By Darren Baskill, Lecturer, Physics and Astronomy, University of Sussex
On 10 and 11 May 2024, large parts of the world were treated to their most spectacular display of the aurora – the northern and southern lights – in a generation. Thanks to modern cameras, the phenomenon was all over social media. It seems almost everyone knew someone who managed to snap vivid images of the night sky illuminated in pink, purple and green.
To understand why camera phones were able to pick out colours and details invisible to the naked eye, The Conversation spoke to Darren Baskill, an astrophysicist and photographer – an astrophotographer – at the University…
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By Lewis Eves, Teaching Associate in Politics and International Relations, University of Sheffield
The UK’s national security agency, MI5, warned in April that British universities participating in military research are targets for cyber-attacks by foreign states. More recently, news broke of a cyber-attack against the UK’s Ministry of Defence, which exposed the personal details of 270,000 armed forces personnel. China is the main suspect behind these attacks.
China is often presented as…
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By Charles O. Stanier, Professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, University of Iowa
Gregory Carmichael, Professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, University of Iowa
Peter S. Thorne, University of Iowa Distinguished Chair, Professor of Environmental Health, University of Iowa
States could be in for another summer of unhealthy wildfire smoke as ‘zombie fires’ resurface in western Canada and more blazes break out in the dry conditions.
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By Daouda Coulibaly, PhD, Professeur-Associé, EDC Paris Business School
The members of the Society for Ambience and Elegance (Sape) are impossible to overlook. Born in Central Africa at the beginning of the 20th century, the style is now found from Paris to Dubai.
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By John Tennyson Afele, Researcher, Department of Agroforestry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)
Ghana has around 7.9 million hectares of forested land (35% of the total land area), according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. Around 7.6 million hectares are primary or naturally regenerated forest, and around 297,000 hectares are planted forest. In 2022, Ghana lost 18,000 hectares of primary forest, a nearly 70% increase from 2021. It was the biggest increase in forest loss of any country in recent…
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By Leila Patel, Professor of Social Development Studies, University of Johannesburg
Yolanda Sadie, Emeritus professor in Politics, University of Johannesburg
Social grants to reduce poverty feature prominently in the campaign promises of political parties in South Africa’s 2024 national and provincial general elections, set for 29 May.
The country’s social grants system is one of the largest in Africa in terms of number of beneficiaries. Research shows that this has helped…
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By Amnesty International
Responding to the death of Netiporn ‘Bung’ Sanesangkhom, a Thai pro-democracy activist who passed away today after a prolonged hunger strike in detention, Amnesty International Thailand Director Piyanut Kotsan said: “Amnesty International expresses its deepest condolences following the death of Netiporn ‘Bung’ Sanesangkhom, who had gone on hunger strike in protest at her and others’ […] The post Thailand: Tragic death of detained activist must be ‘wake-up call’ appeared first on Amnesty International. ]]>
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By Amnesty International
Reacting to the final adoption of the restrictive “foreign influence” bill by the Parliament of Georgia, Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, said: “Today Georgia’s governing party bulldozed through this harmful law, which tramples on the human rights of all people in Georgia.” “This damaging bill contravenes Georgia’s international obligations […] The post Georgia: Dark day as parliament bulldozes adoption of repressive “foreign influence” bill appeared first on Amnesty International. ]]>
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By Richard Marcantonio, Assistant Professor of Management and Organization, University of Notre Dame
Josefina Echavarria Alvarez, Professor of the Practice in International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame
War is wreaking havoc on land, water and critical infrastructure in Ukraine and Gaza. Two experts on peace and conflict explain how to include such impacts in peace agreements.
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By Katherine Meizel, Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology, Bowling Green State University
Some viewers seem to want Abela’s voice to be a carbon copy of Winehouse’s. But the art of vocal impersonation isn’t about perfect replication.
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