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a couple from the back walking in a park, the woman and background in black and white, the man a silhouette enclsoing a color view of trees and sky

Logging off life but living on: How AI is redefining death, memory and immortality

Patrick van Esch, Coastal Carolina University and Yuanyuan (Gina) Cui, Coastal Carolina University

Male garden spider, Araneus diadematus.

Spiders ‘smell’ with their legs – new research

Dan-Dan Zhang, Lund University; Gabriele Uhl, University of Greifswald, and Hong-Lei Wang, Lund University

Rock art acoustics: South African study suggests that a distinct echo attracted ancient artists back to one site

Neil Rusch, University of the Witwatersrand

Engraving of figures on a rock face

Engraving of figures on a rock face

How ancient flying reptiles ruled the skies – new research

Natalia Jagielska, University of Edinburgh

An artist's impression of the pterosaur in flight

An artist's impression of the pterosaur in flight

New research reveals why sabre-toothed predators evolved their deadly teeth

Tahlia Pollock, Monash University

Skull of a feline with long, blade-like teeth.

Skull of a feline with long, blade-like teeth.

Brain implants, agentic AI and answers on dark matter: what to expect from science in 2025 – podcast

Elsa Couderc, The Conversation; Gemma Ware, The Conversation; Paul Rincon, The Conversation, and Signe Dean, The Conversation

An illustration of a little robot performing tasks on a computer.

An illustration of a little robot performing tasks on a computer.

Our ancient planet

Engraving of figures on a rock face

Rock art acoustics: South African study suggests that a distinct echo attracted ancient artists back to one site

Neil Rusch, University of the Witwatersrand

Fossil treasure chest: how to preserve the geoheritage of South Africa’s Cape coast

Charles Helm, Nelson Mandela University

Four people navigating a craggy section of a coastline

Four people navigating a craggy section of a coastline

Fossil tracks paint a picture of South Africa’s ancient coastal landscape: five essential reads

Natasha Joseph, The Conversation

A set of footprints made by someone wearing running shoes or sneakers stretches along a sandy beach

A set of footprints made by someone wearing running shoes or sneakers stretches along a sandy beach

Madagascar’s mysterious Teniky rock architecture: study suggests a link to ancient Persia

Guido Schreurs, University of Bern and Chantal Radimilahy, Université d’Antananarivo

Hollows and pillars carved into a rockface

Hollows and pillars carved into a rockface

Fossilized footprints reveal 2 extinct hominin species living side by side 1.5 million years ago

Anna K. Behrensmeyer, Smithsonian Institution; Kevin Hatala, Chatham University, and Purity Kiura, National Museums of Kenya

several people seated on rock ground looking down and carefully uncovering fossil footprints

several people seated on rock ground looking down and carefully uncovering fossil footprints

The Conversation Africa is powered by facts. And you.

Creature features

A peregrine falcon in flight set against a blue sky

Why do falcons have stripes under their eyes? The answer is more complex than we thought

Arjun Amar, University of Cape Town and Chevonne Reynolds, University of the Witwatersrand

Bottlenose dolphins smile at each other when they play – new study reveals how and why

Elisabetta Palagi, University of Pisa

A close up of a bottlenose dolphin's head. The dolphin has an open mouth and is smiling.

A close up of a bottlenose dolphin's head. The dolphin has an open mouth and is smiling.

Wolves with a taste for nectar? How we discovered the first large carnivore that pollinates flowers

Sandra Lai, University of Oxford

wolf licks flower

wolf licks flower

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

Cat videos and wild caracals: how the internet’s viral trends can help conservation

Gabriella Leighton, University of Cape Town and Laurel Serieys, University of Cape Town

A medium-sized wild cat with a russet-coloured coat and pointy, tufted ears peers at the photographer from behind a stand of bushes

A medium-sized wild cat with a russet-coloured coat and pointy, tufted ears peers at the photographer from behind a stand of bushes

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Talking tech

Seven advances in technology that we’re likely to see in 2025

Lewis Endlar, Keele University

Mixed reality headset

Mixed reality headset

Welfare payments are going digital in Africa – but this isn’t helping those without internet access or smartphones

Tony Roberts, Institute of Development Studies

A seated woman holding a cellphone

A seated woman holding a cellphone

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

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

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