Surprising truths about African history, science, and culture — facts you were never taught.
Did you know that the Great Mosque of Djenné in Mali is the largest mud-brick or adobe building in the world and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
Did you know that the Ishango bone, a 20,000-year-old artifact from present-day Democratic Republic of Congo, suggests early mathematical understanding, potentially predating other known mathematical tools?
Did you know that Afrofuturism, a cultural aesthetic and philosophy, explores the intersection of African diaspora culture with science, technology, and speculative fiction?
Did you know that ancient Egyptians crafted and used prosthetic limbs as early as 3000 years ago, predating many previously held assumptions about the history of prosthetics?
Did you know that Philip Emeagwali, a Nigerian-born engineer, developed a formula that allowed computers to perform the world's fastest calculation in 1989, using a connection machine with 65,536 processors?
Did you know that the ancient city of Timbuktu in Mali was once a thriving center of learning, boasting universities and libraries that rivaled those in Europe?
Did you know that Great Zimbabwe, built between the 11th and 15th centuries, showcases remarkable architectural skill and sophisticated urban planning without the use of mortar?
Did you know that the binary number system, the foundation of modern computing, has roots in ancient African divination systems?
Did you know that ancient Egyptians crafted and utilized surprisingly sophisticated prosthetic limbs as early as 3000 years ago?
Did you know that the Mali Empire, under Mansa Musa, controlled vast gold reserves and influenced global economics in the 14th century?
Did you know that MIT's Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), co-founded by Kenyan economist Esther Duflo, uses rigorous scientific research to combat poverty globally, including extensively in Africa?