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Music has been an integral part of African life for a long time – rock art depictions confirm this – but when it comes to finding what music and sound-producing instruments have been used, there is precious little evidence of artefacts. This is because sound instruments were made from mostly organic materials that have not survived the passage of time. But as the field of music archaeology grows, a picture of a range of these artefacts from the Stone Age is starting to become clear. There were bullroarers and clay whistles and ivory trumpets and flutes and many others, as Joshua Kumbani details in a report on his important new survey of southern African archaeological finds.
Nowhere is the reality show, Big Brother, more talked-about than in Nigeria, where the fifth edition of Big Brother Naija is currently on air, with contestants filmed interacting while isolated in a house. The show polarises viewers, with critics calling it ‘immoral’ and ‘un-African’ and fans tuning in to support its entertainment value and to comment on the latest set of stars created by the show. But a new study takes a different angle. Olusola Ogunnubi and Akinlolu Akinola report on their research, in which they set out to investigate the benefits of the show as a public relations exercise that is able to improve the portrayal of Nigeria’s image abroad and, ultimately, benefit foreign policy goals.
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Charl Blignaut
Arts, Culture and Society Editor
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Shutterstock
Joshua Kumbani, University of the Witwatersrand
There is not much information on artefacts used by Stone Age humans to make sound and music – but the first comprehensive survey is a good start.
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Ebuka Obi-Uchendu is the host of the popular reality TV show, Big Brother Naija.
AfricaMagic/DSTV
Olusola Ogunnubi, University of the Free State; Akinlolu Akinola
Big Brother Naija continues to dominate cultural conversations among African youth. Is this Nigeria's strongest PR move?
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Politics & Society
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Peter Lockwood, University of Cambridge
Diaries of young Kenyans in Nairobi reveal lives of joblessness and endless searching for money, all punctuated by substance use.
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Keren Weitzberg, UCL
Biometric data is being used to target those deemed unwanted aliens.
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Education
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Cary Wu, York University, Canada; Rima Wilkes, University of British Columbia; Sylvia Fuller, University of British Columbia
Journal comments are responses to previously published articles. The gender disparity in the authorship of these comments both reflects and contributes to women's opportunities in scientific research.
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Eric M. Anderman, The Ohio State University; Kui Xie, The Ohio State University
One big complication with K-12 distance learning is how hard it is to get children and teens to log in and do their schoolwork. But there are things teachers and families can do to help.
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Environment + Energy
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Sivajyodee Sannassy Pilly, Bangor University; John Turner, Bangor University; Ronan Roche, Bangor University
Marine wildlife rarely remain in one habitat. Most species rely on a healthy network of ecosystems to raise their young and catch their food.
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Engineer Bainomugisha, Makerere University
Kampala, like many other cities in sub-Saharan Africa, has a critical data gap on the scale and magnitude of air pollution.
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En Français
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Daniel Boy, Sciences Po – USPC
La candidature de Julien Bayou à la région Île-de-France souligne l’ambition EELV et son espoir de réaliser une union solide avec la gauche. Mais de nombreux points restent dans l’ombre.
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Marc Deschamps, Université de Lorraine; Hervé Moulin, University of Glasgow; Sylvain Béal, Université de Franche-Comté
Une régulation et un impôt forfaitaire sur les lancements de satellites permettraient de financer une politique efficace de dépollution de l’espace.
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