Nigerians are set to head to the polls on Saturday to elect a president, national assembly and state officials. Some have questioned the credibility of the country’s electoral system and the viability of its governance structures. Ini Dele-Adedeji takes a look back at the country’s history of coups and electoral fraud and explores whether this election could go the same way.
Brutal traffic, high crime and … scorpions? People in São Paulo, Brazil, are used to coping with the daily battles of urban life, but a recent invasion of yellow scorpions is a next level challenge. Hamilton Coimbra Carvalho explains why these venomous bugs are moving into Brazilian cities – and why it might be impossible to get rid of them.
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President Muhammadu Buhari attends a campaign rally ahead of the 16 February elections.
EPA-EFE/Stringer
Ini Dele-Adedeji, SOAS, University of London
There are question marks over whether Nigeria's upcoming elections will be credible.
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Scorpions used to be a rural problem in Brazil. Now, residents of São Paulo and other urban areas are dealing with an infestation of these poisonous insects.
AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini
Hamilton Coimbra Carvalho, Universidade de Sao Paulo
Brazil's scorpion infestation, which is terrorizing residents of São Paulo and other major cities, is a classic 'wicked problem.' That means officials must think outside-the-box to fix it.
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Energy + Environment
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Martin Potgieter, University of Limpopo; Bronwyn Egan, University of Limpopo
Because insects are an affordable and local food source rich in protein, they can be used as a meat replacement.
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Anthony Dosseto, University of Wollongong
A new report predicts that one-third of the ice in the Himalayas will melt, even if we contain global warming to 1.5C. So what does that mean for the flood-prone valleys below?
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Science + Technology
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Neil McArthur, University of Manitoba; Markie Twist, University of Wisconsin Colleges and the University of Wisconsin-Extension
Developments in technologies like robotics and virtual reality are opening new possibilities for sexual experiences.
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Estelle Trengove, University of the Witwatersrand
Why is thunder so loud? It's because the amount of electrical energy that flows from the cloud to the ground is so enormous.
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Business + Economy
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Prince C. Oguguo, Grenoble École de Management (GEM)
Despite reasonable fears, Nigeria – home to Africa’s largest economy – has a lot to gain from signing on the proposed continent-wide free trade agreement.
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Anja Shortland, King's College London
For the few cases that go awry, the main problems are pre-existing medical conditions and escape attempts.
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