Measles cases are on the rise − here’s how to make sure you’re protected

| Insights & Views

The measles outbreak that started in Texas in late January continues to grow. As of March 18, 2025, confirmed cases in the outbreak, which now spans Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma, reached 321, surpassing the number of...

Humans aren’t the only animals with complex culture − but researchers point to one feature that makes ours unique

| Insights & Views

Of the 8.7 million species on Earth, why are human beings the only one that paints self-portraits, walks on the Moon and worships gods? For decades, many scholars have argued that the difference stems from our ability to...

COVID-19: we’re no better prepared for a pandemic today than we were in 2020

| Insights & Views

On March 11 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. According to official data there have been more than 770 million cases of COVID, which have caused over 7 million deaths in 231 countries ...

The Gaza ceasefire is dead − Israeli domestic politics killed it

| Insights & Views

The ceasefire in Gaza appears to be over. And while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sought to blame Hamas for the resumption of fighting that killed more than 400 Palestinians on March 18, 2025 only the...

Chimpanzee genes have changed over time to suit local conditions – new study

| Insights & Views

Chimpanzees are humans closest living relatives, sharing over 98% of our DNA. They are endangered, with fewer than 250,000 left and an annual decline of between 1.5% and 6%. This is due to habitat destruction, hunting and...

South Africa’s unsafe water supplies: licensing service providers won’t solve the issue

| Insights & Views

In many cities and towns across South Africa, water shortages and supply disruptions have become more frequent. Most recent figures show that 33% of all urban water users and 65% of rural users face regular water cut-offs....

Cameroon’s Baka people say they are part of the forest: that’s why they look after it

| Insights & Views

The Congo Basins hunter-gatherer people have the secret to living well with the forest. While doing fieldwork in 2020, I remember walking with Indigenous elders Ferdinand Mbita and Félix Mangombe up the small,...