insert_link Opinion Pieces 20 years ago South Africa had 40 qualified astronomers – all white. How it’s opened space science and developed skills since then Southern African Large Telescope. SAAO, Author provided Patricia Ann Whitelock, South African Astronomical Observatory; Daniel Cunnama, South African Astronomical Observatory, and Rosalind Skelton, National Research Foundation South African astronomy started an important journey two decades ago, when an initiative to attract and train future scientists in the field welcomed its first group of students under the National Astrophysics and Space Science Programme. World class facilities have been established during this […] todayJanuary 15, 2024 14
insert_link Lifestyle Move away from Google if you want to avoid fake news By F.D. Flam via BizNews Searching for information has become instant and effortless — just go to your nearest device, ask Siri or click a few keys. But are we better informed than we were before Google became a verb? A new paper published in Nature hints that we’re not. When researchers exposed volunteers to a mix of fake and real news stories, they found people became more prone to being fooled by […] todayJanuary 15, 2024 14
insert_link Opinion Pieces More than 4 billion people are eligible to vote in an election in 2024. Is this democracy’s biggest test? Shutterstock Nicholas Reece, The University of Melbourne 2024 is going to be democracy’s biggest year ever. In a remarkable milestone in human history, over four billion people – more than half of the world’s population across more than 40 countries – will go to the polls. National elections will be held in the United States, India, Indonesia, Russia, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Taiwan, Mexico, and South Africa to name […] todayJanuary 15, 2024 7
insert_link South Africa Lawyer receives hero’s welcome at OR Tambo Airport Tembeka Ngcukaitobi shakes hands with admirers at OR Tambo International Airport on Sunday. Photos: Ihsaan Haffejee By Ihsaan Haffejee via GroundUp Tembeka Ngcukaitobi was caught off guard by the reception he received when he entered the arrival hall at OR Tambo International airport on Sunday. The popular advocate was returning from presenting South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. The slightly startled Ngcukaitobi […] todayJanuary 15, 2024 5
insert_link Environment Unmasking the environmental impact of tires By bhishyant Kidangoor and Sandy Watt via MongaBay Ever since tires were invented, they have rolled into our lives and changed the way we live. From cushioning wheels, one of humanity’s greatest inventions, to moving us around safely, tires have essentially reshaped how we function. The tremendous applications, however, come at an expense. Right from when raw materials are sourced to produce tires up until the time they end up in […] todayJanuary 15, 2024 14
insert_link Opinion Pieces South Africa’s legal team in the genocide case against Israel has won praise. Who are they? By Narnia Bohler-Muller, Human Sciences Research Council South African justice minister Ronald Lamola led a top legal team to argue the country’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 11 January. South Africa argues that Israel’s indiscriminate retaliatory bombing and siege of Gaza contravenes the Genocide Convention. More than 23,000 Palestinians, including at least 10,000 children, have been killed. Narnia Bohler-Muller, an international law […] todayJanuary 15, 2024 6
insert_link Opinion Pieces US election: third party candidates can tip the balance in a tight race – here’s why Robert F Kennedy Jr matters By Thomas Gift, UCL US politics will start with a bang in January 2024. The long-awaited Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primaries promise to provide early clarity on a likely Donald Trump v Joe Biden rematch for the presidential election this year. But beneath the hoopla of the first-tier White House candidacies will be another race – the sprint to get on the ballot for those not running as Republicans […] todayJanuary 12, 2024 10
insert_link Africa Empowering Dreams: Pwani Teknowgalz in Mombasa, Kenya, Breaking Barriers in STEM Education for Young Women By Velma Pamela and Irene Mumbi, via bird story agency It's quiet at Pwani Teknowgalz. Really quiet. You'd almost think no one was home. Across from the reception counter, a handful of young women are engrossed in activities on their laptops. Many are wearing coloured hijabs; brown and black are the predominant colours, initially making it difficult to identify Latifah Noor. It turns out that the 25-year-old is seated […] todayJanuary 12, 2024 31
insert_link Business / Economics South Africa, Joburg building fire survivors demand better housing after their settlement floods By Kimberly Mutandiro via GroundUp Albert Street building fire survivors and activists, who are part of the Marshalltown Fire Justice Campaign, meet at the Denver settlement on the outskirts of the city centre on Wednesday to discuss their poor living conditions. Photo: Kimberly Mutandiro Survivors of the Albert Street building fire in Johannesburg and activists gathered on Wednesday for an emergency meeting. The building was engulfed in a fire in August […] todayJanuary 12, 2024 15
