SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION - The African Mirror

Mar

16

2021

Reclaiming the streets: 6 apps and initiatives keeping women safe

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

KIM HARRISBERG THE murder in Britain of marketing executive Sarah Everard, who was abducted as she walked home in south London earlier this month, sparked nationwide protests on the weekend that ended in violent clashes with police. Her killing has led many women to speak out about their fears of walking alone and experiences of being harassed or attacked by men in public, with calls for more action to be taken to address violence against women and abuse. Globally, nearly one in three women worldwide is subjected to physical or sexual violence during her lifetime, according to the World Health Organization. As Everard's murder leads women…

Mar

12

2021

By The African Mirror

How Cabo Verde indigenous beans could boost food security

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

WITH just over half a million inhabitants, Cabo Verde is heavily dependent on food imports. It spent $65 million importing food products in 2018. ANYSE SOFIA FERNANDES PEREIRA ESSOH, PhD Student Tropical Knowledge and Management at Nova SBE (specializes in genetics and agrobiotechnology), Nova School of Business and Economics This dependence on food imports puts the country in a vulnerable situation when it comes to food security. According to Food and Agricultural Organisation, Cabo Verde has not yet eradicated hunger, with about 5.3% of its population suffering from food insecurity. There are other challenges too. Cabo Verde is located in…

Mar

09

2021

By The African Mirror

NASA Mars scientists spur girls to ‘reach for the stars’

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

EMMA BATHA WITH "one of the coolest jobs in the world", NASA rover operator Vandi Verma hopes women's high profile in the latest Mars mission will inspire a new generation to pursue careers in a sector traditionally dominated by men. Verma's colleague Swati Mohan made headlines around the world when she narrated the nail-biting landing of the Perseverance rover on the Red Planet following its perilous descent through the Martian atmosphere. "It's definitely inspired girls everywhere. It's opened people's perceptions of who can be a space engineer," Verma told the Thomson Reuters Foundation ahead of International Women's Day on Monday. The space…

Mar

05

2021

By The African Mirror

Against the odds: four women share how they forged careers in science

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

Less than 30% of researchers worldwide are women and UNESCO data shows that only about 30% of all female students choose science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields at a tertiary level. Four African women scientists share their experiences in forging STEM careers. NATASHA JOSEPH, Freelance Commissioning Editor, The Conversation OGECHI EKEANYANWU, Commissioning Editor: Nigeria, The Conversation WALE FATADE, Commissioning Editor: Nigeria, The Conversation Dr Dayo Akande, Nigeria I can’t forget my experience as a secondary school student: after qualifying for a science competition at state level in 1989, I was asked to stay back and let my male schoolmate…

Mar

06

2021

By The African Mirror

Small-scale fishermen turn to apps and AI to tackle climate change

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

MICHAEL TAYLOR FROM weather-predicting apps to using artificial intelligence to monitor the fish they catch, small-scale fishermen and coastal communities are increasingly turning to digital tools to help them be more sustainable and tackle climate change. Overfishing and illegal fishing by commercial vessels inflict significant damage on fisheries and the environment, and take food and jobs from millions of people in coastal communities who rely on fishing, environmental groups say. In addition, climate change affects small-scale fishermen - who account for about 90% of the world's capture fishermen and fish workers - include fish moving to new areas in search of cooler…

Mar

05

2021

By The African Mirror

Left in the dark: Millions hit by internet shutdowns in 2020

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

UMBERTO BACCHI FROM Belarus to Myanmar, 29 countries suspended internet services in 2020, mainly during protests or elections, cutting off millions from vital information as the coronavirus pandemic raged, digital rights group Access Now said on Wednesday. Internet shutdowns prevented people in dozens of countries from working, studying, communicating and accessing life-saving news last year, Access Now said in a report, describing the practice as potentially deadly. "Shutting down the internet during a global health crisis is incredibly unsafe," Access Now campaigner Felicia Anthonio, said in a statement. "But, with no regard for human life, this is what governments did in 2020 —…

Mar

24

2021

By The African Mirror

We need to regulate deep fakes before they break our democracies

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

SAQIB QURESHI The world has already learned the hard way that digital media - and especially social media - can weaken societies and undermine our systems of government. We are repeating the same mistakes with ‘deep fake technology, as it becomes more readily available, cheaper, and better. We must act now to create effective laws and policies against deepfakes before they are used against us - just as social media was in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, where Facebook users' data was mined by now-defunct firm Cambridge Analytica to assist both Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and the Leave campaign in Britain.…

Mar

26

2021

By The African Mirror

Solar technologies can speed up vaccine rollout in Africa. Here’s how

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

THER'S hope that some industrialised countries will achieve near-universal vaccination against COVID-19 in the coming months. Yet the effort to vaccinate even the most essential workers in developing countries has only just begun. By current estimates, achieving herd immunity (to current strains) will require at least 75% of the world’s population to be vaccinated. Some developing countries haven’t reached that level of coverage even for common vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and polio. CYRUS SINAI, PhD student, Department of Geography, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ROB FETTER, Senior Policy Associate, Energy Access Project, Duke University Many low-income countries will…

Jul

18

2020

By The African Mirror

Rwanda extracts methane from Lake Kivu for electricity

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

NATACHA TOFIELD-PASCHE, EPFL- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne Lake Kivu lies on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. It’s almost the size of Mauritius and has a maximum depth of 480 metres. Lake Kivu also stores huge amounts of methane gas which Rwanda is extracting to produce electricity. Natacha Tofield Pasche explains how this process works. How did methane develop in Lake Kivu and why does it have so much? Lake Kivu contains exceptionally large amounts of dissolved carbon dioxide and methane in its deep waters. These…

Jul

15

2020

By The African Mirror

Keeping women in science

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

BARBARA TIEDEU, Associate Professor of Biochemistry, University of Yaounde 1 WOMEN scientists have a vital part to play in scientific leadership and in contributing to Africa’s development and transformation. But they remain substantially underrepresented in higher education and in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This is because women are generally seen and treated by society as being inferior and less capable than men. This then spills over into their educational and professional lives. This is a global issue. Women account for 53% of the world’s bachelor’s and master’s degree graduates and 43% of PhD graduates. But they make up…