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The urbanisation process in most developing countries has been marked by the growth of dense informal settlements in, and alongside, cities. The spread of COVID-19 has shown how hazardous living conditions are in these settlements. But, argue Astrid R.N. Haas and Victoria Delbridge, density per se isn’t the problem, as Singapore has shown through the pandemic. The problem lies in the fact that governments haven’t done any planning, or made
investments. The first crucial step should be the removal of regulations that restrict the supply of large-scale affordable housing.
In other news, NASA has launched its Perseverance rover to Mars. Two members of the mission’s scientific team explain why this is likely the best chance in our lifetimes to find signs of life on the Red Planet.
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African urban dwellers pay 55% more in rentals than their counterparts in other cities in the world.
Astrid R.N. Haas, International Growth Centre; Victoria Delbridge, International Growth Centre
The demon is not density but rather that African countries have not planned and made the investments necessary to manage the downsides of the type of density found in informal settlements.
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In a clean room at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., engineers observed the first driving test for the Mars rover, Perseverance. Perseverance will search for signs of past microbial life, characterize Mars’ climate and geology, and collect samples for a future return to Earth.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Briony Horgan, Purdue University; Melissa Rice, Western Washington University
This summer, NASA's Mars Perseverance rover is taking the next giant leap in our search for signs of life beyond Earth.
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Science + Technology
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Ellen Coombs, UCL
How we worked out when whales first evolved asymmetrical skulls.
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Rachael Holmes, University of Leicester; Alice Fugagnoli, University of Leicester; Jan Zalasiewicz, University of Leicester
They will find minimal traces of the virus itself, but lots of PPE.
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Christian Yates, University of Bath
We wanted to find out which biological phenomena are crucial for pattern formation and which are just incidental. These sorts of questions can be answered with mathematical modelling.
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Geoff Attardo, University of California, Davis
This insect's unique reproductive biology could lead to new ways to control the species in the environment – and prevent the deadly sleeping sickness it spreads to people.
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Health + Medicine
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Gary Sacks, Deakin University; Eric Crosbie, University of Nevada, Reno; Melissa Mialon, Universidade de São Paulo
The food industry's tactics are designed to reduce the likelihood of the government adopting global recommendations to tackle obesity.
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Pui-Ying Iroh Tam, University of Malawi
As antimicrobial resistance increases, the options for treating serious infections dwindle. Doctors need reliable information about which treatments to try out.
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