Four ways to make sure your passwords are safe and easy to remember
For more than 15 years, there have been various predictions from tech leaders about the death of passwords. Bill Gates …
The Conversation
From iron rain on exoplanets to lightning on Jupiter: four examples of alien weather
When Oscar Wilde said “conversation about the weather is the last refuge of the unimaginative” he was unaware of some …
German spies in South Africa during WWII
The story of the intelligence war in South Africa during the Second World War is one of suspense, drama and …
Johannesburg is threatening to sideline informal waste pickers
Like all cities in the world, Johannesburg, South Africa’s commercial capital, has a waste management problem. In 2018/19, more than …
Nocturnal dinosaurs: Night vision and superb hearing in a small theropod suggest it was a moonlight predator
Today, barn owls, bats, leopards and many other animals rely on their keen senses to live and hunt under the …
What India’s second wave means for its vaccine coverage
With rich countries having bought up the majority of the world’s COVID-19 vaccines, the rest of the world has relied …
The link between fertility and longevity – new research
Fertility has declined in most industrialised countries. While the causes are largely unknown, a number of factors may contribute …
After a year of Zoom meetings, we’ll need to rebuild trust through eye contact
The pandemic has exacerbated an already troubling trust deficit across political, economic and demographic divides.
ALSO READ: US passes emergency …
Popping toys, the latest fidget craze, might reduce stress for adults and children alike
The newest fidget craze is popping toys. Adults and kids all over the world have been buying up this endlessly …
Mounting evidence suggests COVID-19 vaccines do reduce transmission
Since COVID-19 vaccines began rolling out across the world, many scientists have been hesitant to say they can reduce transmission …
ADHD affects girls too, and it can present differently to the way it does in boys. Here’s what to look out for
Two female Australian comedians recently revealed they’ve been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
ALSO READ: More kids are …
What’s the Valneva COVID-19 vaccine?
A COVID-19 vaccine from French company Valneva has yet to complete clinical trials. But it has caught the eye of …
Einstein’s two mistakes
Scientific research is based on the relationship between the reality of nature, as it is observed, and a representation of …
Understanding children’s mirror writing
In recent studies we have been investigating mirror writing by typical 4- to 6-year-old children. The term is used because …
Do you look like your name?
Most parents can remember the subtle mix of excitement and anxiety accompanying the choice of their baby’s name – it …
Talking dogs, really?
The Internet has recently been flooded with a wealth of videos of dogs Stella and Bunny pressing buttons on boards …
Female robots are seen as being the most human. Why?
With the proliferation of female robots such as Sophia and the popularity of female virtual assistants such as Siri (Apple), …
Motherhood across the animal kingdom
With Mother’s Day around the corner, it’s a good opportunity to ask what being a mother looks like across the …
Treating a stutter should involve anxiety as well as speech
Joe Biden’s election as president of the United States rekindled interest in accomplishments by adults who stutter. Biden has …
5 factors that contribute to students finishing high school
This past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted learning for more than 1.6 billion students in over 190 countries. …
Who would win in a fight between an octopus and a seabird?
This article is part of the “Who would win?” series, where wildlife experts dream up hypothetical battles between …
How the trees in your local park help protect you from disease
On your next visit to the park, try and count all the different species you can see. Away from the …
A cave site in Kenya’s forests reveals the oldest human burial in Africa
Africa is often referred to as the cradle of humankind – the birthplace of our species, Homo sapiens. There …
‘See What You Made Me Do’ will change our views on domestic violence
It may be a familiar statistic, but it is still shocking and unacceptable. In Australia, almost every week a woman …
Gas cooking is associated with worsening asthma in kids. But proper ventilation helps
“You’re cooking with gas” is a familiar term associated with doing the right thing and doing it well. But is …
How we discovered the oldest human burial in Africa
How did human uniqueness first evolve among our ancestors, setting us apart from other animals? That is a question many …
The ten factors linked to increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease
Although there’s still no cure, researchers are continuing to develop a better understanding of what increases a person’s risk of …
Vitamin B12 deficiency: what is pernicious anaemia, and why can it be so dangerous?
An estimated 6% of people in the US and UK suffer from vitamin B12 deficiency. The condition is recognised by …
A giant piece of space junk is hurtling towards Earth
A large piece of space debris, possibly weighing several tonnes, is currently on an uncontrolled reentry phase (that’s space speak …
Parents, for your teens sexual health, talk to them about taking risks
For the past year, the pandemic has shaped how young people have been forced to consider risk. Masks, social …
Why we remember more by reading – especially print
During the pandemic, many college professors abandoned assignments from printed textbooks and turned instead to digital texts or multimedia coursework.…
Ocean crossing that made human evolution possible
Humans evolved in Africa, along with chimpanzees, gorillas and monkeys. But primates themselves appear to have evolved elsewhere – likely …
Pandemic puppies: Canine crisis or happy household?
At first, it was toilet paper and hand sanitizer. People stuck at home with time to bake bought up …
Clay is important in areas from wine to mine waste
The discovery and use of clays dates back to 30,000 years ago, making clays one of the oldest materials …
#MeToo on TikTok- teens speak out about harassment
A recent TikTok video that has been liked by almost half a million people encourages girls to record themselves putting …
What can hackers do with your mobile number?
Boris Johnson’s personal phone number has been publicly available on the internet for 15 years, it has been revealed. …
Family meals are good for the grown-ups, too, not just the kids
For all the parents feeling exhausted by the cooking, cleaning and planning of a million meals during the pandemic, there’s …
Could smacking children lead to partner violence in adults?
Intimate partner violence is indisputably a crisis in Australia.
ALSO READ: Rome Colosseum: Italy unveils plan for new floor with …
Why your eyes might be saying more than you realise
There’s a good chance that you when you leave the house today you’ll put on a face mask that obscures …
Why we can still recognise people in face masks
The average person knows about 5,000 faces – from family and friends to the cashier at the local store. Most …
What are ‘internal waves’ that possibly sank the Indonesian sub?
Last week might have been the first time you ever heard of “internal waves” — the phenomenon suspected of causing …
South Africa’s romcom revolution
Netflix went live in South Africa on 6 January 2016. The arrival of the subscription-based content streaming service was a …
India COVID crisis: four reasons it will derail the world economy
The second wave of the pandemic has struck India with a devastating impact. With over 300,000 new cases and 3,000 …
From feral camels to ‘cocaine hippos’, large animals are rewilding the world
Throughout history, humans have taken plants and animals with them as they travelled the world. Those that survived the journey …
Robots are coming and the fallout will largely harm marginalized communities
COVID-19 has brought about numerous, devastating changes to people’s lives globally. With the number of cases rising across Canada and …
Feral desert donkeys are digging wells, giving water to parched wildlife
In the heart of the world’s deserts – some of the most expansive wild places left on Earth – roam …
Could the COVID vaccines affect your period?
Over recent weeks, news reports have indicated some women are experiencing irregularities in their menstrual cycles after receiving a COVID …
Why Ghana doesn’t get the full value of its cocoa beans
The global chocolate industry is worth over US$150 billion. West Africa supplies 70% of the cocoa beans, but most …
Will the pandemic really shape the future workplace?
The workplace and modes of working have come into the spotlight amid COVID-19 lockdowns that have enforced remote working as …