorzewiak/Shutterstock Open-source online imagery can play a vital role in investigating and prosecuting alleged crimes – but only if courts can reliably assess its authenticity. Unfortunately, what we see online can’t always be trusted. Misinformation and disinformation are …
The global food system is owned by an ever smaller number of companies – it’s damaging our health, our communities and the planet: creativeriver/Shutterstock Across the world, over 800 million people spend their days hungry. More than 2 billion have limited access to food. Yet today’s global food system produces enough to feed every person …
‘It’s between us and gangs’: teachers are on the front line against youth violence: chronicler/Shutterstock Gang violence and knife crime threaten the lives and future of young people. Figures from the Office of National Statistics show that in London, knife crime increased by 22% in the year up to September 2023. County line gangs have …
Why it’s not ‘alright’ if your dog is friendly: alexei_tm/Shutterstock A series of recent attacks by XL bully type dogs in the UK, and government attempts to both define and control the breed, has refocused attention on how society manages “dangerous dogs”. Much media coverage focuses on the trauma that pets or humans endure after …
Hateful graffiti blights communities and it’s something we need to tackle urgently: Hateful graffiti and other imagery plague communities across the UK, spreading a toxic message of division. Such graffiti targets people based on race, religion, sexual orientation, disability and gender identity. And sprayed graffiti is only one part of the problem. Hateful imagery can …