Illustration of a crumpled piece of paper with text saying Rise of Artificial Intelligence

Hype and western values are shaping AI reporting in Africa: what needs to change

Sisanda Nkoala, University of the Western Cape; Musawenkosi Ndlovu, University of Cape Town; Tanja Bosch, University of Cape Town, and Trust Matsilele, Birmingham City University

South Africa and China set up a quantum communication link: how we did it and why it’s historic

Yaseera Ismail, Stellenbosch University

How hot is your home? Nigerian study explores comfort levels in buildings

Mak Okay-Ikenegbu, University of Portsmouth

The science of starvation: this is what happens to your body when it’s deprived of food

Ola Anabtawi, An-Najah National University and Berta Valente, Universidade do Porto

Do elephants make deliberate gestures to ask for things? Our study says yes

Vesta Eleuteri, Universität Wien

Elephant grasping a tree branch with its trunk

Africa’s innovations are overlooked because global measures don’t fit: what needs to change

Abiodun Egbetokun, De Montfort University; David Adeyeye, National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM); Glenda Kruss, Human Sciences Research Council; Il-haam Petersen, Human Sciences Research Council, and Maruf Sanni, National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM)

A stylized digital map of Africa with neon colors

People standing on a damaged and blocked road

Smart cities start with people, not technology: lessons from Westbury, Johannesburg

Rennie Naidoo, University of the Witwatersrand

Long-COVID, viruses and ‘zombie’ cells: new research looks for links to chronic fatigue and brain fog

Burtram C. Fielding, Stellenbosch University; Etheresia Pretorius, Stellenbosch University, and Massimo Nunes, Stellenbosch University

Pinkish circular shapes against a black background

3D printed food: yuck or yes? Researchers ask South African consumers

Oluwafemi Adebo, University of Johannesburg and Nicole Cunningham, University of Johannesburg

Layers of circular shapes underneath a nozzle

We detected deep pulses beneath Africa – what we learned could help us understand volcanic activity

Emma Watts, Swansea University; Derek Keir, University of Southampton, and Thomas Gernon, University of Southampton

Whose turn is it? The question is at the heart of language and chimpanzees ask it too

Kayla Kolff, Osnabrück University and Simone Pika, Osnabrück University

Our ancient planet

Africans survived 10,000 years of climate changes by adapting food systems – study offers lessons for modern times

Leanne N. Phelps, Columbia University and Kristina Guild Douglass, Columbia University

Stone tools from a cave on South Africa’s coast speak of life at the end of the Ice Age

Sara Watson, Indiana State University

Black holes spew out powerful jets that span millions of light-years – we’re trying to understand their whole life cycle

Gourab Giri, University of Pretoria

An illustration that shows something shaped like a zeppelin erupting out of a black hole against a backdrop of stars

When did our ancestors start to eat meat regularly? Fossilised teeth get us closer to the answer

Tina Lüdecke, Max Planck Institute For Chemistry and Dominic Stratford, University of the Witwatersrand

A wide overhead image of a multi-generational family tucking into various meat and vegetable dishes

Ancient stone walls and power: what data science tools can reveal in African archaeology

Mncedisi Siteleki, University of Oslo

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Creature features

A lone giraffe in the wild looks off to one side

We studied more than 500 giraffe skulls from all over Africa – and confirmed there are 4 distinct species

Nikolaos Kargopoulos, University of Cape Town and Julian Fennessy, University College Dublin

War, politics and religion shape wildlife evolution in cities

Elizabeth Carlen, Washington University in St. Louis

Man standing on boat releasing fish from a net into the water

Chimpanzee genes have changed over time to suit local conditions – new study

Harrison J. Ostridge, UCL; Aida Andres, UCL, and Mimi Arandjelovic, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

South Africa’s wattled cranes are no longer critically endangered: why the birds’ numbers are rising

Lara Fuller, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Large white bird sitting on grassy material with a marshy area in the background. A small bird's head is protruding from under the adult bird's wing.

Humans and animals can both think logically − but testing what kind of logic they’re using is tricky

Olga Lazareva, Drake University

Rodent climbing the rungs of a small, colorful abacus

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Talking tech

Ageing bridges around the world are at risk of collapse. But there’s a simple way to safeguard them

Andy Nguyen, University of Southern Queensland

A steel bridge crossing a river with a city skyline in the background.

AI-driven motion capture is transforming sports and exercise science

Habib Noorbhai, University of Johannesburg

A graphic of a human figure running with lines and dots in his body, he is reflected on a screen in motion.

AI in education: what those buzzwords mean

Herkulaas MvE Combrink, University of the Free State

A 3D illustration of a humanoid robot standing at a green chalkboard. The word AI is written on the board in white chalk

Using your own laptop or phone for work? Why it’s a security hazard for businesses

Thembekile Olivia Mayayise, University of the Witwatersrand

Three young people seated at a table with cups and a laptop