Tag: Feature
The promise and pitfalls of using AI to diagnose mental illness
Smart algorithms could soon help doctors diagnose neurological diseases like autism and schizophrenia. But will such tests be accurate in Africa? Sarah Wild reports. No single human can monitor the brain’s 86 billion neurons in real time, let alone the electrical impulses they send to each other. Even a team of people working 24 hours […]
Ancient herbal remedy rallies a global science collaboration
Nigella sativa goes by many names: black cumin, black caraway, Roman coriander. But one name in particular caught the interest of Aminu Imam, a neuroscientist at the University of Ilorin in Nigeria. Muhammad, the founder of Islam, is claimed to have dubbed it “Habbatus sauda” and “a cure for all disease except death.” Purveyors of […]
Baobab cookies: A tasty way to fight malnutrition in Africa?
The use of baobab pulp in pastry is an innovation.” The iconic African baobab could soon be used to fight malnutrition on the continent in the form of rice cookies. New research, published this month in Scientific African, has found that pulp from the baobab, also known as Adansonia digitata, when added to rice cookies […]
Fufu for modern times
This new method will encourage customers to patronage fufu outside home especially when prepared by commercial food vendors. If you’re from West Africa, chances are you have strong opinions about how your fufu should look and taste. The much-loved springy porridge made by pounding starchy foods like cassava and plantain together is a regional mainstay, […]
It’s time to foster Africa’s science revolution
A frica is a continent with a growing consumer base, entrepreneurial ambitions and homegrown innovation. With more than 300 technology hubs spread across 93 of the continent’s cities, entrepreneurs are innovating in every sector from education and health to agriculture and energy. Africa is becoming a generator of knowledge, innovation, creativity and technology, rather than […]
Look to Africa to advance artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing society as profoundly as the steam engine and electricity have done. But unlike past technological revolutions, the AI revolution offers a unique chance to improve lives without opening up and exacerbating global inequalities. That will require widening of the locations where AI is done. The vast majority of experts are […]