Here’s why the world map you know is wrong
Most people lucky enough to receive an education will have seen the 2D printed projection of a map of the Earth. This image has allowed people everywhere to learn about our big wide world, all from one piece of paper. Though sorry to break it to you, these aren’t actually the true proportions of Read More...
Ancient humans wandered Ethiopia long before previously predicted
Out of Africa One of the most prevalent questions in the human psyche is “where did we come from?”. People have different evolutionary theories about the exact movements and locations of early Homo sapiens, though it is widely accepted that Africa was our species' birthplace. Numerous Read More...
Pandemic spurs surge in African medical tech
Tech innovations have helped improve food resilience in countries like Rwanda and Ethiopia, but a new study indicates that health tech is also expanding rapidly across Africa, spurred by the pandemic. More than 60 new and existing private firms now offer health products to consumers and medical Read More...
Botswana decriminalizes homosexuality
Back in 2019, campaigners in Botswana fought to remove jail sentences for those caught in same-sex relationships, arguing that the punishment (which, since 1965, is up to seven years in prison) is unconstitutional. The country’s High Court ruled in favor of the campaigners much to their Read More...
How a self-taught electrician in Malawi brought electricity to his village
According to UN-backed Sustainable Energy for All, only 11 percent of Malawi’s population of 19 million people have access to electricity, making it one of the least electrified nations in the world. The people of the Yobe Nkosi village are part of the 96 percent of the country’s rural Read More...
Researchers discover ancient four-legged whale in Egypt
While it’s rather difficult to picture whales outside their vast marine habitats, the early ancestors of these gigantic creatures were actually terrestrial — and a recent discovery of new four-legged whale species brings to light more exciting evidence about the animals’ evolution from land Read More...
This new irrigation system talks to plants to find out when they’re thirsty
As water shortages affect more parts of the globe, strategic irrigation practices are becoming key to achieving optimal water efficiency on farms, especially those located in drought-stricken areas. A technology called GrowStream is designed to provide exactly this type of solution — by enabling Read More...
Sierra Leone abolishes capital punishment
On Friday 23, 2021, Sierra Leone became the 23rd country in the continent of Africa to abolish capital punishment after MPs voted unanimously to end the death penalty (which is largely a remnant of colonial legal codes). Under the 1991 constitution, criminals could be sentenced to death in Read More...
This electric motorbike could help protect endangered wildlife in Africa
Rangers working to prevent poaching in Africa often use motorbikes to patrol protected areas. The vehicles, however, run on gas-guzzling engines that require expensive and inaccessible gasoline. On top of that, the loud motors make it virtually impossible to sneak up on poachers. A new partnership Read More...
This startup is paying farmers to turn locust swarms into animal feed
In recent years, climate change has created ideal breeding conditions for locusts, swarms of which have been devouring crops and other vegetation in East Africa and the Horn. Kenya, in particular, has been battling some of its worst locust plagues in decades, with farmers losing huge amounts of Read More...