The Conversation
An Oscar for My Octopus Teacher is a boost for South African film. But …
The Best Documentary Feature gong for My Octopus Teacher at this year’s Academy Awards has been seen by many critics …
Medieval battles prove United Kingdom still united
Second only to COVID-19 recovery, the continued unity of the United Kingdom is the key political issue across the British …
Four reasons why your tolerance for alcohol can change
As pubs and bars reopen across England, many are excited about the opportunity to enjoy a drink with friends and …
Variants are likely to blame for India’s COVID surge
With more than 300,000 new COVID cases a day and hospitals and crematoria facing collapse, Director-General of the World Health …
Gambling: is it a sure bet or trouble?
The global growth of gambling has led to tensions about what role it can and should play in our societies. …
What were the Spartans like?
In the second episode of the current season of the TV show Lego Masters, contestants were asked to build a …
How the COVID-19 pandemic is damaging children’s vision
Eye doctors had planned to celebrate 2020 as the year of vision (as in seeing 20/20). Instead, it will be …
How teachers remember their own childhoods affects how they challenge school inequities
Teachers, like many of us, remember moments of achievement, schoolyard games and making mistakes as children. Often teachers draw on …
High-tech contact lenses may replace smart phones
Contact lenses are the result of an accidental discovery made during the Second World War. Ophthalmologist Harold Ridley noticed that …
Children own around 3 digital devices on average
More than nine out of ten parents think digital media and technologies are a negative distraction in their lives. And …
Apple’s new ‘app tracking transparency’ and Facebook
Apple users across the globe are adopting the latest operating system update, called iOS 14.5, featuring the now-obligatory new …
How can we mitigate the impacts of dust storms?
Over the last month, parts of Europe were hit by intense dust storms. First, a massive dust plume that …
At what age are people usually happiest?
If you could be one age for the rest of your life, what would it be?
ALSO READ: How to …
Why South Africa’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout looks bleak
South Africa has the highest number of COVID-19 cases on the African continent. It has more than 50,000 reported deaths…
Young people learn about relationships from media
Chanel Contos’ recent petition called for an overhaul of sexual education at schools and for consent to be taught earlier …
South Africa’s Blombos cave is home to the earliest drawing by a human
Scientists working in Blombos Cave in South Africa’s southern Cape region have made a discovery that changes our understanding of …
How to have healthy family disputes
Unlike Britain’s royal family, most of us don’t have the option to move to another country when we don’t see …
New malaria vaccine proves highly effective
Coronavirus vaccines have been developed and deployed in record time, but as global rollout has progressed, too few doses have …
South Africa’s 1994 apartheid ‘miracle’: what’s left?
In the 1990s, a commonly held view was that South Africa had achieved a “miracle” because of its relatively peaceful …
What triangular patterns on rocks may reveal
The Pleistocene epoch, which started 2.6 million years ago and lasted until about 11,700 years ago, was crucially important …
SA remains a nation of insiders and outsiders
Twenty seven years into democracy, South African politics is still for the few. And those who complain the most …
KRI Nanggala found: what might have happened
After a five-day search, wreckage from Indonesia’s missing submarine KRI Nanggala has been discovered at a depth of more than …
Do you really need to drink 8 glasses of water a day?
The warmer weather and longer days have inspired reminders to “stay hydrated” and drink eight glasses of water – or …
Varicose veins: are they harmful?
Around 25% of women and 15% of men have varicose veins. These are swollen and twisted superficial veins – which …
COVID-19 restrictions take a toll on brain function
Confinement — which has been frequent during the pandemic — has undeniable effects on the brain. There’s the inability to …
Oscars 2021: COVID-19 has rekindled a love of movies
For the first time in more than 90 years of Academy Awards history, films released via commercial streaming or …
The Handmaid’s Tale season 4 walks a fine line
This review contains spoilers for the first three episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale season four.
ALSO READ: Confusing messages about …
COVID vaccine may lead to a harmless lump in your armpit
Australian women are being asked to think about the timing of breast cancer screening as they prepare to receive their …
Submarines are meant to hide but what if one disappears?
In waters north of Bali, a frantic search is underway for the Indonesian submarine KRI Nanggala, missing with 53 crew …
Brown locusts have survived a long drought in SA
The Northern Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa recently experienced their longest drought in 100 years. The seven …
The Table Mountain fire: what we can learn
The fires that started on 18 April 2021 on the slopes of Table Mountain in South Africa destroyed several buildings …
Ivermectin: why it isn’t recommended for use
As the search continues for treatments for COVID-19, the results from a number of studies have led to changes in …
Nato betrays itself if local Afghan staff are left at risk
The announcement of the US and Nato military withdrawal from Afghanistan later this year has elicited many responses, not least …
Deep-sea volcanic eruptions create megaplumes
The ocean floor is famously unexplored and is imaged in much less detail than the surfaces of Mars, the Moon …
Dead Sea Scrolls: two scribes probably wrote one of the manuscripts
Ever since the Dead Sea Scrolls were accidentally discovered over 70 years ago in a cave in Israel, they have …
Disconnect between research and urban planning
The African continent is fast on its way to becoming one of the world’s largest urban hubs. This has …
Climate change threatens coffee and coffee beans
The world loves coffee. More precisely, it loves arabica coffee. From the smell of its freshly ground beans through to …
Gastro outbreak: how does it spread, and how can we stop it?
On Monday, Victorian health authorities released figures showing they’d received 389 reports of “gastro” outbreaks so far in 2021.
ALSO …
What to drink with dinner to get the most iron from your food
A drink with your breakfast, lunch or dinner can make your meal more enjoyable. But have you considered whether your …
Derek Chauvin conviction: a long history of police brutality
The unprecedented conviction of police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder and manslaughter of George Floyd is testament to the …
Why the fire on Table Mountain was particularly devastating
The devastating fire that ran its course across the side of Table Mountain in Cape Town this week has put …
Ancient Greece, handwashing and inequality
COVID-19 poses massive challenges nationally and globally when it comes to socio-economic inequality. It has hit the vaccine rollout especially …
Zoom fatigue and distracted driving share a problem
Feeling exhausted at the end of a long day of video-conferencing? Do your back, shoulders and mind ache after a …
The Ingenuity flew on Mars – why it’s important
Yesterday at 9pm Australian Eastern standard time, the Ingenuity helicopter — which landed on Mars with the Perseverance rover in …
What an unusual fossil reveals about parental care among pre-mammalian ancestors
South Africa’s Karoo region is world famous for its wealth of fossil remains. Many of these are from long extinct …
Significant archives are under threat in Cape Town’s fire
A wildfire on the slopes of South Africa’s Table Mountain has wreaked havoc at the University of Cape Town (UCT) …
Are mass shootings an American epidemic?
The U.S. has suffered yet another mass shooting, with a deadly attack in a FedEx facility in Indianapolis. This …
Learning to live with COVID – the tough choices ahead
As mass vaccination continues to be rolled out, the UK is beginning to see encouraging signs that the number of …
Why your social media habit is probably not an addiction
Social media apps are useful sources of information. They help us catch up with the activities of friends, news, current …