Nature: The Nigerian goverment is condemplating a $5 billion endowment fund for science and technology based on surplus oil revenue. President Olusegun Obasanjo gave his backing to the proposal three months ago, and a final decision wil be made before Obasanjo leaves office next spring. In an surprising move, grants will be awarded through peer review. South Africa is currently the only African country to award the majority of grants through peer review. The return on the endowment could provide Nigerian science will $500 million per year. Outside observers are worried however, of the effect of the notorious amount of corruption in the country will have on the scheme says Nature’s Jim Giles.
The finding that the Saturnian moon may host layers of icy slush instead of a global ocean could change how planetary scientists think about other icy moons as well.
Modeling the shapes of tree branches, neurons, and blood vessels is a thorny problem, but researchers have just discovered that much of the math has already been done.
January 29, 2026 12:52 PM
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