In early 2020, as province after province in Canada declared public health emergencies, and pandemic restrictions came into force, routine grocery runs changed dramatically. Faced with the uncertainty caused by COVID-19, many…
Month: October 2022
The virus attacks mitochondria, continuing an ancient battle that began in the primordial soup
Viruses and bacteria have a very long history. Because viruses can’t reproduce without a host, they’ve been attacking bacteria for millions of years. Some of those bacteria eventually became mitochondria, synergistically adapting…
300-year-old system revised thanks to scientific advances
Nearly 300 years ago the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus secured his place in scientific history when he created what’s known as the binomial system. The year was 1737 and, due to the…
how Kenya’s health services coped in times of crisis
When epidemics break out and public health emergencies are declared, people shy away from seeking care for other conditions. This may seem counter-intuitive at first glance. But it makes sense. Ordinary life…
Exploring pandemic-related grief in long-term care homes
The COVID-19 pandemic created a tremendous amount of collective loss and grieving that requires care and support. This was as true in residential long-term care (LTC) homes, which continue to experience pandemic-related…
Artificial intelligence is used for predictive policing in the US and UK – South Africa should embrace it, too
In the 2002 movie Minority Report (based on a short story by Philip K Dick), director Steven Spielberg imagined a future in which three psychics can “see” murders before they happen. Their…
Policy-makers must change direction fast in the post-pandemic era
After navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadians now find themselves facing still more challenges that impact their daily lives on almost every front. These include an economy under pressure, a…
4 ways companies can strengthen their boards to make it through tough economic times
South Africa’s economy is struggling. A number of factors are behind the decline. These include severe power cuts which are taking their toll on all spheres of the economy, rising inflation, increases…
3-D techniques shed light on what makes a bird’s lungs so efficient
Birds are profoundly important animals. As predators, pollinators, seed dispersers, scavengers and ecosystem bioengineers, the world’s 11,000 species of birds play critical roles in the food chain and therefore the existence of…
Silicon is used in construction, microchips and more – ‘green’ methods could help extract it from sugarcane waste
In some parts of South Africa’s Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, sugarcane fields stretch as far as the eye can see. The crop is more than just a treat for those with a…