FEATURES

Thursday, 26 December 2019 05:26

My patient almost died from a mistake I made. I apologized and it changed my life

Perfectionism is encouraged in the medical profession, and understandably so. If a doctor prescribes the wrong medication or skips a crucial step in surgery, the effect can be catastrophic. The stakes are so high that being human can seem like nothing but a liability. We physicians don’t want to admit to our patients — or ourselves — that no matter how hard we try, there are no guarantees. Mistakes will inevitably happen. One cold, gray morning, when I was a fellow in gynecologic oncology, I walked into the hospital not yet knowing that I was about to come face-to-face with…

Tuesday, 24 December 2019 06:02

Trump's impeachment shows the jarring effects of politics on the brain. Here's how

President Donald Trump's impeachment is historic. If you already have a political identity, it's unlikely to change your views. That's because of how the human brain works. We filter the world through our identities. President Donald Trump's impeachment is historic. It's only the third time in US history that it's happened. And if you already identify as a Republican or Democrat (or progressive or conservative or communist or libertarian or liberal or alt-right or dirtbag left), it's not going to nudge your opinion of him 1 inch. That's because people don't make decisions about things because of some flat evaluation…

Sunday, 22 December 2019 06:12

Reinhard Bonnke: The man who changed the face of Christianity in Africa

German-born evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, who attracted massive crowds in Africa during decades of preaching, is being mourned by millions of Christians across the continent following his death aged 79. Kenyan writer Jesse Masai looks back at his influence. With comparisons ranging from British "Prince of Preachers" Charles Spurgeon to American televangelist Billy Graham, Bonnke's status as the father of modern-day crusade preaching and healing in Africa is not in dispute. Across the continent, huge week-long church rallies are now commonplace, characterised by mass mobilisation, big tents, colourful podiums, sophisticated public address systems, local language translators and, in some instances, evangelists…

Sunday, 22 December 2019 06:11

How talk of witches stirs emotions in Nigeria

In our series of letters from African writers, Nigerian journalist and novelist Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani reports on the emotions that the topic of witchcraft stirs. All hell broke loose when the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, announced last month that it would hold a conference on "witchcraft'' at its campus in the south-east. Some staff and students staged protests calling for the two-day event to be cancelled. Posters appeared around the university campus and online, with angry messages such as: "Witches and Wizards, No Vacancy" and "Don't Pollute Our Environment". The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), an influential group which represents…

Saturday, 21 December 2019 05:02

Fat people add substantially to greenhouse gas emissions: This is how

Obese people generate an extra 700 million tons of carbon dioxide per year than those with 'normal weight', according to a new study. Research from The Obesity Society has revealed that obese people account for about 1.6 per cent of all man-made greenhouse gas emissions. This is due to a combination of higher metabolic rates and the environmental impact of both producing the food and the increased fuel required to transport obese people, according to the researchers. The society used greenhouse gas emission data, demographic data, and obesity prevalence statistics to estimate that obesity is responsible for 20 per cent…

Saturday, 21 December 2019 05:01

Why is everyone obsessed with dating someone tall?

Sable Yong Maybe I’m new here, but I’ve been bopping around under the assumption that personal dating preferences range farther and wider than what most anyone can imagine. But if dating apps have taught me—a heterosexual adult woman in this age of 21st-century courtship—anything at all, it’s that a dude’s height is paramount to most other pleasing physical features he could possibly possess (like a Very Nice Face™, my personal preference). “Tall, dark, and handsome,” “tall drink of water”—old-timey phrasing loves to position tall men as the quintessential romantic ideal, but of all the kinks and quirks we’ve adopted into…

Saturday, 21 December 2019 05:00

The perfect nap length (and why you need a nap daily)

Let's face it: napping is awesome! Anyone who tells you otherwise is simply not someone you need in your life. Napping, however, you most definitely do need in your life. You love it, we love it, and there are many scientific reasons why your body needs it, too! But not all naps are equal. Are you the long napper? Do you take little catnaps? Do you wake up feeling more tired than when you fell asleep? Are your naps planned or are you the spontaneous snoozer? Here's your guide to why you need to nap and the best scenario for…

Friday, 20 December 2019 05:26

How to be hopeful: This is why optimism is a gift – even if all your plans fall through

Nina Stibbe The novelist and diarist refused to hope, until she saw how much her sister gained from it, regardless of the outcome I used to think mild pessimism a reasonable byproduct of a riches-to-rags childhood and that never allowing myself to feel hopeful was entirely rational. I’d trained myself to expect the worst and not even to think about the best. It started out as self-preservation, but morphed into something to do with manners – being modest and deserving. Finally, it became a sort of superstition – like not stepping on the cracks in the pavement, or shoplifting when…

Thursday, 19 December 2019 04:52

It’ll take 257 years for women to have all of the same economic opportunities as men, new study says

Women around the world won't live to see a system that offers them all of the same work opportunities as their male counterparts, according to a new study. The World Economic Forum estimated it would take 257 years for the economic gender gap to close. The US came in 53rd place for gender equality. Women around the world won't live to see a system that offers them all of the same work opportunities as their male counterparts, according to a new study. In its annual equality study released Tuesday, the World Economic Forum estimated it would take 257 years for…

Sunday, 15 December 2019 06:06

Why having close friends is literally good for your heart

With so much of an emphasis placed on romantic relationships and/or being a parent, sometimes we forget about how important friendships actually are. For many people, friends are family — our chosen family, that is — and our primary support network. Now, thanks to new research from the Women’s Health Initiative, we know that for women in particular, having friends is good for our heart — literally. Specifically, the study, which was published in the journal Menopause, found that for postmenopausal women, strong friendships and social support may reduce their risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Over the course of…

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Monday, 09 December 2019 05:53

A Nigerian’s culture shock with tech in China

You shouldn’t be able to text anyone in China on WhatsApp, ever. That’s because the government blocks social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram. And anything connected to Google is also off-limits: think Gmail, Google maps, the whole works. So, how am I texting *Tunde, a Nigerian pursuing his Masters degree in China on WhatsApp this hot afternoon? It’s the magic of Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN extends a private network across a public network and allows users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were connected to…

Sunday, 08 December 2019 05:28

How Daura serves as de facto seat of power under Buhari

Daura, the country home of President Muhammadu Buhari in Katsina State, is gradually becoming an alternative seat of power under the current administration. Aside from the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the country’s seat of power, and London, Mr Buhari has spent more days and performed critical state functions in Daura since he took over the mantle of leadership in 2015. Like what was obtainable during the administration of Buhari’s predecessors – Olusegun Obasanjo (1999 to 2007), the late Umaru Musa Yar’adua (2007 to 2010) and Goodluck Jonathan (2010 to 2015), the Presidential Villa becomes virtually relocated to the ancient city…

Sunday, 08 December 2019 05:26

I’m a surgeon. Here’s what happened when I held my patient’s hand and prayed for her

Several years ago, my business hit rock bottom. As a young, traditionally trained surgeon, I was taught the old surgery adage: “To cut is to cure.” Following this mantra early in my practice led me into a deep, dark hole. I had operated on many patients, but several of them were unhappy, and some had suffered complications. In the small town where I practiced, the word began to spread that perhaps I wasn’t a plastic surgeon worth seeing. Because of this, my finances were in shambles, my confidence was in the gutter, and one patient even threatened to destroy me…

Sunday, 08 December 2019 05:25

My wife’s enemies are now my enemies, too

Josh Gondelman No one tells you about the other in-laws you acquire when you get married. Until about five years ago, I got along with basically everyone. Sometimes, I knew, people didn’t care for me, but my impeccable get-along instincts and crushing fear of confrontation prevented things from coming to a head very often. And if I didn’t like someone, I’d try to never let them know, because even if the sight of them made my stomach curdle, I still wanted them to like me. I’d attempt to wear them down with relentless kindness until one of us moved to…

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