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Academic rigour, journalistic flair

Dry tree against full moon

Five animals that behave differently in moonlight

Anders Hedenström, Lund University

Worms on a piece of light-coloured material which is full of holes.

Plastic-eating insect discovered in Kenya

Fathiya Khamis, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology

A single atom can change the colour of a bird. These are the genes responsible

Simon Griffith, Macquarie University and Daniel Hooper, American Museum of Natural History

Orange and black bird looking straight at the camera, with its beak slightly open.

Orange and black bird looking straight at the camera, with its beak slightly open.

Fire safety tips at home: the risks and how to avoid them

Rhoda Afriyie Mensah, Luleå University of Technology

Man throws bucket of water towards flames and smoking metal structure

Man throws bucket of water towards flames and smoking metal structure

Food security in Africa: managing water will be vital in a rapidly growing region

Christian Siderius, London School of Economics and Political Science

A woman holding cassava tubers

A woman holding cassava tubers

Mining must become more responsible and sustainable. Where hi-tech solutions fit in

Rennie Naidoo, University of the Witwatersrand

A man in a hard hat and a heavy uniform, his eyes protected by safety goggles, works underground in a mine

A man in a hard hat and a heavy uniform, his eyes protected by safety goggles, works underground in a mine

Astronomy and space science

Starry night sky streaked with meteorites.

New research shows most space rocks crashing into Earth come from a single source

Trevor Ireland, The University of Queensland

A geomagnetic storm has hit Earth – a space scientist explains what causes them

Amoré Elsje Nel, South African National Space Agency

A photograph of a pink and blue eruption of light in the night sky, shot using a fish-eye lens

A photograph of a pink and blue eruption of light in the night sky, shot using a fish-eye lens

NASA is launching a major mission to look for habitable spots on Jupiter’s moon Europa

James Lloyd, The University of Western Australia

NASA is launching a major mission to look for habitable spots on Jupiter’s moon Europa

NASA is launching a major mission to look for habitable spots on Jupiter’s moon Europa

Pluto mission: South African astronomers join forces with NASA to learn more about the dwarf planet

Nico Orce, University of the Western Cape

Sphere in space

Sphere in space

Belief in alien visits to Earth is spiralling out of control – here’s why that’s so dangerous

Tony Milligan, King's College London

Artist's impression of an alien that's landed on our planet earth in mountains at the sunset contemplating our beautiful nature

Artist's impression of an alien that's landed on our planet earth in mountains at the sunset contemplating our beautiful nature

The Conversation Africa is powered by facts. And you.

Creature features

giant tortoise posing

People do care about extinct species, but not for long – new study

Kevin Healy, University of Galway

Avian architects: weaver birds in Africa have unique building styles

Maria Cristina Tello Ramos, University of Hull

A brown bird with a white undercarriage and white stripe on its face sitting in a shallow nest of twigs looks up at a much larger structure also made of sticks

A brown bird with a white undercarriage and white stripe on its face sitting in a shallow nest of twigs looks up at a much larger structure also made of sticks

Vampire bats – look beyond the fangs and blood to see animal friendships and unique adaptations

Sebastian Stockmaier, University of Tennessee

closeup of a vampire bat in flight with teeth visible and a little blood on mouth

closeup of a vampire bat in flight with teeth visible and a little blood on mouth

Wild animals can experience trauma and adversity too − as ecologists, we came up with an index to track how it affects them

Xochitl Ortiz Ross, University of California, Los Angeles and Daniel T. Blumstein, University of California, Los Angeles

Two marmots sitting on a rock.

Two marmots sitting on a rock.

Moo Deng: the celebrated hippo’s real home has disappeared – will the world restore it?

Huanyuan Zhang-Zheng, University of Oxford and Sulemana Bawa, University of Oxford

A small pygmy hippo in a zoo enclosure.

A small pygmy hippo in a zoo enclosure.

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Tech talk

How to overcome your device dependency and manage a successful digital detox

Kelley Cours Anderson, College of Charleston and Karen Anne Wallach, University of Alabama in Huntsville

a woman appears to emerge from a giant smartphone onto a path in a nature preserve

a woman appears to emerge from a giant smartphone onto a path in a nature preserve

How to stay safe in cyberspace: 5 essential reads

Natasha Joseph, The Conversation

Two smiling young men looking at their cellphones

Two smiling young men looking at their cellphones

Is big tech harming society? To find out, we need research – but it’s being manipulated by big tech itself

Timothy Graham, Queensland University of Technology

A person in shadow works on a computer in front of Facebook sign.

A person in shadow works on a computer in front of Facebook sign.

Playing technology games and making science fun helps young kids solve visual problems and grasp ideas better

Moleboheng Ramulumo, North-West University

A woman and two young children, all wearing protective goggles, doing a science experiment in a laboratory

A woman and two young children, all wearing protective goggles, doing a science experiment in a laboratory

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