African

Quirks and Quarks54:01Cat facts — the latest science on our feline companionsCats have lived alongside humans for millennia, but there's still much we don't know about our companions. How do cats purr? Why do they look so annoyed all the time? And when and where did cats begin sharing homes with humans? Part of the issue with finding the answers to these questions is the notoriously secretive nature of domestic cats and their unwillingness to do what they're told — something that makes studying cats in a laboratory…

GoMetro, a South African tech company that operates in the fleet management space, has raised £9 million (~$11.4 million) in a Series A funding round led by Zenobē Energy, a strategic investor renowned for financing and operating electric buses. Zenobē Energy also engages in large-scale battery projects for wind farms, with the U.K.’s National Grid among its valued customers (notably, the London-based company recently secured a $750 million investment from KKR, earmarked for fleet electrification financing). The…

An exploding population of hard-to-eradicate "super pigs" in Canada is threatening to spill south of the border, and northern states like Minnesota, North Dakota and Montana are taking steps to stop the invasion.In Canada, the wild pigs roaming Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba pose a new threat.Ryan Brook, a professor at the University of Saskatchewan and one of Canada's leading authorities on the problem, calls feral swine, "the most invasive animal on the planet" and "an ecological train wreck." They are often…

Researchers found that teff, a gluten-free grain, has antioxidant properties beneficial for human health. Further research aims to identify high-antioxidant teff varieties, with implications for gluten-free diets and agricultural advancements. Above is a photo of teff grown by Osena’s research group at UNCG. Credit: Martin W. KaneResearchers at UNC Greensboro have discovered that teff, a gluten-free grain native to East Africa and increasingly available in the United States, exhibits antioxidant properties in human cells.…

The Great Sand Sea Desert stretches over an area of 72,000km² linking Egypt and Libya. If you find yourself in a particular part of the desert in south-east Libya and south-western parts of Egypt, you'll spot pieces of yellow glass scattered across the sandy landscape.It was first described in a scientific paper in 1933 and is known as Libyan desert glass. Mineral collectors value it for its beauty, its relative rarity – and its mystery. A pendant found in Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun's tomb contains a piece of the…

Credit: CC0 Public Domain When ChatGPT was released in November 2022, it sparked many conversations and moral panics. These center on the impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) on the information environment. People worry that AI chatbots can negatively affect the integrity of creative and academic work, especially since they can produce human-like texts and images. …

The tool can be used on its own or integrated into existing AI tools like ChatGPT and online conversational chatbots. The hope is that Vulavula, which means “speak” in Xitsonga, will make accessible those tools that don't currently support African languages. The lack of AI tools that work for African languages and recognize African names and places excludes African people from economic opportunities, says Moiloa, CEO and cofounder of Lelapa AI. For her, working to build Africa-centric AI solutions is a way to help…

Benin-born, Nigeria-based Ayra Starr epitomises a new era in African music, as women assert their presence in a once male-dominated talent pool and the continent’s pop has finally become globally dominant. She spent 13 weeks in the UK Top 40 earlier this year with her single Rush, and this show is the 21-year-old’s first following a Grammy nomination in the new best African music performance category. Her debut album opener Cast begins and, in a chic light-pink two-piece with a sweeping asymmetric tulle skirt, Starr takes…

Breadcrumb Trail LinksLifeEating & DrinkingCultureBooksMake chef Pierre Thiam's recipes for ginger chicken kedjenou, steamed cod liboke and coconut collard greens with butternut squash Get the latest from Laura Brehaut straight to your inbox Sign Up Published Sep 29, 2023  •  Last updated Sep 29, 2023  •  7 minute read Clockwise from top left: ginger chicken kedjenou with eggplant and tomato, steamed cod liboke, coconut collard greens with butternut squash and West African pantry staples. PHOTOS BY EVAN…

Breadcrumb Trail LinksLifeEating & DrinkingCultureBooks'This is a kind of cuisine that transcends borders, that's very versatile. It gives its essence, its origin, but it's also easy to adapt' Get the latest from Laura Brehaut straight to your inbox Sign Up Published Sep 29, 2023  •  Last updated Sep 29, 2023  •  6 minute read Senegal-raised, California-based chef, entrepreneur and activist Pierre Thiam is the author of four cookbooks. PHOTOS BY EVAN SUNGReviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are…