Cancer is not the modern disease many believe it to be. New fossil evidence from two South African caves suggests that its origins lie deep in prehistory.
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Science + Tech – Articles, Analysis, Comment
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There is no doubt that virtual reality is the next big thing. But for families with young children, it may be wiser to wait a little before leaping headlong into this new reality.
Scientists are hoping that ancient stone tools found on a family farm in Kenya will add to a clearer picture of the first appearance, duration and variation of prehistoric technologies found so far.
Very few organisations in the field of civic technology are choosing the right tools for the job.
There is mounting evidence to show scientists and researchers why public engagement is worth their while.
Economic growth alone won’t end hunger. Good policies and programmes are needed, too. Scientists and researchers have a role to play in these initiatives.
MOOCs are an opportunity for African universities to bring the continent’s thinkers and theories to the world. They also have great benefits for full-time students to experience a flipped classroom.
Many South African teachers don’t accept the theory of evolution. They feel deeply conflicted when they have to teach it to their pupils as part of the life sciences curriculum.
More and more Africans are becoming citizen scientists – and the benefits are huge both for them as individuals and for science on the continent.
Science communication has grown in leaps and bounds over the past 60 years. It plays a crucial role in democratising science and making it less mysterious.
New evidence suggests that Homo naledi didn’t deliberately deposit their dead in a hidden chamber.
Some water researchers are ignoring the evidence offered by sampling if it doesn’t fit their preconceived notions. But science should always be honest and open.
Human resistance to innovation can be an obstacle to solving major global challenges.
Science and business don’t often go together, but that’s changing as more scientists realise that their best ideas can be commercialised.
It’s been proved that prizes can boost cultural innovation. The same is certainly true for innovation in agriculture – which Africa desperately needs.
High in the mountains of Morocco, scientists have discovered something remarkable and rare: a spot that was struck by two meteorites, possibly millions of years apart.
Without data, people don’t know what to believe or whom to trust. Empirical, thorough data collected by academics can help to fill important governance gaps.
A tiny pit on mammal-like animals’ snouts has revealed a great deal about how mammalian hair originated.
Getting more women into science, technology, engineering and maths fields is a process that involves many parts of a society. Several African countries are setting the pace.
How did survivors of the Permo-Triassic Mass Extinction adapt to their new, harsh environment? And why is that knowledge so important for modern species?
Schools are focusing on the wrong objective when it comes to using technology in their classrooms. They should focus just as much on how they teach.
The academic medical community largely views Wikipedia with suspicion. But some traditional journals are starting to take the site more seriously – and some journals work very closely with it.
More pupils in Ghana, Malawi and South Africa are taking smartphones to school. These can be useful learning tools – or terrible distractions.
Researchers and policymakers need to talk to each other. If they don’t, important research will merely gather dust and policies might do more harm than good.
There are a number of stumbling blocks to intra African collaboration. These must be addressed to ensure that research is not duplicated and that findings are shared.