When a huge container ship ran aground in the Suez Canal recently, the value of this major trade route got plenty of attention around the world. But whose idea was it to create a canal between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, and how did they do it? Lucia Carminati traces the history of the waterway project and its impact on settlements, trade and marine life.

It’s often assumed that animals with large brains – like whales and dolphins – must be intelligent. But research now shows that the brains of these aquatic mammals are special for a different reason: they produce a lot more heat than the brains of other mammals. This allows them to maintain a functional brain temperature despite their cold water habitats. Paul Manger explains that in the context of global warming, this new understanding may guide conservation efforts to secure the future of as many cetacean species as possible.

Moina Spooner

Commissioning Editor: East and Francophone Africa

The procession of ships in the Suez canal for its opening. Illustration from the magazine “The Illustrated London News, volume LV, November 18, 1869. DEA / BIBLIOTECA AMBROSIANA/Getty Images

The toll and toil it took to cleave the Suez Canal through the Egyptian desert

Lucia Carminati, Texas Tech University

Prior to the mid-19th century, the Isthmus of Suez – the 125km strip of land that lies between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea – was a quiet spot.

A humpback whale near the Antarctic ice. Dr Olga Shpak

We discovered that whale and dolphin brains produce lots of heat. Why it matters

Paul Manger, University of the Witwatersrand

The cetacean brain has a specialised thermogenic system that helps the animal's brain to produce enough heat to maintain a functional brain temperature.

Education

The way Nigeria selects vice-chancellors is deeply flawed. But it can be fixed

Ayodeji Olukoju, University of Lagos

Transparent selection processes and merit should be emphasised more in appointing vice-chancellors in Nigerian universities.

How to keep Kenyan children in school longer: it’s not only about money

Caroline Sabina Wekullo, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology

No single factor can entirely account for students’ persistence and it's important to take an integrated approach to keep more children in school.

Business + Economy

Mentorship programmes in Kenya can make graduates more employable. Here’s how one works

Dr. Chao Mbogho, Kenya Methodist University

A lack of consistent mentorship models leads to a skills gap which affects the global competitiveness of Kenya's students and graduates.

How organisational culture affects business performance in Nigeria

Anthony Abiodun Eniola, PhD, Landmark University

SMEs must incorporate Total Quality Management practices in their organisational culture for better performance.

Health + Medicine

Long-term care for the aged in Ghana is on the back burner. Here is how to change it

Cati Coe, Rutgers University

Families in Ghana are struggling to manage the long-term care of ageing relatives.

Kenya’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout has got off to a slow start: the gaps, and how to fix them

Catherine Kyobutungi, African Population and Health Research Center

Kenya grapples with two major challenges in the vaccination rollout: access to sufficient doses in light of the global shortage; and vaccine hesitancy.

Politics

Cuts to UK research funding threaten critical human rights projects across the world

Wangu Kanja, University of Birmingham; Heather D. Flowe, University of Birmingham; Nic Cheeseman, University of Birmingham

Removing funding from research-led projects puts people in highly vulnerable situations.

Lessons from the past: protecting women and girls from violence during COVID-19 

Lindsay Stark, Washington University in St Louis; Luissa Vahedi, Washington University in St Louis

A gender perspective to public health is essential to human rights and safety in crises situations.

Environment + Energy

Climate mapping can point to danger spots where new pest threatens Africa’s cycads

Kanle Satishchandra Nitin, Cape Peninsula University of Technology; Sjirk Geerts, Cape Peninsula University of Technology

Most South African provinces are favourable for the establishment of a new invasive alien pest, which may lead to the extinction of native cycad species.

‘Sacred forests’ in West Africa capture carbon and keep soil healthy

Michele Francis, Stellenbosch University

A stable ecosystem of organic matter is the key to improving agricultural yields in the surrounding farmland and fighting climate change.

 

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