Mount Nyiragongo: why it’s unique and treacherous
Seismologists in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were still reporting earthquakes around the Mount Nyiragongo volcano a week after …
NATURE
Climate change: six priorities for pulling carbon out of the air
To reach net zero emissions by 2050, global carbon emissions must be cut faster and deeper than the world has …
World at risk of hitting temperature limit soon
It’s becoming more likely that a key global temperature limit will be reached in the next five years.
2025
A …
How a plant-based diet could help prevent the next COVID-19
Viruses like COVID-19, SARS, bovine spongiform, swine flu and avian flu all have something in common: They all come from …
Supermoon! Red blood lunar eclipse! It’s all happening at once, but what does that mean?
The first lunar eclipse of 2021 is going to happen during the early hours of May 26. But this …
Climate change affects fertility in humans and animals
Evidence of declining fertility in humans and wildlife is growing. While chemicals in our environment have been identified as a …
Why full dams don’t mean water security: a look at South Africa
After good summer rains, the dams that supply water to Johannesburg and much of South Africa’s economic heartland are full…
Catnip: is it unethical to give it to your cat?
For many Americans, companion animals are on their annual gifting list, particularly cats and dogs who share our homes and …
What actually is catnip and is it safe for my cat?
There are many valid theories to explain the global appeal of cats, including our obsession with watching videos of them …
Pest … or snack? June bugs are the ‘croutons of the sky’
Many people grit their teeth in anticipation of the arrival of June bugs. You might already have had your first …
Is natural gas really cheaper than renewable electricity?
…The government wants us to phase out fossil fuels. Yet natural gas is much cheaper for households to buy per
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 …
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 …
Talking dogs, really?
The Internet has recently been flooded with a wealth of videos of dogs Stella and Bunny pressing buttons on boards …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Climate change: The world’s glaciers melting at alarming rate
According to a new study, the world’s glaciers are melting at an accelerating rate.
270 billion tonnes
Researchers have assessed …
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 …
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 …
First supermoon of 2021 to rise on Tuesday
The first supermoon of the year will happen on Tuesday, appearing up to 30% brighter and 14% bigger than a …
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 …
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 …
Why you shouldn’t use your laundry greywater in your garden
For the sake of the soil in which your plants are supposed to grow, think twice before using your laundry …
Get down and dirty in your garden
The garden, whether it has veggies or flowers, became many peoples’ safe space when the pandemic started.
The garden
…
Bird flu found at SA farm highly contagious
According to the Department of Animal Health, a strain of avian flu detected at a commercial farm in the East …
Tiny beetle fossil reveals how insects greeted Earth’s earliest flowers
The world as we know it today is almost inconceivable without the rich and colourful landscapes created by plant life. …
Dinosaurs: from giant reptiles to warm-blooded, feathered creatures
We look at how new discoveries are changing our understanding of what dinosaurs looked like and are helping to shed …
Neighbors unhappy with Japan’s decision to release radioactive water into Pacific ocean
Japan made the decision to release contaminated water that had accumulated at the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific …
Fact or fiction: Debunking 4 common myths about ticks
Blooming flowers, chirping birds and long-awaited rays of sunshine: The first signs of spring are often greeted with joy. But …
Cyclone Seroja: Storm makes landfall in Western Australia
Tropical cyclone, Seroja, has ripped across a 1000km stretch of Western Australia, leaving behind a trail of damage.
Category three
…
St Vincent volcano: Eruptions likely in coming days
According to experts, the Caribbean island of St Vincent will likely see further volcanic eruptions and falling ash over the …
Volcanic eruptions didn’t cause climate change and mass extinctions
Mass extinctions are times in Earth’s past when large proportions of life suddenly and catastrophically died. These have occurred periodically …
‘Sacred forests’ in West Africa capture carbon and keep soil healthy
In parts of West Africa, patches of forest have been preserved for long periods of time because of their cultural …
New pest threatens Africa’s cycads
Cycads, the world’s oldest seed-producing plants, are facing extinction. Africa is home to a variety of cycad species and …
Whale and dolphin brains produce lots of heat
We have all heard the mantra that dolphins and whales (cetaceans) are highly intelligent animals. Some claim they’re on par …
Horses can recognise themselves in a mirror – new study
If you ask people to list the most intelligent animals, they’ll name a few usual suspects. Chimpanzees, dolphins and elephants …
Why animals’ pointy parts grow the way they do
Discoveries of new overarching rules or “laws” in nature are very rare.
ALSO READ: Are we more closely related to …
Humpback whales are back but not yet safe
The resurgence in humpback whale populations over the past five decades is hailed as one of the great success stories…
Are we more closely related to starfish or insects?
How humans evolved from the very first animals over the last 600 million years is an endlessly fascinating question. When …
Sleeping octopuses might experience fleeting dreams
A couple of years ago an octopus named Heidi was filmed changing colours as she slept. The footage shows …
Graffiti threatens precious evidence of ancient life on South Africa’s coast
The rocky outcrops that dot much of South Africa’s coastline contain hidden treasure: the cemented remains of the dune and …
Conservation group works to save African elephants
Two big decisions have been made in the last few weeks in relation to African elephants that will have major …
