Global Development
Google’s $1 billion bet on Africa’s digital future
Just 37% of sub-Saharan Africans use the internet today, but Google predicts the next 10 years will be the region’s “digital decade.”
2.6 billion people don’t use the internet. What’s stopping them?
One-third of the world still isn't online. Here's how the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is working to close the digital divide.
Here’s what it’ll take to power Africa’s clean energy future
The renewable electricity revolution is well underway in Africa, but needs to be shared across borders, this research found.
Desalination system could produce freshwater that is cheaper than tap water
Engineers are aiming to turn seawater into drinking water with a completely passive, solar-powered device that is inspired by the ocean.
Researchers brew a stronger concrete using — coffee?
Researchers and engineers from RMIT University made concrete 30% stronger in the lab by incorporating aggregates made from coffee grounds.
MIT students develop energy “mini-grid” software for remote & mountainous areas
MIT Energy Initiative spinoff Waya Energy helps countries work toward universal, cheap access to electricity.
Will AI kill humanity by 2100? “Superforecasters” and experts disagree on the odds
AI was the most divisive topic in a recent predictions tournament.
We are spectacularly bad at predicting the future
Forecasters say AI will either enslave or liberate us, but the history of prediction suggests we have little way of knowing who will be correct.
The radical drop in maternal mortality was a public health miracle
In 1758 in Sweden, 1205 mothers died for every 100,000 live births, which was likely representative of the global maternal mortality rate.
Starlink: SpaceX’s new internet service could be a gamechanger in Africa
SpaceX’s Starlink service is slowly arriving in Africa, starting with Nigeria and Rwanda. It could be a game-changer.