By Jack Daly, Lecturer in Writing and Rhetoric, University of Colorado Boulder
Mermaids have inhabited world folklore and mythology for centuries. Ancient Babylonians worshipped Oannes, a human-fish hybrid; sirens populated Greek mythology; and fairy tales such as “The Little Mermaid” have made this figure a pop culture icon.
During the 1800s, American…
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By Yanyi Leng, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Colorado State University
New research suggests that some ways that companies boast about their charitable giving are more effective at brand-building than others.
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By Shahnaz Bashir, Ph.D. Candidate in Communication, UMass Amherst
Paul Virilio, a French philosopher, died in 2018. But his writings on technological ‘accidents’ help explain dilemmas the world faces today amid increasing use of artificial intelligence.
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By Esther Ahuoiza Seriki, Doctoral Student, Rhodes University
Chika Felicitas Nnadozie, Senior Researcher and Head of the Centre for Environmental Water Quality, Rhodes University
Nelson Odume, Professor and Director of the Institute for Water Research, Rhodes University
When this South African river became polluted and damaged, nearby communities’ water and food supplies, incomes and cultural connections suffered.
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By Marina Joubert, Science Communication Researcher, Stellenbosch University
Namibia is one of the world’s leading uranium producers. It also has significant deposits of diamonds, gold, zinc, copper and rare earth elements. As these sectors evolve, there’s a need for geoscientists to communicate with the public as well as communities. Geoscientists study the Earth: its rocks, water, minerals and hazards. They include geologists, hydrogeologists,…
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By Olaoluwa Omoniyi Olarewaju, Honorary Research Fellow, University of KwaZulu-Natal
The use of digital agriculture is expanding across Africa. Tools like artificial intelligence (AI), sensors and blockchain are helping farmers receive information about weather, pests, markets and farm management. AI can analyse images and other farm data to detect problems or support decisions. Digital traceability systems can record where food comes from and what happens to it along the supply chain.
These technologies offer considerable opportunities, particularly in horticulture. Fruits and vegetables are highly perishable, so a decision made at the wrong time can result in substantial…
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By Massimo Morelli, Professor of Economics and Political Science, Bocconi University
Dmitrii Petrukhin, PhD Candidate in the Department of Economics, University of Cambridge
The Democratic party has won both chambers of US Congress in the midterm elections, wresting control from the Republicans. With Donald Trump still in the White House until 2028, the result has raised expectations of political gridlock.
Analysts at the US investment bank Stifel, for example, have predicted that gridlock is “the most likely policy outcome”. Ahead of the elections, Trump warned…
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By Nicholas Westcott, Professor of Practice in Diplomacy, Dept of Politics and International Studies, SOAS, University of London
Discussions are underway for a potential meeting between Donald Trump, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit on November 18-19. The prospect has prompted comparisons with the “Big Three” summit in Yalta in February 1945 at which the leaders of Britain, the US and the Soviet Union discussed a carve up of the world following the second world war.
It is clear that Trump, Xi and Putin, each in charge of a country that considers itself a “great power”,…
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By Katie Tonkiss, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Aston University
A recent family court judgment in the UK highlighted ethical issues with the practice of international surrogacy. The case is thought to be the first to come before a court in the UK involving a surrogate who gave birth in China, where surrogacy is illegal. It raised numerous concerns – including about the welfare of the surrogate and child, the use of sex selection and the child’s immigration status and nationality.
Surrogacy is a growing practice in the UK, with the number of births…
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By David Smith, Associate Professor in American Politics and Foreign Policy, US Studies Centre, University of Sydney
Democrats have taken control of both chambers of Congress - and now the Republican Party must decide whether it will turn away from Donald Trump.
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