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Tensions continue to rise between Ethiopia and Sudan, as the latter recalls its ambassador.
Also, the United Nations becomes the latest body to call for an independent inquiry over Morocco migrant deaths at the Spanish enclave of Melilla.
Plus, Sierra Leone reacts to the US Supreme court banning abortion.
And much more in this. podcast.
South African police investigate the mysterious deaths of twenty two young people in a bar in the city of East London.
Also, Nigeria's Zamfara state tells residents to take up arms against kidnap gangs and violent attacks, but how will it work?
And after the U.S Supreme Court's decision to overturn its own landmark ruling in 'Roe v Wade', should Africa care?
Plus much more in this podcast.
Researchers have discovered a species of bacteria which dwarfs all others by thousands of times. Normally you need a microscope to see single-celled bacteria, but Thiomargarita magnifica is the length and width of an eyelash. It's been found growing in mangrove swamps in the Caribbean. Roland Pease talks to Jean Marie Volland about what makes this Godzilla of the microbial world extra-special.
Also in the programme, a new study published in the journal Nature has discovered that women scientists are less likely than their male peers to be credited for their contributions to research projects. Roland discusses the findings with the study leader Julia Lane of New York University and nanoscientist Shobhana Narasimhan in Bangalore. We also find out about the oldest evidence for wildfires on the planet which raged across the land 430 million years ago, with palaeobotanist Ian Glasspool. And Edinburgh University vertebrate palaeontologist Steve Brusatte talks about some of the evolutionary wonders in his new book The Rise and Reign of the Mammals.
Death is inevitable, though many of us would rather not dwell on it. For those with a terminal illness, however, the end of life is clearly a more pressing reality.
CrowdScience listener Sam has known for a while that her illness is terminal, and by now she’s got used to the idea. But she finds many friends and family would rather avoid the subject at all costs; they don’t want to acknowledge what’s happening until it’s all over. She’s wondering if there’s a way to lighten up the topic of her approaching death, and create the openness she craves.
If we could learn to be more accepting of illness and dying, the end of life could be a more positive experience for all involved. So how can we face up to the impending death of a loved one, and best support that person in the process? In search of answers, we talk a clinical psychologist about death anxiety, visit a death café, and learn about a scheme in India where whole communities are trained in caring for people at the end of life.
(Image: Thiomargarita magnifica. © The Regents of the University of California, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Andrew Luck-Baker
Commonwealth heads of state and government begin two days of talks in Rwanda. Big issues on the table including trade, climate change, and even food on your table. Bola Mosuro will be telling us more from Kigali.
Also, we will also be hearing from South Africa, where the so-called dirty fuel, King Coal is enjoying a rare bonanza.
That and other stories in this podcast.
Death is inevitable, though many of us would rather not dwell on it. For those with a terminal illness, however, the end of life is clearly a more pressing reality.
CrowdScience listener Sam has known for a while that her illness is terminal, and by now she’s got used to the idea. But she finds many friends and family would rather avoid the subject at all costs; they don’t want to acknowledge what’s happening until it’s all over. She’s wondering if there’s a way to lighten up the topic of her approaching death, and create the openness she craves.
If we could learn to be more accepting of illness and dying, the end of life could be a more positive experience for all involved. So how can we face up to the impending death of a loved one, and best support that person in the process? In search of answers, we talk a clinical psychologist about death anxiety, visit a death café, and learn about a scheme in India where whole communities are trained in caring for people at the end of life.
With Dr Rachel Menzies, Abigail Griffin, Dr Suresh Kumar and Rebecca Nellis. Thanks to Lola, Juan, Leon, Qayyah, Bessy, Madhumita, Ashley, Amaru, Mila and Sheila.
Presented by Caroline Steel Produced by Cathy Edwards for the BBC World Service
[Image: A woman sitting next to her sister who has cancer. She is wearing a headscarf. Credit: Getty Images]
Researchers have discovered a species of bacteria which dwarfs all others by thousands of times. Normally you need a microscope to see single-celled bacteria, but Thiomargarita magnifica is the length and width of an eyelash. It's been found growing in mangrove swamps in the Caribbean. Roland Pease talks to Jean Marie Volland about what makes this Godzilla of the microbial world extra-special.
Also in the programme, a new study published in the journal Nature has discovered that women scientists are less likely than their male peers to be credited for their contributions to research projects. Roland discusses the findings with the study leader Julia Lane of New York University and nanoscientist Shobhana Narasimhan in Bangalore. We also find out about the oldest evidence for wildfires on the planet which raged across the land 430 million years ago, with palaeobotanist Ian Glasspool. And Edinburgh University vertebrate palaeontologist Steve Brusatte talks about some of the evolutionary wonders in his new book The Rise and Reign of the Mammals.
(Image: Thiomargarita magnifica. © The Regents of the University of California, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Andrew Luck-Baker
A much anticipated report on corruption is out in South Africa. The Zondo Report criticises the African National Congress for creating an environment that enabled corruption and wide scale looting under former President Jacob Zuma.
Also, an urgent appeal to the international comunity over the famine in Somalia.
Those stories and more on Africa Today.
The Russian Ministry of Defence says at least forty-two African mercenaries have been killed in Ukraine, but what do we know so far?
Also, why is Burkina Faso's army conducting an eight-hour military exercise in the capital, Ouagadougou? How often does this happen and are residents aware of what's going on?
That and much more in the podcast.
Belgium returns a tooth belonging to the Congolese independence hero, Patrice Lumumba, more than 60 years after his brutal murder.
Also, one of Sierra Leone's most popular musicians has his dreadlocks shaved by the police - the Inspector General defends the action.
And the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) has opened in Kigali. Focus on Africa's Bola Mosuro is there.
Thirty years ago, world leaders met at the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio and appeared to commit to action to tackle two of the world's greatest environmental threats. The Earth Summit launched the UN Climate Change Convention and the Convention on Biological Diversity. Science in Action assesses their success by talking to atmospheric scientist Sir Bob Watson, a former chair of the International Panel of Climate Change, and to Tom Oliver, professor of applied ecology at the University of Reading.
Arctic zoologist Kristin Laidre tells us about the identification of an unique population of polar bears in Southeast Greenland. The bears’ unusual habitat and means of survival may make them more resilient to the loss of sea ice as the Arctic region continues to warm. Finally, archaeo-geneticist Maria Spyrou talks about her team’s detective work which points to an area of Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia as the likely source of the 14th Century Black Death pandemic.
What is a quantum computer? Every year, new computers are being developed that are faster and smarter than ever before. But if you really want to take things to the next level, you have got to go quantum. CrowdScience listener Atikah in Hungary likes the sound of a quantum computer but wants to know what exactly is it, what can it do that a normal computer cannot, and how soon can he get hold of one?
The digital devices in our everyday lives - from laptop computers to smartphones - are all based on 0s and 1s: so-called ‘bits’. But quantum computers are based on ‘qubits’ - the quantum 0s and 1s that are altogether stranger, but also more powerful. CrowdScience presenter Alex Lathbridge picks the brains of quantum scientists to find out how these ‘qubits’ allow computers to perform calculations millions of times faster than normal - and discovers how much of the theory is being used in reality.
While quantum computers do exist, they are not yet big enough or stable enough to be really useful. Alex visits a working quantum computer to understand what they can do right now, and why it’s so incredibly difficult to scale them up. He hears from the engineers racing to overcome the obstacles and unlock the potential of these mega-powerful systems.
But once the engineering problems are solved, what then? What should we do when the first really powerful quantum computer comes online? We explore the exciting range of possible applications - from helping create new drugs, to making electric batteries much more efficient and maybe even helping farmers fertilize their crops for a fraction of the price.
Presenters: Roland Pease and Alex Lathbridge Producers: Andrew Luck-Baker and Cathy Edwards
(Photo: Earth Summit In Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, 2 June, 1992 Credit: Antonio Ribeiro/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images)