The media constantly bombards us with the latest research on a plethora of topics without much nuance on its quality or relevance. So how can we trust science if it can’t seem to make up its own mind?
It’s one thing for a country’s academics to produce great research – but what’s the point if ordinary citizens can’t access it?
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South Africans’ access to important knowledge and research is incredibly limited. In this time of Open Access, why is this the case – and will it ever change?
The compact fluorescent lamp was primarily developed by private companies such as General Electric, Philips and Osram rather than in publicly funded research institutions.
Marcus Williams/Flickr
Research institutions don’t have a monopoly on innovation. In fact, most innovation comes out of business, and it’s this sector that needs more attention in innovation policy.
Island universities are unavoidably at one with the elements. This offers rich opportunities for studying these elements - like the oceans.
REUTERS/Susana Vera
Small island universities can add to the sum total of African knowledge in a number of ways.
Neutrinos, we’re looking for you! Japan’s Super-Kamiokande detector.
Kamioka Observatory, ICRR (Institute for Cosmic Ray Research), The University of Tokyo
Patrick Howe, California Polytechnic State University
Many readers can’t tell the difference between native ads and editorial content. So will a web publisher’s credibility take a hit if it ‘goes native’ with its ad strategy?
Africa needs women scientists and researchers like the Ivory Coast’s Dr Celine Nobah, pictured here at work. What can be done to develop female researchers?
Thierry Gouegnon/Reuters
Policies at universities and in research institutions can be changed in small and significant ways to boost the space for gender equity within the sciences.
University of Cape Town scientists work in the Drug Discovery and Development Centre. More needs to be done to keep Africa’s scientists on home ground.
Epa/Nic Bothma
If the continent is to grasp the science and technology revolution, then governments should take the lead in both policy formulation and implementation.
Do we need to know that things are certain, or is a little uncertainty still okay?
Flickr/jim simonson
Public engagement of academics has increased enormously in recent decades. But this new level of engagement is producing problems and conflicts for which many academics are ill-prepared.
Questions are being asked whether the new funding formula will affect output in science journals.
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HIV therapy that enables patients with the virus to live a healthy life is a great success for modern medicine. But what are the challenges to coming up with a complete cure?
A report out of the UK would have the quality assessors of research abolished because it takes time away from students. However the real reason seems to be an attempt to minimise government spending on research.
Previous Vice President of the Academy of Science of South Africa and DSI-NRF SARChI chair in Fungal Genomics, Professor in Genetics, University of Pretoria, University of Pretoria