Iraqi Laboratory Engineers Better Crops for Farmers
A researcher at the University of Duhok is experimenting with growing plants in controlled conditions to provide plants to farmers that might resist disease and bear fruit sooner.
In Jordan, Antiquities Sites Enlist Nearby Communities as Partners
A project that links archaeology to economic development and education is a model for preserving the kingdom’s wealth of ancient sites.
The Cradle of Humankind Could Be in North, Not East Africa
New discoveries of fossils in North Africa and evidence of prehistoric butchery make experts rethink the story of human evolution.
Geologists Search for Clues to Dinosaurs’ Extinction
In Iraq, researchers hope to find rock layers that yield an understanding of how and why life came back after dinosaurs died out.
Of Scholars and Spies
Recent headlines involving researchers accused of spying in the Middle East highlight the risk of asking questions in a police state.
An Online Arabic Dictionary Makes Its Debut
A tool created at Birzeit University will take machine translation of Arabic to a higher level.
Spy Conviction May Chill U.A.E. Research
Matthew Hedges, a U.K. doctoral student convicted in the United Arab Emirates of spying for Britain, has been pardoned and released. But his experience has provoked anxiety about the safety of foreign researchers in the UAE.
Iraqi City Displays Grassroots Urban Planning
New informal settlements built in Duhok are improving their designs, partly out of fear of government reprisals.
Solar Industry Could Create Opportunities for Arab Women
As some Arab countries try to wean themselves from oil and expand alternative energy development, Arab women could benefit. But they need support from corporations and universities.
Books in Bags Lead to Back Pain
New research measured the forces on students’ spines created by heavy backpacks, and how poor posture amplifies those forces.
