SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION - The African Mirror

Jun

2021

Spotting hoaxes: how young people in Africa use cues to spot misinformation online

INACCURATE information on social media has become a problem in many countries around the world. Researchers know a fair deal about “fake news” in the global North, but much less about what is happening in the global South, particularly in Africa. CHIKEZIE E. UZUEGBUNAM, Postdoctoral research fellow, University of Cape Town DANI MADRID-MORALES, Assistant Professor in Journalism at the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication, University of Houston DR. EMEKA UMEJEI, Lecturer, Communication Studies, University of Ghana ETSE SIKANKU, Senior Lecturer, Ghana Institute of Journalism GREGORY GONDWE, PhD Media Research and Practice, University of Colorado Boulder HERMAN WASSERMAN, Professor of…

May

2021

By The African Mirror

Your phone and your brain – what we know so far

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

A defining characteristic of the way many people live today is persistent online connectedness. Since the introduction of smartphones about 15 years ago, the rapid and broad adoption of these devices has had an impact on people’s behaviour at all hours of the day. Forecasts suggest that the number of smartphone connections in sub-Saharan Africa will reach 678 million by the end of 2025, representing an adoption rate of 65%. DANIEL B. LE ROUX, Senior Lecturer, Stellenbosch University Many people check their phones when they wake up, use them while travelling to work and constantly keep an eye on them…

May

2021

By The African Mirror

How we proved a Rembrandt painting owned by the University of Pretoria was a fake

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

THE paintings of Dutch master Rembrandt van Rijn are displayed in prestigious art galleries in capital cities around the world. GERARD DE KAMPER, Chief Curator Collections, lecturer, PhD candidate, University of Pretoria ISABELLE MCGINN, Lecturer and conservator, University of Pretoria One – a small oil painting on a wood panel depicting the profile of an old man in a hat and cloak – made its way to South Africa in the late 1950s. It was part of an extensive collection belonging to a Dutch businessman, JA van Tilburg, who emigrated to the country. In 1976 the work was donated to…

May

2021

By The African Mirror

We’re a step closer to figuring out why mosquitoes bite some people and not others

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

MOSQUITOES contribute to the transmission of life-threatening diseases that include Zika, dengue, chikungunya, Rift Valley fever and malaria. Of these, malaria carries the most risk accounting for 229 million cases and more than 400,000 deaths in 2019. Africa accounted for 67% (274 000) of all malaria deaths worldwide. MADELIEN WOODING, Chromatographic Officer and Researcher, University of Pretoria YVETTE NAUDÉ, Manager: Chromatography Mass Spectrometry, University of Pretoria Malaria is caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Vector control strategies such as indoor residual spraying and long-lasting insecticidal net programmes have played a…

May

2021

By The African Mirror

Malaria control needs longer lasting repellents. We’re a step closer to finding one

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

MALARIA is one of the leading causes of illness and death around the world. The disease is primarily caused by the bite of mosquitoes carrying a parasite. In 2019, around 229 million malaria cases were reported with an estimated number of 409,000 deaths. Most of the reported cases occurred in sub-Saharan Africa. Children younger than five years and pregnant women are most prone to malaria. ANTÓNIO BENJAMIM MAPOSSA, Postdoctoral fellow in Chemical Engineering, University of Pretoria To prevent malaria, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends spraying insecticides indoors and using bed nets treated with long-lasting insecticide. These interventions have one…