Bosso Star Forward Clinches Golden BootBuccaneers are back to .500 and in position to control their playoff hopes down the stretchMore than 99% of Americans polluted by light. This pervasive artificial glow obscures stars and the constellations they form. It hides our galaxy, the Milky Way, from four in every five people living in the U.S. It disrupts our circadian rhythms, which dictate our sleep and wake cycles, and has a deleterious effect on plant and animal life. The astronomer Dr. David Koerner thinks it also affects our sense of place — in the universe. “Seeing the galaxy in which you live, and understanding that it’s there, and understanding that your place in the world is not just your place among your work associates, or whatever,” he said. “It’s in this huge cosmos at large.” Koerner, a retired Northern Arizona University professor, recently lived at the Grand Canyon for six weeks as the park’s astronomer-in-residence, a position created to and awareness. Grand Canyon National Park was named an International Dark Sky Park in 2019. To earn and keep the certification, it retrofitted thousands of lights to reduce glare and shine downward, and maintains a certain level of sky quality. It is among , many of them concentrated in the southwest. Some call these places home, or live under uncertified expanses of dark sky. But most only experience the full grandeur of an unpolluted night sky through a screen: a photo on social media, an episode of "Star Trek," the special effects of a science fiction film. But then they visit someplace where the sky is actually visible. During Koerner’s stint at the North Rim, he was out stargazing with tourists when one woman, visiting from the east coast, was visibly astonished as she stared up at the sky. “We can’t see any of this,” she said in wonder, “but it’s all there.” And to Koerner, it offers a view of deep time that is just as profound and moving as that found in the Grand Canyon. “Deep time is three times longer in space than on Earth,” he said, “because the universe is three times as old.” Deep time was first conceptualized in the 18th century by the geologist James Hutton. After observing rock formations along the Scottish coast, Hutton came to believe the Earth was much, much older than the 6,000 years that society imagined. He was particularly interested in unconformities: the meeting of rocks from different geological periods, indicating a break in time. In 1788, the scientist John Playfair accompanied Hutton to one such unconformity, at Siccar Point, on the east coast of Scotland. “The mind seemed to grow giddy,” Playfair wrote afterward, “by looking so far into the abyss of time.” It was deep time that drew Koerner to the Colorado Plateau. Growing up in Long Beach, California, his parents adhered to a creationist view of the universe. But young Koerner caught glimpses of a different story. In particular, he was taken by a scene in the Disney film "Fantasia" that portrayed the scientific origins of the Earth and evolution. These conflicting versions created a puzzling cognitive dissonance. He decided science offered the more alluring version of events, and the Colorado Plateau, with its ancient rock formations and dinosaur fossils, offered a tangible link to the past he was so fascinated with. “It was just a place where you could touch very deep parts of time,” he said. “And sometimes people find that daunting and they would shy away from it. But for some reason it just grounded me.” Koerner earned a Ph.D in astronomy after completing his undergraduate in physics and landed at Arizona State University in 2002. Now retired, his zeal for the area and for the story that captured his imagination all those years ago is undimmed. He still marvels at the Big Bang, the fact the universe began from an expanding, hot, dense state of matter that turned into galaxies and stars and planets and life. “I just think it's a hell of a story,” Koerner said. “I think it's better story than any of the ones that cultures have made. It still blows me away.” Two hours after sunset, the rim was deserted. The crescent moon faintly illuminated the canyon’s highest peaks and spires, but most of the chasm was an inky black. All you could see were the tiny bobbing headlamps of hikers, journeying from rim to rim. Above, deep time awaited. Stars twinkled amid scattered clouds, the Milky Way visible through the gaps. Koerner beamed a laser pointer into the sky. There was the Summer Triangle: Vega, with its disk of dust; the fast-rotating Altair; and Deneb, believed to be more than 2000 light years away. Deneb is huge, Koerner said. As in, its radius is roughly similar to the radius of the Earth’s orbit around the sun. “If you put it where the sun is,” he added, “it would fill the entire sky.” To the north, a bright streak flashed against the sky. “Whoa,” Koerner said. “Did you see that?” The blaze was brief, but so intense it was hard to miss. A shooting star? “Well, it might have been a piece of space junk,” he said. Humanity's steady march into space is having an effect on astronomy. Space junk, Koerner said, is “an annoyance, and it’s getting worse.” Radio pollution is also an issue, produced in particular by satellites. People increasingly talk about the democratization of space, the broad notion of opening up space travel beyond the likes of NASA astronauts. “My thoughts are it's a big mess,” Koerner said. Then he laughed. “It’s so chaotic, and such a mess that I don’t have pronounced principles to stand by, because I feel like it’s all hopeless.” It will be driven by special interests, he predicted, and hallmarked by an inability to cooperate. And while is one thing, mining and colonization of the moon and asteroids is another. “It’s going to be extractive capitalism all over again,” he said. “And how will global governments deal with it?” Back on Earth, most people can’t even see the night sky. There is hope, even for heavily light-polluted areas. National parks and preserves are natural dark sky candidates, but that doesn't mean it's impossible elsewhere. The Fountain Hills neighborhood in sprawling metropolitan Phoenix, for instance, is a certified dark sky place. The rise of astrotourism — people traveling to places specifically for their dark skies — indicates a growing awareness of what we cannot see. “What we all hope is that it will spill over into urban and suburban areas,” Koerner said. “Even though they're developed and populated, they don't need to be as light polluted as they are.” In the end, we're left with the draw of artificial light: It can illuminate — and darken — at will.
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Keynote address by IBRAHIM GAMBARI at the 2024 African Bar Association annual conference in Lusaka, Zambia Before I get into the substance of my presentation, I wish to highlight my pleasure of being back here in Zambia, a place which I consider home. Zambia occupies a special place in my heart, especially for the crucial role the country played in the liberation of Africa and its immense contribution towards Africa’s independence and the respect for the rights and dignity of the African people. My first ever visit to this lovely country was as Foreign Minister of Nigeria, in 1984 in the context of efforts to support the Frontline States. In fact, it is here in Lusaka that I first met with Oliver Tambo, President of ANC, before Mandela took over from where he found a home away from home here, at the time when South Africa was under the grip of the Apartheid regime. So, human rights and promotion of self-determination and political development first brought me here. My second visit also had to do with the promotion of inclusive democracy and human rights between 2016 and 2018 as the Commonwealth Secretary General’s Special Envoy to Zambia where I was asked by the Commonwealth SG to support political dialogue in Zambia. The sacrifices this country and other African Front-line States, including Nigeria, made to end minority rule on the continent, a crucial issue for the respect of human rights and dignity cannot be overemphasized. The choice of Zambia as host of this event is therefore of great significance and it is important to use this opportunity to remember the father of the Zambian nation, H.E. President Kenneth Kaunda-KK, who played a critical role in shaping Africa’s humanist, philosophical and development agenda which we have a collective responsibility to continue building upon. It is an open secret that Africa is trailing other continents in terms of access to the digital world. Yet digital connectivity through ICTs has been identified as crucial for development and prosperity as highlighted in UN Agenda 2030 in SDG 9. Target 9 C: calls on countries to “significantly increase access to information and communication technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the internet in the LDCs by 2030”. Development is a fundamental human right in itself. As the Chief of Staff to the immediate past President of Nigeria, I had the unique opportunity to witness how technology can be both a tool for empowerment and a barrier that exacerbates inequality within and between countries when access is unequal. During my tenure, the administration recognized the immense potential of technology to drive socio-economic development and, importantly, to safeguard fundamental human rights. This recognition led to the creation of the Nigeria Startup Act, signed into law in October 2022, which was designed to foster innovation by providing essential support structures for startups, tax incentives, and access to funding. Yet, despite the advances in the startup ecosystem and the benefits of such policies, we must acknowledge a stark reality: the digital divide continues to deepen, leaving millions of Africans disconnected from the opportunities that the digital economy provides. As of 2022, only 40% of the African population had access to the Internet, leaving over 871 million people with the majority living in rural areas disconnected. The disparity between rural and urban access is stark: 64% of urban dwellers have Internet access compared to just 23% in rural areas. This digital inequality is not merely a technological issue but a human rights issue, as the lack of access to digital tools perpetuates socio-economic inequalities and restricts access to essential services such as education, healthcare, and democratic participation. Afrobarometer has found that while most Africans own mobile phones, fewer than half own a mobile phone with internet access and fewer still with access to a computer. This divide also disproportionately affects marginalized groups, particularly women. Globally, women are underrepresented in online spaces, with South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa showing the largest gender gaps. In Africa, for every three men online, there are only two women. The implications of this divide on human rights are profound. Without access to the Internet, individuals are excluded from information that could improve their quality of life and exercise their rights. The digital divide limits access to healthcare through telemedicine, educational resources through e-learning platforms, and even economic opportunities through digital entrepreneurship. In regions with weak democratic institutions, access to the Internet can also empower citizens to hold their governments accountable, promoting transparency and good governance. However, bridging this divide can unlock tremendous potential for growth and development. According to a 2020 report by the World Bank, closing the digital divide in Africa could increase GDP by as much as 2% per year across the continent. This growth could be driven by enhanced access to global markets, innovation in sectors such as fintech and agritech, and improved service delivery in education and healthcare. In the recently concluded Summit of the Future at the United Nations headquarters in New York, world leaders adopted the Global Digital Compact which commits to enhanced global cooperation and capacity building based on the premise that every country must be able to access the benefits of technology. Furthermore, the Compact includes the very first truly universal agreement on international governance of Artificial Intelligence to give every nation a seat on the AI table. Implementation is now the key objective for measures to bridge the digital gap between Africa and other continents. Technology is revolutionizing legal practice across all areas, from human rights to commercial law. The ability to file briefs electronically and access court documents online has significantly reduced delays in legal proceedings, making the system more efficient. Digital scheduling tools ensure smoother coordination of hearings, helping to avoid conflicts and improve case management. Remote legal consultations and virtual hearings have expanded access to justice, particularly for those in remote or underserved areas. Moreover, AI-powered legal research tools and digital databases streamline the research process, while cloud-based document management systems allow for secure, collaborative access to legal files. Client Relationship Management software helps lawyers manage communications and administrative tasks more effectively. With advanced cybersecurity measures protecting sensitive client data, and Online Dispute Resolution platforms facilitating quicker conflict resolution, legal professionals can now deliver more timely, accessible, and secure services, enhancing the overall administration of justice. As legal professionals, you are pivotal in this effort. By advocating for digital rights, ensuring adherence to international human rights standards, and crafting inclusive legal frameworks, you help pave the way toward a more equitable and connected digital future. The laws you craft, the cases you argue, and the policies you support can help ensure that every African, regardless of gender, geography, or economic status, can participate in the digital economy fully. Indeed, to avoid a digital divide becoming entrenched, Africa needs to initiate proactive measures which will enable the continent take full advantage of the Fourth Industrial Revolution so as to boost economic prospects and respect for fundamental rights for the millions of its most youthful population. The prohibitive costs of accessing ICT services for a significant portion of our African population, especially in the rural areas highlights the sector’s lack of competitiveness and also undermines the development needs of the African population and thus the protection of its fundamental human rights. In closing, addressing the digital divide is not just about technology, it is about human rights. It is about ensuring equitable access to the tools and opportunities that can improve the lives of millions of Africans. Together, through strategic policies, legal advocacy, and collaboration, we can build a brighter, more inclusive future where no one is left behind! Prof. Gambari is the Chairman, Savannah Center for Diplomacy, Development and Democracy, Abuja
