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Tech NewsWhat Africa Looks Like Without Trophy Hunting
“Before, when there was hunting, we wanted to protect those animals because we knew we earned something out of them.” That’s the story a man from a small village in Botswana told the New York Times; his country banned trophy hunting two years ago. How have the animals managed since? “Now we don’t benefit at … Continued
By Wes Siler -
Tech News
A Short, Easy-To-Understand Explanation Of Pro-Lion Hunting Arguments
In all the emotion surrounding #CecilTheLion, it’s difficult to have a rational discussion on the topic. In response to reader requests, here’s a succinct explanation of the topic. We get a lot of comments on IndefinitelyWild and, believe it or not, I try to respond to all of them. The way I see it is, … Continued
By Wes Siler -
io9
WHO Declares Africa Free Of ‘Wild’ Cases Of Polio
Chalk up a major win for global health: according to the World Health Organization, Africa has been free of wild cases of Polio since July. This comes down to a dedicated vaccination campaign that has advanced the continent towards zero cases. This news doesn’t mean that the continent is completely free if the disease. Africa … Continued
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Tech News
Lion Murderer Walt Palmer Has Done More For Conservation Than You Have
Lion murderer Walt Palmer is an asshole. But, he’s also an asshole who’s contributed more money to animal conservation in Africa than pretty much anyone else. In fact, trophy hunters like him are a large part of the reason we still have animals like lions at all. Hunting is one of those things that, if … Continued
By Wes Siler -
Tech NewsIn Africa, Cats Are Riding Rhinos
This is the first video ever capture of a cat riding a rhino. And man, it does not look like an easy ride. It’s basically a real life Timon and Pumbaa. The “cat” in question is actually a genet, a relative of the mongoose that has a long snout, large ears, a cat-like body and … Continued
By Wes Siler -
ScienceSpace & Spaceflight
The Nile From Space Is a Long, Meandering Line of Light and Life
As views go, astronauts aboard the International Space Station get a pretty good deal. Like this sensational sight of the Nile at night—a glowing line of light and life cutting through the expanse of Africa. The picture shows the Nile flowing from central Africa down the image towards the Mediterranean. You can see vibrancy and … Continued
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Tech NewsWhy Does This Rhino Have a Camera in Its Horn?
This rhino is loaded with technology: it has a camera embedded in its horn, a GPS transmitter around its neck and a heartrate monitor tracking its pulse. But it’s not just some weird wearables experiment—it’s an attempt to stop poaching. The new slew of rhino technology is known as RAPID—Real-time Anti-Poaching Intelligence Device—and it was … Continued
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ScienceBiology
Data-Collecting Planes Are Counting Africa’s Elephants to Curb Poaching
Animals like tigers, lions, and elephants are majestic creatures we learn about when we’re kids. But unfortunately, many of those species share another trait—they live on the edge of extinction. One hundred African elephants are killed per day for ivory, but one mapping project is tracking these creatures in hopes of saving them. There hasn’t … Continued
By Bryan Lufkin -
Tech News
African Scientific Academies Say Science Doesn’t Support Anti-Gay Laws
Last week, the Academy of Science of South Africa released a comprehensive review of the research on sexual orientation, hammering home that the grand diversity of human sexuality isn’t something people really choose – it’s all biology. The study, completed in conjunction with the Uganda National Academy of Sciences, examined over 150 recent research papers … Continued
By Diane Kelly -
Tech NewsA Clever Lamp That Requires No Batteries, Outlets, or Sun
About a billion people live without electricity, and they often turn to kerosene lamps: ultra dangerous, carcinogen-spouting, open flames that could turn homes into tinderboxes. So a new Indiegogo campaign’s out to provide safe, reusable lights that need zero outside energy sources. It’s called GravityLight, and it’s kind of like those hand crank-powered camp lanterns … Continued
By Bryan Lufkin -
ScienceHealth
Ebola Virus in Sierra Leone Mutated at a Normal Rate
Since the Ebola outbreak occurred in West Africa in 2014, researchers have feared that the virus had been able to evolve at a more rapid rate than usual. Now, an analysis of the virus reveals that it mutated at a perfectly normal rate in Sierra Leone, alleviating those fears. A team of Chinese researchers, that … Continued
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io9A Map Of Colonial Africa Just Before The Outbreak Of World War I
By the turn of the 20th Century, Africa had been invaded, occupied, and colonized by several European nations. This wonderful map by redditor whiplashoo21 shows how the Scramble for Africa divided the Dark Continent. Image credit: whiplashoo21. European powers were slow to realize the benefits of grabbing African territories, but once the mad rush to … Continued
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Tech NewsSploid
X-ray photos reveal child being smuggled was hidden inside a suitcase
This is crazy. An eight-year-old boy from the Ivory Coast was being smuggled into Spain while being hidden inside a suitcase. Apparently, the boy’s father had paid a 19-year-old girl to carry the boy in the luggage from Morocco to neighboring Ceuta, a Spanish city in Africa. This was a bad plan that could have … Continued
By Casey Chan -
ScienceHealth
Gates Foundation Is Opening Six New Centers to Help End Child Mortality
The Gates Foundation has announced that it’s investing $75 million into six new research centers across Africa and south Asia, that will act as a disease surveillance network to help end child mortality in the developing world. Spurred by the recent Ebola epidemic in west Africa, the Gates Foundation is creating these centers in order … Continued
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Tech News
Facebook and Google Are Locking In African Customers With Freebie Deals
Facebook and Google have grand plans to bring the internet to developing nations, paying Lisa Rinna-sized lip service to altruistic visions of global connectivity. But let’s always remember that these US tech giants are also gunning for new customers and the lucrative data that comes with them. Both companies are rolling out programs in some … Continued
By Kate Knibbs -
io9
Bloomberg News asked foreign policy analysts, military experts and economists to identify the possible worst-case scenarios in 2015. Potential future crises include armed conflict in the South China Sea, the collapse of Nigeria and political upheaval in Saudi Arabia prompted by the death of 90-year-old King Abdullah.
By Mark Strauss -
io9
A Stunning Alt-History Map Showing A Completely Uncolonized Africa
Amap created by Swedish artist Nikolaj Cyon shows what Africa would have looked like had it not been colonized by Europeans. Shown upside down to skew the Eurocentric bias, it was compiled using historical, linguistic, and ethnographic data. Cyon even created an alternative historical timeline to make it work. Check out BigThink’s fantastic feature about … Continued
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ScienceBiologyGoogle Hiked Through Tanzania To Show You Where The Chimps Live
Earlier this month, we brought you panoramic views of the Liwa Desert near Abu Dhabi, thanks to a Google Street View camera mounted on the back of a camel. Today we’re taking you deep into the forests of Tanzania, where Google has brought you images of Gombe National Park, home of Jane Goodall’s chimpanzees. The … Continued
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io9
How Nigeria Stopped Ebola “Dead In Its Tracks”
Finally, some good news to report on the Ebola front: Nigeria and Senegal are now completely free of the disease. Here’s how they contained the outbreak — and why the world needs to take notice. Top image: A Nigerian health official uses a thermometer on a worker to check for fever at the arrivals hall … Continued