SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION - The African Mirror

Nov

29

2020

Quality research in Africa matters more than ever — for the whole world

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

WE are at a unique moment in history. Two particular, ongoing events stand out. COVID-19 is one. The other is a long-overdue recognition of inequities among people in the US and worldwide, as exemplified by the Black Lives Matter movement. These issues provide a useful, timely lens through which to consider the role and value of African research. THOMAS KARIUKI, Director of programmes, African Academy of Sciences ELIZABETH MARINCOLA, Senior Advisor, African Academy of Sciences There are many levels on which the future of the world, not just Africa’s, rests on African research. First, Africa represents the youngest and fastest-growing…

Dec

27

2020

By The African Mirror

Google told its scientists to ‘strike a positive tone’ in AI research – documents

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

PARESH DAVE and JEFFREY DASTIN ALPHABET Inc's Google this year moved to tighten control over its scientists' papers by launching a "sensitive topics" review, and in at least three cases requested authors refrain from casting its technology in a negative light, according to internal communications and interviews with researchers involved in the work. Google's new review procedure asks that researchers consult with legal, policy and public relations teams before pursuing topics such as face and sentiment analysis and categorizations of race, gender or political affiliation, according to internal webpages explaining the policy. "Advances in technology and the growing complexity of…

Dec

18

2020

By The African Mirror

Why it’s time for adults to accept that Nigerian teenagers have a digital life

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

ALL over the world, the reach of digital technology is growing at an extraordinary rate, even in developing countries. Young people are growing up in an environment ruled by digital devices, the internet and social media. CHIKEZIE UZUEGBUNAM, Postdoctoral researcher, University of Cape Town Research evidence indicates that using the internet and other technologies such as video games and computers has become a daily routine for many children and adolescents from high-income to low-income countries. The United Nations Children’s Fund reports that children are accessing the internet at increasingly younger ages, and that smartphones are young people’s gadget of choice.…

Sep

30

2021

By The African Mirror

In the search for reliable data, space science takes off in Africa

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

CONRAD ONYANGO, BIRD AFRICA is to more than triple the number of satellites sent into the earth’s orbit over the next few years, as it looks to build robust data for sustainable development. The 2021 edition of the Africa Space Industry Annual Report shows 125 new satellites have been lined up for development in 23 African countries by 2025, as activities in the continent’s space market heat up significantly. “These projects are capitalising on earth observation resources and satellite communications to address various socio-economic problems across the continent,” says the report. Data captured will be used to inform strategic decision…

Dec

13

2020

By The African Mirror

Apple could block apps that don’t comply with new privacy feature

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

SUPANTHA MUKHERJEE and FOO YUN CHEE APPLE threatened to remove apps from its widely-used App Store if they don't comply with an upcoming private feature allowing users to block advertisers from tracking them across different applications. The new feature, dubbed App Tracking Transparency, was initially planned to debut this year, but was delayed to give developers more time to make changes to their apps and address privacy issues. Some tech companies and advertisers, such as Facebook , have criticised the planned change, saying it could hurt smaller developers such as gaming companies disproportionately. But Craig Federighi, senior vice president of…

Dec

12

2020

By The African Mirror

Facebook faces U.S. lawsuits that could force sale of Instagram, WhatsApp

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

DIANE BARTZ, NANDITA BOSE and KATIE PAUL FACEBOOK Inc could be forced to sell its prized assets WhatsApp and Instagram after the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and nearly every U.S. state filed lawsuits against the social media company, saying it used a "buy or bury" strategy to snap up rivals and keep smaller competitors at bay. With the filing of the twin lawsuits on Wednesday, Facebook becomes the second big tech company to face a major legal challenge this year after the U.S. Justice Department sued Alphabet Inc's Google in October, accusing the $1 trillion company of using its market…

Dec

12

2020

By The African Mirror

Charity uses mobile phone data to identify aid recipients in Togo

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

SONIA ELKS A U.S.-based nonprofit that is using algorithms to identify people living in extreme poverty by analysing their mobile phone habits has made direct cash payments to 30,000 people as part of a pioneering project in Togo. GiveDirectly worked with the government of the West African nation and experts at the University of California, Berkeley, for the high-tech approach to find some of the country's poorest people. They use satellite data to identify poor areas, and then harness machine learning to comb mobile phone metadata to identify those living in extreme poverty. Potential recipients are contacted by phone and…

Dec

10

2020

By The African Mirror

Black market meds: how nuclear analysis can fight trafficking of counterfeit medicines

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

THE trafficking of counterfeit and illegal medicines is a growing global challenge, with many criminal organisations involved and huge amounts of cash changing hands. In our recent research, we propose a new method for testing and tracing illegal counterfeit medicines. The solution is nuclear. FRANCESCO SAVERIO ROMOLO, Expert for Forensic Sciences at InternAational Atomic Energy Agency, Università degli Studi di Bergamo MATTEO GALLIDABINO, Senior Lecturer in Forensic Science, Northumbria University, Newcastle Counterfeit medicines are attractive for criminals. They have high profit margins, with relatively low risks in terms of legal consequences. It is also quite easy to deceive consumers into…

Dec

08

2020

By The African Mirror

Coronavirus dreams: how anger, sadness and fear crept in during lockdown – new research

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

THE COVID-19 pandemic has changed nearly every aspect of our lives. Our dreams are no different. Soon after the first lockdowns started, people reported having more dreams than before, with different content. This was explained by the fact that many people were sleeping for longer, and waking without alarm clocks or an immediate schedule. MARK BLAGROVE, Professor of Psychology, Swansea University Other people were experiencing more stress, which can also alter dreaming. Now a new study, published in PLOS, has analysed hundreds of dream reports before and during lockdown to give detailed results of the pandemic’s impact on dreaming. It…

Sep

22

2021

By The African Mirror

High-tech internet solution across the Congo River links Kinshasa, Brazzaville

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

SETH ONYANGO, BIRD ALPHABET’S research and development subsidiary, X (X Development LLC) has begun beaming high-speed internet across the Congo River, expanding network connectivity to nearly 18 million people in Kinshasa and Brazzaville. Alphabet, Google’s parent company, partnered with Liquid Intelligent Technologies (LIT) to bridge a 4.8-km connectivity gap between Brazzaville in the Republic of the Congo and Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is a major breakthrough that solves the challenge of painstaking laying fibre optic cables across the Congo River, the world’s deepest and second-fastest river. Before the novel initiative, dubbed “Project Taara”, connectivity was five…