Sarah Wild

Nov 7, 2024 | nature.com | Sarah Wild

Researchers have voiced concerns after South Africa updated its health-research ethics guidelines to include a new section on heritable (or germline) human genome editing. Scientists say this could put the nation one step closer to accepting the controversial technique — which involves introducing genetic changes to sperm, eggs or embryos, such that the modifications will be passed down through successive generations.

Oct 30, 2024 | raconteur.net | Joy Persaud |Sarah Wild

The question that faces the strategic decision-maker is: ‘What do we have to do today to be ready for an uncertain tomorrow?’”So said Professor Peter Drucker in 1974. Nearly half a century on, the words of this highly influential management guru remain relevant to every business leader navigating the UK’s tough trading environment.

Oct 8, 2024 | nature.com | Sarah Wild

When the job of department chair became available in 2009, Glenn Geher decided to take on the challenge. “Partly, I thought I would be good at it, and partly, I was not super-satisfied with the department the way that it was,” he remembers. “This was my third academic job, and at one of the jobs I’d had an incredibly well-functioning psychology department,” he says.

Sep 27, 2024 | nature.com | Sarah Wild

The world’s largest telescope, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), which is based in Australia and South Africa, is changing its plans and will not be expanding into eight African countries on its original timetable. In August, SKA director-general Philip Diamond said in a briefing at the International Astronomical Union’s general assembly in Cape Town, that the observatory’s plans had “evolved”.

Sep 26, 2024 | nature.com | Sarah Wild

Astronomers have developed a machine-learning algorithm that can detect satellite streaks in images of the night sky with high accuracy. The model makes data easier to interpret and could allow removal of the streaks, which are causing increasing problems in astronomy. The technology won’t solve the issue of Internet-communications satellites ‘photobombing’ observations, but it could help to reduce their impact on some telescope images.