Articles written by John Toscano

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About me - John Toscano

The UK was once my home but for the last thirteen years I have moved around from one African country to another, teaching for a living. I now live in Nigeria, before that Togo, before that The Gambia.... and several more.
I teach English and Science and learn

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Sciences > Biology (Other) Is the human race evolving or devolving?: 1 of 35
The question is not so much one of whether humans are still evolving, but we should rather be asking ourselves, "In what direction is human evolution now heading?" What are the selective pressures acting on contemporary human populations, how do they differ from those that drove the evolution of our recent ancestors and in wh... More..
Health & Fitness > Menstruation & Menopause Living with male menopause: 1 of 10
There is a growing trend to put a label on any condition which deviates from medical normality, whatever that might be. Menopause in women is a distinctive process but in men there are no clear physiological markers, rather a steady decline in levels of testosterone of about 1% per year throughout adult life.Falling testoster... More..
Society & Lifestyle > African & Middle Eastern Culture Africa: What lies beyond the news coverage?: 1 of 9
"Trying to determine what is going on in the world by reading newspapers is like trying to tell the time by watching the second hand of a clock", Ben Hecht, US author and dramatist (1893-1964)In the world of the 21st century, we could further expand the message of this famous quotation to include watching CNN, listening to BB... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Politics in Africa Ending poverty in Africa: 3 of 25
Every time I write an article about anything to do with Africa, I feel I have to begin by reminding readers that to talk of Africa as a single entity is very misleading, as this is an exceptionally diverse continent, culturally, ethnically, linguistically and in many other respects. To talk of "African problems" or "African p... More..
Health & Fitness > Pediatrics What every parent should know about scabies: 2 of 15
WHAT IS SCABIES?Scabies is a highly contagious skin infection caused by tiny mites which burrow under the skin and lay eggs. Their presence causes the characteristic itchy scabies rash, which gradually develops over a 4-6 week period following infection. The itching worsens as the skin becomes sensitive to the mite and an all... More..
Society & Lifestyle > African & Middle Eastern Culture Why corruption is at such a high level in Africa: 2 of 9
I find it interesting that various writers feel able to talk freely about corruption in "Africa", as if this were an issue affecting the entire continent in a uniform manner. I doubt if anyone would be prepared to make such generalised statements about widespread practices in, for example, North America. In fact, the nature a... More..
Hobbies & Games > Board Games Chess tips: How to build up your opening repertoire: 2 of 6
I would like to share some views and tips on how to approach chess openings and the task of building a repertoire, as well as some personal experiences. I wonder if there is a comparable subject on which so much has been written and so many books published? More than twenty years ago, when I first started studying chess serio... More..
Sciences > Psychology Aggression in humans: 1 of 3
There is no question that a wide range of factors can trigger acts of aggression in people but how much of this is under our control? In recent years great advances have been made in understanding the biochemical processes that can lead to aggressive behaviour. Much is yet to be discovered but at present it looks as if severa... More..
Sciences > Genetics Will the discovery of a fat gene prevent obesity: 1 of 3
It has long been suspected that there is a genetic predisposition to obesity but finding a gene or genes responsible has proved elusive. When a clear suspect did emerge, it turned out to be a gene that was already well known, but for different reasons. In 1989 it was found that deletions in a section of DNA in mice resulted i... More..
Hobbies & Games > Hobbies & Games (Other) Is gaming addiction a problem?: 24 of 61
The issue under discussion here is whether addiction to video games is harmful but there is also an underlying and perhaps more fundamental question, which is whether such an addiction can actually exist. In my mind, there has never been any doubt that addiction to gaming is a real phenomenon but it seems there are wide diffe... More..