Science

Understanding North African Skin Tones: Complex Factors Shaping Genetic Diversity and Historical Implications

Current North African skin tones are the result of various factors: geography, sexual selection, melanin production, multiple genes, polygenic inheritance, adaptation, human migrations, genetic continuity, shared ancestry, and genetic overlap. Today, I will explain all these factors. Surprisingly, skin tones don’t depend solely on Y-dna, Mt-dna and autosomal dna genes. Also, the changes in North …

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how to teach children history

How to teach children history

Philosopher George Santayana (1863-1952) once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it..”

Scientists - Isaac Newton - thinkafrica.net

Scientists who benefitted from the slave trade and uncredited contributions of slaves

In the 1700’s, science in the western world exploded at a frantic space. There were huge advancements in science, and many new technologies were discovered. However, in work published by Sam Kean in Science magazine, we find out that a lot of these advancements were achieved in part due to slaves. We discover that scientists …

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Iron technology started in Africa

In popular culture there is a common perception that Africa has always been on the periphery of world advancements, that Africa did not contribute anything. The stereotype is that in the past Africa offered the world slaves – through the Atlantic slave trade – while today it offers the world child labour, horrifying news headline, …

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African Humid Period

Between 6,000 to 9,000 years ago, North Africa went through a humid phase in their climate. This was known as the African Humid period. A German explorer Heinrich Barth discovered paintings from that time depicting a very different African landscape, filled with elephants, antelopes, giraffe, and other wildlife, being pursued by hunters. The incongruence of …

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Africa’s inventions: Medicine

Medicine, medical writing, medical schools, surgery, pharmacy and medical algorithms were first developed in Ancient Egypt Africa.

Africa’s inventions: glass-making

We all know glass, that amorphous inorganic solid substance that is usually translucent or transparent. Although glass can occur naturally, as in the case of obsidian, it is still one of the oldest and most important man-made materials in the world. There are hundreds, probably thousands, of types of glass, with their different colours and …

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Tools of African History: 10 Methods

TOOLS OF AFRICAN HISTORY: 10 METHODS In the investigation and study of the history and life of earlier Africans and indeed humans generally, certain tools or techniques are employed without which most findings would be useless since nothing can be deduced from them. With the help of these techniques or tools, information can be obtained …

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Myths about African HISTORY

There are a few myths about African history and a few reasons why some European writers – not all – felt the need to malign brown-skinned people and claim Africans came from a continent without history. It probably gave them moral peace of mind to believe that they were not committing physical, mental and moral …

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Africa’s inventions: algorithms

“During the 19th century, many European writers, limited by ethnocentrism and racism, decided that black Africa could have had nothing to do with Europe’s rise to greatness,” wrote Gloria Dickson, A professor of African-American studies at The College of New Jersey.

The Borana Calendar and How it works (Existing from 300 BC until Today)

Many non-Africans sometimes wonder, “Did Africa invent anything?” The unambiguous answer is yes: a lot of things. One of these inventions was a calendar system by Borana people of Ethiopia at a date as old as when Greece invented the Athenian calendar (an ancient calendar also known as the Attic Calendar). Unlike the Athenian calendar, …

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