This article provides regularly updated information on the COVID-19 outbreak, with links to useful resources. The recent coronavirus outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Now known as SARS-CoV-2, the virus has infected tens of thousands of people…
By Annalee Newitz Luis Alvarez/Getty Images AS THE coronavirus pandemic shuts down public life on the streets, a new kind of life is opening up online. Many people who are lucky enough to still have their jobs are working from home, often experimenting with…
By Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac Josie Ford WE HAVE known for some time that 2020 was going to be a milestone year for the climate change crisis, requiring a radical reversal of the current trajectory in global greenhouse gas emissions. But wh…
By Graham Lawton Shomos Uddin/Getty Images LAST week, during what already feels like the halcyon days of Before Lockdown, a wonderful package came through my letterbox. It contained the Great Trees of London Map, which lists the UK capital’s 50 most interes…
A recent review of modeling studies and data from previous coronavirus outbreaks suggests that the educational, social, and economic costs of closing schools might outweigh the benefits. However, hard evidence is lacking. By April 13, 2020, a total of 192 co…
Kataza the baboon. Facebook / Baboon Matters The City of Cape Town has asked the public not to feed a baboon that has relocated to Tokai. The baboon, known as Kataza or SK11, is slowly being integrated into the Tokai troop. Video footage, however, shows humans feeding Kataza. The City of Cape Town has requested that Kataza…
As SA Rugby moves to determine which franchises will go to Europe in future, Rassie Erasmus has noted several potential benefits for the local game should that route be followed.The national director of rugby believes the high world rankings of Wales, Ireland and Scotland mean PRO Rugby is competitive and that fans will eventually identify…
(John Finney Photography/Moment/Getty Images) An abnormally bad season of weather may have had a significant impact on the death toll from both World War I and the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, according to new research, with many more lives being lost due to torrential rain and plummeting temperatures. Through a detailed analysis of an ice…