
Construction of World’s Largest Radio Observatory Is Finally Under Way
Two giant telescopes—one in Australia, the other in South Africa—will comprise the supersensitive Square Kilometer Array
Sarah Wild is a freelance science journalist, who splits her time between Johannesburg in South Africa and Canterbury in the United Kingdom. She writes about cosmology, particle physics, and everything in between.
Two giant telescopes—one in Australia, the other in South Africa—will comprise the supersensitive Square Kilometer Array
The $25-million facility in Namibia will be the continent’s first millimeter-range astronomical observatory
The numerous changes in the coronavirus’s spike protein could have arisen in an isolated population or an immunocompromised person—or animals
Undercounting or ignoring cases of the disease on the continent could lead to new variants that might derail efforts to end the pandemic
Sensors will monitor solar emissions that threaten GPS and radio signals
Nations in the continent, which have had to import testing supplies and bid against richer countries, are trying to develop their own tests
Coming out of lockdown, the country is relying on thousands of local case trackers and on software, once used to protect rhinoceroses, for disease surveillance
More than 100 millennia ago, people were roasting tubers—a practice that fueled their bodies and may have aided migrations
CERN-like organization will oversee the construction and operation of the powerful Square Kilometer Array
The ultimate goal is to inform efforts to conserve or repair heritage sites
The country’s pioneering first report on its biological invaders paints a dire picture for resources and biodiversity
Sweeping policy changes aim to refocus research efforts on poverty, unemployment, drought and other national problems
MeerKAT has drawn astronomers, engineers and data scientists from around the world
Academics are optimistic that the end of Robert Mugabe’s authoritarian rule could boost science and international collaboration
Crowding antennas closer together may affect the Square Kilometer Array's ability to observe the early Universe
By converting a defunct communications dish, astronomers are breaking ground on Earth and beyond
Ancient rock art research could piece together how the peoples who lived in the region some 5,700 years ago interacted
The fall armyworm has rapidly spread across the continent and is wreaking destruction on staple crops
For astronomers, convincing communities to host next-generation observatories is an increasingly hard sell
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