Time Machine in My Pocket

SCIENCE FOR SOUTH AFRICA

VOLUME 13 | NUMBER 1 | 2017 ISSN 1729-830X

AFRICAN Astronomy SKIES and sustainable development CONTAINING EXPLOSIONS TIME MACHINE IN MY POCKET

ACADEMY OF SCIENCE OF SOUTH AFRICA VOLUME 13 | NUMBER 1 | 2017 TAKING RADAR TECHNOLOGY COVER STORIES FEATURES TIME MACHINE 12 Tour de Science Quest goes on a science tour 22 6 IN MY POCKET Hannah Worters shares TO NEW 14 Science in tomorrow’s the excitement of installing classroom a new telescope Carlo Laj, Friedrich Barnikel, Wendy Taylor and Daksha Naran HEIGHTS DEGRADING outline 15 years of geosciences workshops for teachers 10 PROTEINS – “If you fail, try again and again, CELL MAINTENANCE 31 Reduce, reuse, recycle but never give up.” TAARIQA MAHARAJ Ben Loos looks at the Science Spaza worksheet amazing process of As a young software engineer, Taariqa has never seen the autophagy 39 Water for life sky as the limit, especially when it comes to radar. Radar Science Spaza worksheet is used for various applications, such as detecting and AFRICAN SKIES tracking aircraft, which is exactly what Taariqa specialises in. She works with software code that changes almost 18 Sivuyile Manxoyi daily – and it’s her job not only to keep up, but stay ahead. reflects on the indigenous NEWS As she puts it, “In this field, your knowledge base is never astronomy of southern saturated. There is always something new to learn and African peoples 26 A lure at both ends – puff experience.” adders leave nothing to chance CONTAINING EXPLOSIONS 28 Deep secrets revealed: BRIGHT YOUNG SCIENTISTS BEHIND 22 research expedition sheds light Genevieve Langdon shows IDEAS THAT WORK. on deep-sea ecosystems how materials science is www.csirideasthatwork.co.za used to contain explosions 30 Cellphone-based maths competition subtracts Mxit, adds Android

32 Wits researchers find techniques to improve carbon superlattices for quantum electronic device applications 6 34 Who made the art? Researchers find way to identify the sex of the artists who created ancient rock art

37 Free online course – Extinctions: Past and Present 32

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Quest Magazine.indd 1 2017/02/08 9:58 AM Editor EDITOR'S NOTE Dr Bridget Farham

Editorial Board Roseanne Diab (EO: ASSAf) (Chair) John Butler-Adam (South African Journal of Science) Debra Meyer (University of Johannesburg) Neil Eddy (Wynberg Boys High School) Kevin Govender (SAAO) Himla Soodyall (University of Witwatersrand) Penny Vinjevold (Western Cape Education Department)

Correspondence and enquiries The Editor PO Box 663, Noordhoek 7979 Tel.: (021) 789 2331 Fax: 0866 718022 e-mail: [email protected] e-copies: http://research.assaf.org.za/ @QuestSa1 - Twitter Quest: Science For South Africa - Facebook

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Subscription enquiries and back issues Tsepo Majake Tel.: (012) 349 6645 e-mail: [email protected] Copyright © 2013 Academy of Science of South 1 • Pure Mathematics Africa 2 • Physical Science 3 • English subjects important 4 • Computer literacy *computer literacy is an advantage Published by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) EYE IN THE SKY... PO Box 72135, Lynnwood Ridge 0040, South Africa

Permissions The theme of this year’s Scifest Africa Stellenbosch University is a world leader Fax: 0866 718022 e-mail: [email protected] – the 21st anniversary of the event – is in research into this essential process ‘Tour de Science’ – referring to the United in cell biology – doing research into Subscription rates (4 issues and postage) Nations declared International Year for neurodegenerative diseases such as (For other countries, see subscription form) Sustainable Tourism for Development. Alzheimer’s and also into brain tumours Individuals/Institutions – R130.00 Students/schoolgoers – R65.00 The theme encourages contributors to and how to prevent and treat these. ‘embark on a journey that explores the Science is a constant tour – it never Design and layout SUN MeDIA Bloemfontein milestones, accomplishments, mysteries, stops. There is no limit to knowledge. discoveries and the historic and exciting We will never ‘find out everything’. New Printing Garnett Design Studio wonders of their field of science’. discoveries occur almost daily – about our Different fields of engineering include This issue of Quest, which is Universe and its planets and stars, about traditionally distributed at Scifest the laws of physics – once thought to be Africa, reflects this ‘tour de science’ in immutable – to the science of evolution – the broad range of topics covered. We fundamental to all life sciences. This is the Aeronautical/Aerospace Engineering • Build more spacious and faster aeroplanes for companies like the Agricultural Engineering Chemical/Process Engineering wander through the joys, concerns and beauty of science and the study of science Airbus or Boeing • Design agricultural machinery and equipment • Create chemicals that purify sea water into drinkable water • Design and build helicopters and fighter planes used by the South • Design structures for crop storage and animal shelters • Make plastics, explosives, fertilisers and detergents eventual excitement of installing a new – you will never stop learning. African Air Force telescope in Sutherland. We take a look at how materials scientists use controlled explosions to keep us safer in a world Civil Engineering Industrial Engineering • Build bridges over rivers to facilitate the transportation of goods Electrical Engineering • Design ergonomic office space where terrorism is a sad reality. and people from one town to another • Develop electrical and hybrid cars • Prevent stress and injury in workers by designing effective and safe • Cut down on airport delays by designing better runway systems • Design and build electric transformers used in substations work spaces All material is strictly copyright and all rights are Autophagy is the word used to describe reserved. Reproduction without permission is forbidden. Every care is taken in compiling the the major protein degradation pathway contents of this publication, but we assume that operates in all eukaryotic cells – vital Bridget Farham no responsibility for effects arising therefrom. Editor QUEST: Mechanical Engineering Metallurgical Engineering Mining Engineering The views expressed in this magazine are not for cellular homeostasis – and found – Science for South Africa • Develop cars that are fuel efficient • Make aluminium foils used in food industries • Design a new mine for coal, gold, copper or platinum necessarily those of the publisher. in organisms from yeasts to humans. • Build aerospace vehicles that travel across planets and moons, • Develop corrosion-resistant material stainless steels used in • Design ventilation and the pumping of water out of the underground collecting samples for research surgical operations in hospitals and cutlery used at home mine

4 www.assaf.org.za | Volume 13 | Number 1 | 2017 For more information: ecsa - www.ecsa.co.za • Engenius - www.engenius.org.za • The Clever Idea Education - www.thecleveridea.co.za ON THE COVER ASTRONOMY ON THE COVER ASTRONOMY

ago: upstairs was a tall concrete pillar on room with an adjoining temperature- the south side, and a shorter one in the regulated server room. Part of the kitchen north, forming the two attachment points was walled in to create an air-conditioned for the 0.75-m telescope’s equatorial cooler room to house the uninterruptible mount; and a wooden cupboard we called power supplies (UPSs) – large battery the ‘warm room’, providing shelter from packs that provide emergency power to the elements for the astronomer to sit and the telescope in case of a mains power cut control the instruments without straying – and coolers that remove heat from the far from the telescope. Downstairs there instruments’ detectors. The heat extracted TIME was a ‘dark room’ with several sinks and from these systems is vented 5 m away assorted plumbing where astronomers from the dome. used to develop their photographic plates Other renovations included functional at the end of a night’s observations, as well changes (cutting a large hatch in the as a kitchen and toilet. 30-cm thick concrete upstairs floor, MACHINE The list of modifications required and moving a downstairs wall to allow was long, and it was fun to plan the new the telescope’s mirror to be lowered IN MY POCKET layout and see it realised in architectural downstairs periodically for a fresh coat and electrical drawings put together by of aluminium, and a smaller hatch contracted civil and electrical engineers, to route cables and coolant pipes to and begin to take shape at the hands pass from the telescope upstairs to the of the building contractors. The new server room downstairs); safety features telescope would have an alt-az mount, (complete rewiring of the building); which requires a flat surface to sit on. The and environmental considerations The new dome original concrete pillars that anchored (fitting modern, energy-saving The Nublu telescope Hannah Worters the old equatorial-mount telescope lighting throughout, and blocking up Hannah Worters extended through both storeys and into the unnecessary windows to prevent the bedrock, and are isolated from the accidental light pollution on the plateau). Hannah Worters BRING ON THE NEW telescope was donated to the University rest of the building to prevent vibrations telescope, and that once the dome was of KwaZulu-Natal, to spend its twilight being transmitted to the telescope, as this renovated, everything would fit where The South African Astronomical 'NEW BLUE’ years as a training facility for astronomy could cause jumping or blurring of the it was intended. Even after measuring explains what Observatory has operated four core students. At the same time, the 0.5-m images. So we needed to keep the bases of While all this was going on in the the distance from the top of the dome to telescopes at the Sutherland observatory is involved in telescope was given to the University the north and south pillars and engineers foreground, the telescope was under the height of the proposed new concrete since the 1970s (which have been joined of the Free State, to make room for from the Stellenbosch University were construction in the background. A panel bridge several times, and comparing on the plateau in recent decades by commissioning a an optical telescope that will track the consulted to eliminate any danger of of SAAO astronomers had put together it with the planned dimensions of the the Southern African Large Telescope MeerKAT radio telescopes. The 1.9-metre vibration in the new design. a specification for the telescope and telescope, I still had nightmares about new telescope (SALT) and a number of internationally (which we affectionately know as ‘Old Heat sources – including humans submitted a request for tender. APM- installing the telescope and finding it was owned and operated facilities). These Orange’) and 1.0-m telescopes admirably – cause turbulence in the air that is Telescopes in Germany won the bid so tall that we couldn’t close the roof! The reflecting telescopes are referred to by continue their quest to observe the detrimental to producing clear images to work on our unique 1-m telescope. various aspects of the project involved Two years ago, I was asked to take on the diameter of their main mirror: 0.5, Sutherland skies every night of the year. in a telescope, so anything that could I needed to ensure that every aspect countless individuals across almost all a very exciting but extremely daunting 0.75, 1.0 and 1.9 metres. Unfortunately, The vacant two-storey dome was be distanced from the telescope was designed by APM met the specifications of SAAO’s disciplines and departments: task: to install and commission a brand bringing in a new telescope meant extensively renovated in preparation for accommodated downstairs. The old dark of SAAO, that the homegrown Telescope Operations, Instrumentation, new, custom made, modern telescope making one of the older ones ‘domeless’, its new resident. It had been purpose built room was converted into a new control instruments would interface with the Electronics, Supply Chain Management, at the South African Astronomical so after 42 years of service, the 0.75-m for the way astronomy was done 40 years Observatory’s (SAAO’s) Sutherland Mechanical, the Cape Town workshop, observing base. It would be the first Finance, IT, the Sutherland site new telescope owned entirely by South maintenance and hostel teams and the Africa to be acquired in the past four Outreach department. With a telescope decades, and its ability to be operated built in Germany, optics manufactured in remotely would introduce a versatile new Russia and instruments designed in South approach to optical astronomy at SAAO. Africa, it was vital that no detail was It would be a R17 million, multifaceted allowed to slip through the net. project, incorporating the building In April 2016, I went to snowy Baden- and commissioning of the telescope Baden in Germany and saw the telescope itself, the construction of a suitable for the first time. Thankfully our long- enclosure for it, and the design and distance communications had been a building of instruments to collect data The 0.75-m telescope success, and the only surprise was that the from the telescope. As a relatively young that was donated to The observing floor before telescope was blue! It was immediately astronomer with no project management KwaZulu-Natal renovations began dubbed ‘New Blue’ – to complement its experience, what do you say to such a Hannah Worters Hannah Worters big sister, Old Orange – a nickname that request? ‘Bring it!.’ soon evolved to ‘Nublu’. The purpose

of the visit was to carry out the factory when darkness fell on 5 August 2016 we capabilities for the telescopes in acceptance tests, an important milestone took our first look through the telescope. Sutherland. One of the characteristics that that defined the telescope’s readiness for This is a true ‘make or break’ moment for sets Nublu apart from the pre-existing shipping to South Africa. The tests were a telescope project, especially when the SAAO telescopes is its wide field of view: passed with flying colours and Nublu was optics have never before been installed, as the area of the sky that it can image is dismantled, packed up into a shipping was the case for Nublu. We had gathered 70 times larger than the others. Go large container and set sail for Cape Town. the whole team and all the observers or go dome ... or both! To fully exploit The day we had all been working from domes across the plateau for the this feature, we are building WiNCam towards came on 2 August 2016, when occasion. Everyone was excited; the (Wide-field Nasmyth Camera), which we prised open the shipping container project team was nervous. We pointed the will incorporate one of the largest single to find all the pieces of this 3D jigsaw telescope to Saturn. Equally cursed and detectors in the world, and will be by far Controlling the two telescopes puzzle clean and dry and still neatly blessed, I was sent up the ladder to look The telescope team with Nublu: the biggest that the observatory has ever Hannah Worters arranged, despite six weeks on the ocean. through the eyepiece and announce the Markus Ludes (APM-Telescopes), worked with: a 36 million pixel charge- Nublu had been designed modularly, so verdict. Wow! Words cannot describe the coupled device, or CCD. At a cost of about Michael Knopf (APM), Hannah Worters that each component could be lifted in bright, colourful, striped, ringed planet R3.5 million for the detector alone, we have degrees to direct the light path to one of are usually near impossible to schedule – I (SAAO) and Jurgen Winges (APM) through the 1.3-m wide opening of the that seemed suspended in space before a lot more careful work ahead. WiNCam two different instruments that can both have been trying for several years – but Hannah Worters dome shutter using a crane. This was a me! The optics are impeccable, Nublu is will be ready in late 2017, and SAAO’s be permanently mounted, one on either with our new remote service mode we really nerve-racking process, watching spectacular. We popped the champagne small but speedy SHOC (Sutherland High- side of the telescope. With software- can pair Nublu with SALT and SAAO the various components hanging 6 m to celebrate first light, then with new eyes speed Optical Camera) – capable of taking controlled tertiary rotation, observers can telescopes on the fly. Furthermore, these above the ground, before swinging in on the universe, embarked on a tour of be operated in service mode. Telescope an image every 14 milliseconds – is already switch between instruments at the click were the first remote observations made through the dome and being laid to rest the Southern sky, looking back in time time will not normally be allocated in at work on Nublu. of a mouse, any time of night. A further with Nublu, controlled from Old Orange’s in the centre of the concrete slab. Rigwell’s at such magical displays as the globular week-long blocks, nor will the applicant SAAO’s pre-existing telescopes each option allows more than one instrument dome across the plateau. If we can run team of three were masters of their trade cluster 47 Tuc, and the Ghost of Saturn come to the telescope. Instead, requested allow one instrument (e.g. an imaging to be mounted on each instrument port, Nublu from a laptop in another dome, we and stuck with us from 10:30 until 20:00 planetary nebula. We had welcomed a observations will be entered into a camera) to be mounted at any one accommodating a whole suite of different can run it from anywhere with an internet that night. Each oddly-shaped piece new telescope to the SAAO family. database and carried out by a team of time. Alternative imaging cameras and instruments that can be selected at any connection, on any device: a cell phone, lowered into the dome was added to the local observers, who will take it in turns spectrographs are available, but each time without manual intervention. for example. I effectively have a time pre-fabricated time machine, and by the NUBLU’S NICHE to work the night shift. instrument has to be manually removed Nublu has been designed to have a machine in my pocket! end of a long day, we had something very Significantly, it is intended that this from the telescope for another to be number of features that facilitate remote Commissioning Nublu is a bit like closely resembling a telescope! In order to appreciate where Nublu fits team will consist largely of South African mounted, which is a process that can operations: spontaneous switching training a new puppy – it’s playful. One in, it is helpful to refer to the current user astronomy students who will develop take a few hours. Instrument changes between instruments is just one of night it closes the mirror covers the FIRST LIGHT model of the existing SAAO telescopes. skills in critically assessing the observing are therefore kept to a minimum, so them. The telescope is controlled by minute I open them. On another night it These function by the traditional ‘visiting proposals and using the telescope as that one instrument will be used on a software called rts2 (Remote Telescope closes the dome when it decides that the Over the next few days we levelled the observer’ model, whereby astronomers part of their training. This not only telescope for at least a week. The new System, 2nd version), a versatile open night has been long enough. It’s all in the base of the telescope, installed and aligned from all over the world may apply opens up huge opportunities for new telescope has a flat tertiary mirror at a source package, operating under Linux, programming, of course, but it takes time the mirrors and their covers, mounted all several months in advance to conduct a types of research that can be done at 45 degree angle that intercepts the light that allows interaction with each of the to optimise each setting and unravel the the controller boxes, set up all the motors particular research project. The proposals SAAO, but also removes barriers to path from the secondary mirror. The telescope’s subsystems via a command complexities. I will be in Sutherland for a and adjusted the encoders, networked are assessed by a panel of scientists, who obtaining observational data. Service tertiary mirror can be rotated by 180 line interface or basic GUI. This includes while yet ... there’s no place like dome. the servers, mounted the field-flattening ensure that priority is given to research mode is expected to be particularly control of the dome, and reading the local optics, installed the guiding systems and programmes of particular scientific merit, beneficial for researchers at previously weather station to safeguard the telescope Hannah Worters is lucky enough to and to those proposed by researchers disadvantaged institutes, who may have been catching photons on the Lowering the 1-m diameter by ensuring that the dome is only open in Africa. Successful applications are lack the funds to make regular trips to astronomical front line in Sutherland for primary mirror into its cell in appropriate weather conditions. With quite a few years. She is an Astronomer then allocated telescope time in week- Sutherland, and students of emerging Lifting the telescope components Hannah Worters various such safety measures in place, working in the Telescope Operations long blocks. The astronomers travel to astronomy departments, who may lack an team, looking after the observatory’s in through the open dome it will no longer be essential to have a Sutherland for their allocated week(s), experienced supervisor in observational human presence in the dome. For the first suite of telescopes and developing Hannah Worters where they are trained to use the relevant new instruments. Her research interests astronomy who has the time to time, observers will have the choice of telescope before spending each night include stars that flicker and flare. accompany them on their first observing travelling to the telescope in Sutherland, making their own observations. run. or operating it remotely, making This observing model is appropriate for The telescope itself forms only part observational astronomy more accessible many research programmes, but is less of the system that allows us to do than ever before. CURRICULUM well suited to others, such as monitoring astronomy: it collects the light from the Six weeks after the installation, two programmes, which require repeated, stars or galaxies, but needs an instrument CORNER great milestones were reached. I carried regular short observations, or target-of- with which to detect that light. For out the first simultaneous observations MATHEMATICAL LITERACY opportunity programmes, whereby an decades, SAAO’s small instrumentation of the same binary star system using Measurement optical follow-up request is triggered by department has been bringing together ► Working with provided a spectrograph on Old Orange, and a satellite or radio telescope observation, its mechanical, electronic, astronomical, data in an unfamiliar context. the SHOC imaging camera on Nublu. and the telescope must be pointed to the machining and software expertise, This trial run went flawlessly and was a LIFE ORIENTATION target within minutes. This is one area keeping one step ahead of the latest excellent demonstrator of the synergies World of work in which the new telescope comes into technologies to design and build bespoke between our old and new capabilities. ► Career choices. its own. Instead of visitor mode, it will instruments with specific observational Simultaneous observations of this nature

8 www.assaf.org.za | Volume 13 | Number 1 | 2017 9 ON THE COVER CELL BIOLOGY ON THE COVER CELL BIOLOGY

autophagosomes and degrades some Africa at all. She foresaw the relevance of toxic proteins? Too much or too little of its own cytoplasm, thereby digesting autophagy to cell death and her foresight autophagy can kill the cells, but what cytoplasmic proteins and recycling amino certainly changed my life and career path. is too much or too little? What exactly acids that can be used to either make Today, in my research group at happens molecularly in that time of too DEGRADING extra energy (ATP) or to synthesise stress Stellenbosch University, we literally eat, much or too little autophagy? How will or survival proteins. sleep and breathe autophagy. So far we a cancer cell respond if we speed up Of course, too much autophagy would have established a small glimpse of its role autophagy, like a racing car in a crash be dangerous, since the cell would start in cellular function and published many test, and then abruptly block it? Could we PROTEINS to degrade its own crucial reserves. Too papers in international journals. model autophagy in silicon? little autophagy is also dangerous, since We focus on the precision control In collaboration with colleagues such dysfunctional proteins would start to of this pathway to control cell death. as Prof. Jannie Hofmeyr, Prof. Kristian CELL MAINTENANCE aggregate, becoming toxic species that In neurodegeneration, such as that Muller-Nedebock and Prof. Willie would kill the cell. occurring in Alzheimer’s disease, we want Perold, we attempt to unravel autophagy, to enhance autophagy, to assist the cell in often through unconventional means, Ben Loos explains the importance of its fight to remove toxic proteins, thereby combining expertise on molecular cell autophagy in eukaryotic cells preserving its life. physiology with systems complexity, In brain cancer on the other hand, we theoretical physics and engineering. wish to inhibit this process, so that the Have you ever wondered, how cells can is preserved in organisms ranging from affected in these mutants, since they died Microcopy is an indispensable tool in cancer cell dies selectively as the patient is survive for such a long time some of yeast to humans. much faster during nutrient starvation this research. undergoing chemotherapy. them, like the cells in the brain or the How would a cell describe autophagy compared with the normal/wild-type In collaboration with Dr Craig Kinnear Hence, a key focus of our group is to heart for as long as you live, maybe for 70, for us in human terms? It may say cells. Subsequently, the molecular from the South African Medical Research use a combination of techniques, many of 80 or more than 90 years? ‘autophagy is my dishwasher and my biology behind the conjugation system Council, we are looking at the role of Sick or dysfunctional mitochondria which include cutting-edge microscopy, What cleans and maintains them? washing machine, it is my cleaning that governs this process was revealed, can be degraded through autophagy. autophagy in tubercolosis (TB). And to make this process highly measurable. What keeps them functioning, if ‘spares’ staff, my soap and clean water. It is my and the same processes were found in Top left: a mitochondrion is engulfed together with Prof. Bert Klumperman need to be replaced? What is it that takes toothbrush and my dentist. It is my mammalian cells. by an autophagosome. Such selective from the Department of Chemistry autophagy, called mitophagy, is part HOW TO MEASURE and Polymer Science, we seek to enable out the old, unused or even poisonous rubbish bin and my rubbish removal. It of a quality control system Ben Loos structures? The answer is the process is my car service and oil-check that keeps AUTOPHAGY autophagy in dysfunctional neurons by of autophagy. my engine running. It is also my spare re-establishing lysosomal function. If we can measure autophagy well, we fridge with an emergency food parcel and AUTOPHAGY You can find out more about our can implement interventions to finely a survival pack, and it is my generator RESEARCH IN AFRICA work at http://www0.sun.ac.za/ THE PROCESS OF control it. If we are able to control its during power failure’. physiologicalsci/eng/research.php?id=29. AUTOPHAGY So, what about autophagy at the tip of activity, we can tune it for either cell Africa? At the Department of Physiological death or cell survival. Autophagy, from Greek meaning ‘self- THE ‘FATHER OF Sciences at Stellenbosch University The enthusiastic students in my group FUTURE CHALLENGES eating’, is a major protein degradation AUTOPHAGY’ (SU), autophagy research started work hard to implement this idea, each pathway that operates in all eukaryotic The next major challenges, I believe, A cell showing autophagosomes 10 years ago when I started my PhD trying to solve a small but crucial puzzle cells. It degrades and recycles primarily So it is no wonder that the discovery (green), mitochondria (red), the hinge around the clinical implementation research supervised by Prof. Anna-Mart piece. How does autophagy differ across long-lived proteins, of which there are of such a pathway, by Prof. Yoshinory nucleus (blue) and cytoskeleton of autophagy control, to use it in the Engelbrecht. This was at a time when the brain? How well can drugs that many in the cell. This pathway is so Ohsumi from Tokyo University in Japan, (magenta) Ben Loos treatment of cancer, neurodegeneration autophagy was not researched in South enhance autophagy actually clear the important for cellular homeostasis that it was awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in and even TB. The discovery of this Physiology and Medicine. He is often This laid the foundation to open pathway by Ohsumi and many key leaders called the ‘father of autophagy’. the field up to the mammalian, and in the autophagy field was the beginning By using the yeast model, hence the human autophagy system – of something highly significant. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Prof. Ohsumi fundamental to the study of life sciences. On a personal note, I have had the discovered a highly complex molecular In the years to come, it was found that pleasure to meet Ohsumi at conferences, machinery that starts up when the cell autophagy dysfunction plays a major and have been inspired by many of his is deprived of nutrients, leading to the role in many human diseases, such as colleagues in the field, such as Ohsumi’s formation of unique vacuolar structures neurodegenerative diseases, cancer or former student, Prof. Noboru Mizuhima or with a diameter between 400 and 900 nm. heart disease. Prof. Daniel Klionsky, colleagues who form He called these structures ‘autophagic part of the ‘research family’ I grew up in. bodies’ and found that they contain VITAL TO LIFE The Nobel prize is a wonderful cytoplasmic material. recognition of a life time of extraordinary This was the first discovery showing You can imagine, the relevance and impact work. It is now our task to put it to good use. that nutrient starvation induces such of such pathway. What happens to a a process of self-digestion. Seventy- household where dishes are never washed, Dr Ben Loos is a Principal Investigator five mutant strains were subsequently the house never cleaned and rubbish never with the Neuro Research Group, Department of Physiological Sciences, screened, all defective in protein removed? Stellenbosch University. His passion is the degradation, showing that this process If cells are under stress, if metabolites The Neuro Research Group (NRG) 2016: Andre du Toit, Jurgen Kriel, Yigael Powrie role of autophagy in neurodegenerative Professor Yoshinory Ohsumi is indeed indispensable for protein are not available, autophagy is the first (back), Punya Bhat, Dr Chrisna Swart, Dr Ben Loos, Akile Khosa (middle), Danielle diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Wikimedia Commons degradation. Also viability was negatively response mechanism. The cell forms Millar, Claudia Ntsapi, Dumisile Lumkwana and Khaalid Khaan (front) Ben Loos in brain cancers, particularly gliomas.

TOUR DE Tsepo Majake takes Quest on a SCIENCE science tour

Learners at outreach events ASSAf Quest, a popular science discussion were those who felt that their Limpopo we engaged with ‘Science magazine embarked on a subjects were minimally covered or that without Borders’ and Eding International national tour to promote certain sections of them were not covered in two separate festivals. In the Eastern science and encourage engagement in at all. This was a particular problem Cape we were present at SciFest and a few Africa to achieve this goal. more massive spinning black hole. This 2 × 1 cm2. ‘This was a real breakthrough line with the mandate of the Academy of for physics and mathematics and we district offices. And in the Western Cape We forged relations with various collision of two black holes had been in research and integration of extremely Science of South Africa (ASSAf). encouraged these specialists to share we worked with the City of Cape Town, of the organisations we worked with, predicted but never observed. demanding materials,’ says FEP’s project Exhibitions are quite tricky for content and to become more involved the Metropole East district and the DST. some NPOs and some government The gravitational waves were detected leader Dr Beatrice Beyer. The process publications such as Quest. In a society through their associations and individual In the North West we worked with the departments. For example, we on 14 September 2015 at 5:51 a.m. was developed and optimised in the EU- where reading has lost its prestigious capacities to contribute more and also to Eding International in Vryburg and in participated in a career guidance event in Eastern Daylight Time (09:51 UTC) funded project ‘Gladiator’ (Graphene position, it is becoming increasingly influence which content to cover and the KwaZulu-Natal with Ikusasa-Lethu and in Mamelodi through an invitation by the by both the twin Laser Interferometer Layers: Production, Characterisation and difficult to compete with interactive extent to which it should. the Free State with a district official. Department of Public Works as the result Gravitational-wave Observatory Integration) together with partners from science presentations and engagements. Quest 12(1) focused on the nature and All these events are different and bring of a relationship forged earlier in a DST- (LIGO) detectors, located in Livingston, industry and research. This requires the exhibitor to pull a use of time; 12(2) on the role of science a different experience to the table, but organised event. Quest also participated Louisiana, and Hanford, Washington, Graphene is considered a new miracle rabbit out of the hat to attract and in society; 12(3) dealt with bioprocess all have the same motive of outreach in a workshop organised by Dr Sefotho USA. The LIGO Observatories are funded material. The advantages of the carbon sustain interest through discussion engineering and 12(4) was a special issue and science promotion. The DST invited of the University of Pretoria, and were by the National Science Foundation compound are impressive: graphene is and conversation. on optical astronomy. Quest to several events that assisted in actively involved in extending invitations (NSF), and were conceived, built, and light, transparent and extremely hard These discussions and conversations supporting our goal to promote science to other entities of the DST in line with operated by Caltech and MIT. The and has more tensile strength than steel. are varied and always thought provoking, SCIENCE AND CAREER to over 200 000 people by the end of the spirit of cooperative engagement and discovery, published in the journal Moreover, it is flexible and extremely from administrative to scientific. The EVENTS TOUR 2016. These numbers were derived networking as promoted by the DST Physical Review Letters, was made by conductive for heat or electricity. visitors are either specialists or people from statistics sent after every event by in the past. Dr Sefotho had previously the LIGO Scientific Collaboration Graphene consists of a single layer of who are interested in a particular topic, Quest worked with many individuals and organisers to participating organisations. worked with Quest in KwaZulu-Natal in (which includes the GEO Collaboration carbon atoms, which are assembled and after every exhibition we find that we organisations in seven of nine provinces. At least 10% of this number was made an event organised by Ikusasa-Lethu. and the Australian Consortium for in a honeycomb pattern. It is only 0.3 learn much that improves practice. In Gauteng we interacted with district up of face-to-face interaction and we Interferometric Gravitational Astronomy) nanometres thick, which is about one offices, EdBook, DST, SABC and SAASTA specifically used the National Science SCIENCE DISCOVERY TOUR and the Virgo Collaboration using data hundred thousandth of a human hair. CURRICULUM AND in various events in the province. In Week and the Science Forum South from the two LIGO detectors (http:// Graphene has a variety of applications. CONTENT TOUR ► Gravitational waves mediaassets.caltech.edu/gwave). ‘The first products could already be For the first time, scientists have observed launched in two to three years’, says The engagement with curriculum ripples in the fabric of spacetime called ► Graphene production Beyer with confidence. Due to their specialists across the country has been gravitational waves, arriving at the For the first time, it has been possible flexibility, the graphene electrodes are interesting, particularly in regards to Earth from a cataclysmic event in the to produce functional OLED electrodes ideal for touch screens. They do not what content needed emphasis. The focus distant universe. This confirms a major from graphene. The process was break when the device drops to the was mainly on classroom-based science, prediction of Albert Einstein’s 1915 developed by Fraunhofer researchers ground. Instead of glass, one would without proper consideration for those general theory of relativity and opens together with partners from industry and use a transparent polymer film. Many outside of the classroom who may not have an unprecedented new window onto research. The OLEDs can, for example, other applications are also possible: a particular interest in the content. These the cosmos. be integrated into touch displays, and in windows, the transparent graphene discussions always ended in an agreement Gravitational waves carry information the miracle material graphene promises could regulate the light transmission to focus on context rather than content to about their dramatic origins and many other applications for the future. or serve as an electrode in polarisation accommodate readers across the spectrum about the nature of gravity that cannot The Fraunhofer Institute for Organic filters. Graphene can also be used in and to allow users to use the magazine as otherwise be obtained. Physicists have Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma photovoltaics, high-tech textiles and best as they know how. concluded that the detected gravitational Technology FEP from Dresden, together even in medicine. The other interesting curricular waves were produced during the final with partners, has succeeded for the first 2016 was an interesting year for discussions were on what content was Learners at outreach events ASSAf fraction of a second of the merger of time in producing OLED electrodes from science promotion and Quest hopes 2017 covered and why. The initiators of this two black holes to produce a single, graphene. The electrodes have an area of will be even more exciting.

The Austria Conference Centre where With so many teachers wanting more access to research EGU General Assemblies and GIFT experience, the CoE added the Teachers-at-Sea programme, in workshops take place GIFT which high-school teachers can apply to become members of staff on scientific research vessels during research expeditions. In addition to those from Europe, teachers from countries such as China, Malaysia and the USA were invited to the GIFT workshops. Teachers began to apply for second participation slots at the workshops and started to form networks beyond their national borders. A few years later, the European GIFT concept also became international, with the CoE helping to organise workshops abroad.

2009–2010: GIFT ON VIDEO AND IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT

In 2009 there were further additions to the GIFT concept. For Carlo and five teachers on board the first time some lectures were filmed during the workshop. the Marion Dufresne GIFT Along with all the other workshop material (programmes, brochures, abstracts and PowerPoint files of the presentations) these recordings were made available as web streams and are accessible free of charge via the EGU website. In 2010, the first Science in GIFT workshop in connection with an EGU Alexander von Humboldt Conference took place in Merida, Mexico. In addition, the CoE launched the GIFT Distinguished Lectures Series, which brings GIFT speakers to anywhere in tomorrow’s classroom Europe whenever an assembly of 80–100 teachers asks for them. 2014: GIFT MOVES TO AFRICA

Fifteen years of Geosciences Information for The EGU Committee on Education teamed up with UNESCO Teachers (GIFT) Workshops of the European to take the GIFT workshop idea to Africa, in order to support development of the next generation of Earth scientists in Geosciences Union. By Carlo Laj, Friedrich Barnikel, Africa. The opportunities and challenges in the Earth sciences in Africa are huge, starting with traditional mineral extraction Wendy Taylor and Daksha Naran Sunrise at Dzibilchaltun during the and extending into environmental management such as summer equinox GIFT The Committee on Education (CoE) of the European 2003–2009: SIX YEARS climate change adaptation, prevention of natural hazards, and Geosciences Union (EGU) was created in 2002 with the aim of OF GROWING SUCCESS ensuring access to drinking water. The first EGU-UNESCO bringing state-of-the-art science into tomorrow’s classrooms GIFT workshop on African soil took place at the African Earth The Marion Dufresne in a foggy Chilean fjiord GIFT via high-school teachers. In 2003, the first GIFT Workshop The workshop quickly became known among teachers all over Observatory Network at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan took place at the General Assembly, in Nice, France, with 42 Europe and the number of participants doubled over time. In University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa in partnership with teachers from seven European countries. 2005, the EGU Assembly moved to Vienna, Austria, and 70 the African Applied Centre for Climate and Earth Systems The challenges of a multicultural, multilanguage audience teachers from 17 countries attended the presentation by Nobel Science. Some 40 teachers from all over South Africa, attended were not only met but were also built on from the beginning so Prize laureate, Paul Crutzen, at the GIFT workshop. this workshop on climate change and human adaptation. A that European GIFT workshops could include teachers from The workshop has now become a two-and-a-half days fixture teacher from South Africa was then invited to attend the Vienna Europe and elsewhere in the world around a general theme that within the General Assembly calendar. GIFT Workshop in 2015. changed every year. Excursion to Machu Pichu GIFT GIFT: MORE THAN ‘JUST’ A WORKSHOP 2015: VIENNA AND AFRICA AGAIN

Hands-on activities : teachers finding their way GIFT workshops now typically include a general theme for In 2015, in addition to the traditional GIFT workshop in Vienna

using GPS and aerial photos GIFT each workshop; two and a half days of workshop; about 80 on ‘Mineral Resources’, GIFT moved again to Africa, this time participants from about 20 countries; eight to nine conferences to Ethiopia where the workshop, organised in collaboration presented by world-class scientists who are present at the with Addis Ababa University, took place in the newly developed general assemblies; one half-day with hands-on activities with Gullele Botanical Garden, in the northern part of Addis Ababa. specialised educators; one poster session ‘Science in Tomorrow’s The theme of the workshop ‘Water’ was the same as for the Classroom’ where teachers are encouraged to present their out- Alexander von Humboldt conference, organised at the same of-the-official-programme school activities and which is open to time and also at Gullele. Forty-five teachers (25 from the Addis non-teacher participants. Ababa area, 20 from the rest of Ethiopia) actively participated See: http://www.egu.eu/education/gift/workshops/ over the three days of the workshop. Speakers were from

were enthralled by the exciting science content and hands-on in Cape Town on the occasion of the joint Conference of IAMAS- activities. They sat through presentation after presentation, IAPSO-IAGA, which are the three world organisations dealing connecting with scientists and absorbing the richness that is with Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences, Physical Sciences of offered through varied research fields. There was a tremendous the Oceans and Geomagnetism and Aeronomy respectively. buzz – an atmosphere of learning and teaching promoted Accordingly, the GIFT workshop will be planned for three days from shared conversations, querying and clarifying. Teachers (roughly one day each for the IAMAS, IAPSO, IAGA) and will were further inspired by the Iziko Natural History museum comprise a mixture of topical presentations and small, inexpensive Teachers in Cape Town GIFT as a venue, where museum tours showcased the varied hands-on activities for the classroom following the tradition of the opportunities available to teachers and how to use the exhibited EGU-GIFT workshops. objects to enrich school curriculum connections and drive the Teachers will also be invited to present any particular activity Ethiopia, Europe and the USA. Their presentations focused on educational process. they may have developed with their own pupils during a poster global freshwater availability and distribution, overexploitation session ‘Science in Tomorrow’s Classroom’ which will be an integral part of the GIFT workshop (as in the European GIFTs, of water, strategies for sustainable use of water in the future and 2017: VIENNA AND CAPE TOWN AGAIN the threats posed by environmental changes. These topics are but for the first time out of Europe). In this poster session, which of particular importance for Ethiopia and stirred the interest To honour its 15 years of existence, the CoE will present two GIFT is open not only to teachers but to all participants to the joint and excitement of the teachers. The highlight of the workshop workshops in 2017, the classical one in Vienna, and a second GIFT conference, teachers will be invited to interact not only with their was the presentation of a hands-on programme ‘Monitoring workshop again in Cape Town. fellow teachers from schools in South Africa and elsewhere, but Dismantling a cell phone GIFT Climate, Droughts and Floods: The trans-African Hydro- GIFT-2017 will take place in Vienna, 24–26 April, 2017, during also with the scientists from all over the world. Meteorological Observatory’ in which high schools have a major the General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union, on the The workshop will provisionally be held at the Cape Town role, by Professor Nick van de Giesen of the Delft University of theme ‘The Mediterranean’. International Convention Centre (CTICC) over at least two Friedrich Barnikel is a high-school teacher and the Educational Technology in the Netherlands. Over two and a half days, the workshop will explore the major days, the third day at the Iziko Museum, given the large variety Coordinator for Geography in Munich, Germany and is a characteristics of this region, which has often been referred to as ‘a of opportunities that this museum offers for teachers, as clearly committee member of the Education Committee of the European Geosciences Union. He has had an interest in the 2016: VIENNA, MERIDA, AND CAPE TOWN natural laboratory for geophysics’. shown during the 2016 GIFT workshop. We expect at least 50 teachers/educators and 10 organisers/ paleoecolgy of Africa since his thesis in 1998, which was on Indeed, the Mediterranean Sea is a sea almost completely the state of the Sahara desert in the Holocene. He received a 2016 was a very productive year for the CoE. Not only was the surrounded by land: on the north by Europe and Anatolia, on the speakers. With this 4th GIFT workshop, Africa becomes the PhD from the University of Göttingen, on natural hazards in the annual workshop in Vienna, ‘The Solar System and Beyond’, south by Africa, and on the east by the Levant. The area shows a continent where most of the non-European GIFT workshops will European Alps, in 2003. His particular interest is in mountainous organised in collaboration with the European Space Agency distinctive geological fingerprint that has attracted generations have been held. areas and earthquakes, but he also has a deep interest in climate change. (ESA), but also two non-European GIFT workshops took of Earth scientists. Mountain chains, orogenic belts, subduction After 15 years, the GIFT idea has not only place, one in Merida (Yucatan, Mexico) on ‘Natural Hazards’, zones, extensional basins, active volcanoes, violent earthquakes, Wendy Taylor holds a PhD in Geology from the University of in cooperation with the Mexican Academy of Sciences and tsunamis, landslides and floods testify to the vigorous active grown significantly and Rochester, USA. She began her career working as a collections the Secretaria de Educacion de Yucatan and with a large tectonics that characterise the region. The same area, owing to reached more than 1 400 manager, museum educator and exhibit developer at several participation of the Italian Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e the favourable climate, availability of resources (i.e. water and science teachers and major natural history institutions in the United States including the Paleontological Research Institution, The Field Museum and the Volcanologia (INGV), and one in Cape Town, South Africa, raw materials) and the presence of the sea, allowed for trade and through them thousands of high-school kids, it University of Chicago. Pursuing strong interests in geoscience on ‘Mineral Resources and Natural Hazards’ associated with cultural exchanges, and made it a cradle of culture. education, she then spent over 10 years working as an the 35th International Geological Congress (35IGC). The Cape Currently, the area is densely populated with progressively has also progressively education specialist and programme developer at Arizona State Town GIFT Workshop was hosted at the Iziko South African increasing anthropogenic pressures, which, when combined with broadened its views University. At ASU, she was involved in developing education Museum. Some 50 teachers from Namibia, Nigeria, the Western the peculiar geological setting, result in heightened vulnerability and targets to share programmes for several NASA missions to the Moon and Mars and served as the education and public outreach lead for Cape and other parts of South Africa were welcomed, together to climate change enhanced by increasing atmospheric carbon scientific findings beyond the borders of ASU’s Astrobiology Program and at the Center for Meteorite with scientists from Algeria, United Kingdom, France, Germany dioxide. The Mediterranean is thus a key region for understanding Studies. Today she divides her time between education and and South Africa. the complexities and delicate relationships between civilisation, Europe. research, working as a curriculum developer for ASU’s Center for There were nine sessions accommodated in the programme, Education Through eXploration (http://www.etx.io/) and studying natural processes, catastrophic events and protection of The cover of the brochure and presentations showed the excitement around discoveries, the environment. the evolution of early life across the Ediacaran-Cambrian for the Adis Ababa GIFT boundary at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. exploration, new insights and new technologies. Teachers And, at the end of August, a second GIFT workshop will be held Daksha Naran has an MSc in Ichthyology from Rhodes Carlo Laj is the Founder and Chair of the Education Committee University, Grahamstown, South Africa. Her deep passion in of the European Geosciences Union. After his PhD in solid natural sciences: collections, curation biodiversity research state physics, he spent a few years working on scattering of and education emerged from her postgraduate experiences laser light, before moving into the field of geophysics. His main at the South African Institute of Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), interest in the field is in the magnetic properties of sediments formerly the JLB Smith Institute. An initial career embedded and igneous rock, particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean and in freshwater-based field and laboratory experiences Andes. His scientific career was with the French Atomic Energy consolidated her interest in aquatic biodiversity, including Commission, first as a researcher in the Physics Department taxonomy, biosystematics and evolutionary biology with then in geophysics. In 1985, he was appointed Deputy Director implications for sustainable environmental conservation. of the Centre des Faibles Radioactivités and Head of the Currently, in her role as senior educator: natural history Department of Earth Sciences. He created and was the first educator at Iziko museum, she is instrumental in developing a director of the Laboratoire de Modélisation du Climat et de platform for engagement through the museum’s vast natural l’Environnement, which was later united with the Centre des science collection and inspiring educational practice for Faibles Radioactivités to form the present Laboratoire des sustainability, environmental and conservation. The role has Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement (LSCE). After three allowed her to consolidate a passion for natural sciences; terms as Head of Department (12 years) he stepped down to scientific research to science education, and to mobilise efforts pure research until his retirement since when he has gradually to broaden participation and access for Iziko South African Teachers and scientists at the Gullele Botanic Gardens, Adis Ababa GIFT reoriented his activities towards education. Museum's rich collections.

Sivuyile ManxoyiSKIES reflects on the indigenous astronomy of southern African peoples

Southern Africa is home to some of the most important ► Canopus telescopes in the world, including the High Energy Stereoscopic Canopus, the second brightest star in the sky, is used as a System (HESS) in Namibia and the Southern African Large celestial marker to signify the beginning of the winter season. As Telescope (SALT) in South Africa and is due to host the most people were dependent on agriculture, the prediction of greater portion of the world’s largest radio telescope, the Square seasonal change and the first rains was a key factor in their lives. Kilometre Array (SKA). Canopus is known as Naka by Sesotho and Setwana speaking Recently questions have been raised about the objectivity people, Nanga by the Venda, u Canzibe by the isiXhosa speaking of science and calls for the decolonisation of astronomy have people, u Cwanzibe by isiZulu speaking people, Khwekheti by emerged sporadically here in South Africa and more vociferously the Tsonga people and Inkhwekweti by the Swazi people. The in the USA, particularly in Hawaii. Even though the multi- fifth month of the year is named after Canopus in the Xhosa cultural roots of astronomy are generally accepted, indigenous and Swazi calendar. In isiXhosa, the month of May is called Eka astronomy is seldom specifically acknowledged. Canzibe and in the Swazi calendar, it is called Inkhwekweti. For the Xhosa people Canopus was also used by the boys for PREHISTORY ‘ukutshitsha’, because May is the month in which boys celebrate and mourn the end of their boyhood before they go to initiation In ancient times, people had access to pollution-free, clear dark school to become men. Most southern African people make a skies and naturally developed a relationship with the stars, distinction between boyhood and manhood and the transition observing them frequently. Africa was no exception and in from one stage to the other is marked by attendance at the fact since we know that humanity originated in Africa, we can initiation school and, in many cultures, includes circumcision. argue that the skies were first observed in Africa. Contributions For the Sotho, Tswana and Venda people, Naka and Nanga from west and North Africa, particularly Mali and Egypt, are (meaning the horn star) was used as a signal for the beginning of well known, and their associated ancient stone monuments winter. In ancient times, the first person to see the star would run attract tourism. up a hill or a mountain a blow the horn known as phalaphala to But what of southern Africa? Were celestial patterns and the announce the first observation of the dawn rising of Canopus. jewels of the night sky never seen in southern Africa before colonial people arrived and before the invention of the telescope? ► Venus The existence of ancient astronomy in southern Africa is not The southern African people, in common with many other seen in stone monuments as it is in west and North Africa but peoples of the world, also had a relationship with the planet found expression in daily and seasonal practices. It was part of Venus, and like most people of the time, thought of Venus as a holistic living and was and is linked with daily practices, cultural star rather than a planet. The Xhosa people have four names for ceremonies, and rites of passage and has been retained and Venus: Ikhwezi (when Venus is observed in the morning in the transferred through oral media, art and music. east), Ikhwezil lesibini ( the ‘second Venus’, during the day) and in the early evening is called by two names, u Madingeni (an THE PATTERNS OF THE STARS appointment star) and u Cel’izapholo (Venus seen as begging for milk). The Xhosa people associated the appearance of Venus Southern African people observed and used the big bright in the morning with diligence and people expected to either stars, the Sun, the Moon and the pattern of the stars for various wake before or at the same time as the appearance of Venus purposes, including development of calendars, navigation, in the morning. Even today some parents name their children regulation of ceremonies, determination of the time and also as Khwezi or Nomakhwezi or Khwezi lomso, all names based Artwork created by SAAO based on Venus and the parents’wishes and hopes that their children for agricultural purposes. on stories about stars told by This is how some of the stars were used. will be industrious and diligent members of the community. southern African people SAAO

18 www.assaf.org.za | Volume 13 | Number 1 | 2017 www.assaf.org.za | Volume 13 | Number 1 | 2017 19 ON THE COVER ASTRONOMY Postgraduate Similarly, the Zulu people also called the ► Pleiades therefore these stars were seen as ‘digging, ASTRONOMY IS NOT COLONIAL, Opportunities morning Venus Ikhwezi, and Isicelankobe The linguistic and cultural unity of ploughing or planting stars’. The Xhosa IT'S ALL OURS at SAIAB in the early evening (as in Xhosa, the Africa is demonstrated by the star cluster, people also linked the morning visibility Astronomy is neither foreign nor colonial in Africa – its origin star was viewed as begging for food). the Pleiades. In isiXhosa and isiZulu, of the Pleiades in June with counting the Specialist postgraduate supervision The Sotho and Tswana people also have it is called Isilimela. In seSotho and in years of manhood. Even today, the years is within the continent. Southern Africa peoples must rightfully As a National Facility SAIAB can offer two names for Venus, Mphatlalatsana seTswana, Selemela. The Pleiades are of manhood of Xhosa men are expressed claim their contributions and participate in modern astronomy. supervision to students from universities throughout South Africa. (the brilliant one) in the morning and called Shirimela in Tsonga, Tshilimela in in ‘izilimela’. June is called Eyesilimela in The continent’s history has sadly been characterised by race, class and gender oppression, domination and discrimination, and Kopadilalelo (the seeker of evening Venda, Chirimera in Shona and Karanga, isiXhosa. Postdoctoral research fellowships meals) in the evening. Most southern Lemila in Nyasa and Cilimila in Gogo The southern African people observed eras in which many voices were either suppressed, excluded or Research fellowships are offered through the NRF Professional Development Programme. African people thought that the evening of Tanzania. The Pleiades were linked to and used many constellations and galaxies marginalised. However, this does not make astronomy colonial in any way, but highlights the interconnection between science Venus and the morning Venus were agriculture and used to mark the time such as Orion, the Southern Cross and ACEP Phuhlisa Programme different bodies. for cultivation. ‘Ukulima’ is to plant and the Large and Small Magellanic clouds, and society, but also shows that science in an abnormal society This is a strategic initiative that aims to respectively, but these will not be covered runs the risk of also being abnormal. In the past, we used rock promote postgraduate studies in marine science at Historically Black Universities to in this article. They also used observations art and stories to preserve our knowledge. Today we have added accelerate transformation in the marine INDIGENOUS NAMES FOR PLANETS AND STARS of the Moon in various ways. new methods of data collection, analysis and interpretation. science research community. Moliana (Sotho) Today, the youth of Africa have opportunities to study and Jupiter utilise advanced forms of data collection and analysis. Let them Postgraduate internships Imbalibusuku/Candabusuku (Xhosa) INDIGENOUS ASTRONOMY seize the opportunities that are rightfully theirs and use modern Interns experience the full spectrum of Qhawe/Ingqaqhawuli (Xhosa) OUTREACH scientific research from work in our state - of- science to give the world a better and human face. SALT, HESS Kgogamasigo (Tswana) the - art laboratories and fieldtrips to exotic In a bid to make the indigenous and SKA are not only beacons of hope and inspiration but also locations, to presenting scientific papers at Sirius Kgogamashego (Sotho) astronomy knowledge accessible, the mark the continuation and deepening of what the ancients had conferences and symposia under the wing of I Donsa (Zulu) SAAO, through its education and already started. The universe is yours too – rediscover it. their supervisor, preparing them for a career Khohamutsho (Venda) in scientific research. outreach unit, has created a number U Canzibe (Xhosa) of opportunities and platforms for the Contact us: REFERENCES Tel +27 (0)46 6035800 Cwanzibe (Zulu) general public to access this information. Fax +27 (0)46 6222403 Canopus Naka (Sotho, Tswana,Pedi) ► The Crocodile who swallowed the Sun and other stories: This is A colourful A4 page which summarises email [email protected] Nanga (Lobedu, Venda) for young children and is available free of charge from SAASTA web http://www.saiab.ac.za indigenous southern African knowledge Khwekweti (Swazi) and SAAO. It has also been translated to various languages. on stars can be sourced at the SAAO. ► Cosmic Africa: a documentary based on Prof. Thebe Senakane (Sotho, Tswana) Achernar Further work has been done to include Medupe’s work. He explores the relationship between ancient Tshinanga (Venda) artwork based on the indigenous African astronomy and modern astronomy. He undertakes Alpha and knowledge of the southern African people a journey to Botswana, Mali and Egypt, and examines the Thuda (Venda) Beta Crucis in the freely accessible planetarium relationship between indigenous and modern astronomy. This is available at libraries and commercially. It was produced and programme Stellarium. Assistance Capella Intshola (Zulu) directed by Craig and Dannon Foster. Ntshina (Tswana) and guidance can be offered by SAAO Fomalhaut ► The Ancient Astronomers of Timbuktu, a documentary on Ndemera (Shona) outreach staff. Also available here: http:// the work done by a group of astronomers led by Prof. Thebe www.saao.ac.za/?attachment_id=6829 Gamma and Medupe in exploring ancient astronomy in Timbuktu. Available Thudana (Venda) World Wide Telescope tours based on in the local libraries and commercially. Delta Crucis indigenous starlore are also obtainable ► World Wide Telescope tours for young children including the Orion’s belt Amakroza (Xhosa) at SAAO. popular ‘The Hopless Hunter’ obtainable freely from SAAO. Dintshwa (Sotho) ► The SAAO What Up Note – freely available from SAAO Orion’s sword Dintsa le dikolobe (Tswana) website, print copies available at the SAAO library. Udwenjana (Zulu) Pointers Dithutlwa (Sotho and Tswana) Sivuyile Manxoyi manages the Southern African Large Telescope Collateral Benefits Programme (SCBP), which is Ikhwezi, uMadingeni, u Celizapholo (Xhosa) Indigenous people may not have responsible for astronomy education, communication and travelled to the moon but they had Venus Ikhwezi, Isicelankobe (Zulu) awareness. He also manages socio-economic development extensive knowledge of the stars Mphatlalatsana, Kopadilalelo (Sotho, Tswana) linked to SALT. He believes that culture can be utilised to Courtesy of the Sunday Independent 15 October 2000 advance science and technology.

CURRICULUM CORNER NATURAL SCIENCE: ► Earth and Beyond – historical development of astronomy and indigenous knowledge based on stars for grade 7 and 8.

GRADE 4 – 7 : ► Earth and Beyond – the need to clarify that all people have a relationship with the stars and they used them for various purposes.

Layered materials are sometimes used know which surface treatments work the to combine the best properties of metals best. From our experiments we found WHAT IS AN and composites into one structure. that using grit blasting and a chemical EXPLOSION? Composite materials, like fibre- surface treatment together gave the reinforced plastics, are made from at best results. An explosion is quick release of a least two different materials – the fibres large amount of energy in a very and the plastic. When these materials short time. There are three main THE RESEARCH – types – mechanical, chemical or are combined into the composite, a new EXPLOSION TESTING material with different characteristics nuclear. The most common type to the individual parts is produced. At the Blast Impact and Survivability and the one that creates the biggest Composites are very strong and stiff Research Unit (BISRU) we have been news headlines is a chemical for their mass, but they are also easily performing small-scale explosion tests explosion. Explosive detonations damaged in an explosion. Metals are to understand how layered materials are the ones that make the heavier but are more able to withstand behave under blast loading. We detonate headlines – as a result of deliberate damage. By combining layers of metal small quantities of plastic explosive terrorist attacks. A lot of effort and composites we hope to make a under realistic conditions near to the goes into preventing explosives material that is more damage proof layered panels. All materials absorb some from detonating in public spaces, (like a metal) but still lightweight (like a of the explosion energy by breaking such as trying to identify potential terrorists before they act and by composite) (Figure 1). in some way under different levels of increasing security. Unfortunately, One of the problems of putting layers loading. Some of the possible ways to as you have probably watched on into a material is joining the layers fail the composite materials are shown the news this year, terrorists can together. In an explosion, the loads are in Figure 3. The test set up is shown still find ways to hurt people and very high and ‘normal’ glue breaks, in Figure 4. destroy structures by detonating making the material very weak. We need Some of our recent work has shown explosives. Prevention is definitely to understand how to join the layers that panels containing composites, the best option, but it is still together to make the materials stronger like our layered panels, are better able necessary to understand the and better able to withstand explosions. to contain explosion loading that is uniformly distributed. We also see that effects of explosions on materials improving the bonding of the layers just in case the worst should THE RESEARCH – happen. JOINING PROPERTIES makes the materials perform better in explosion tests. So far we have found Once an explosive (like TNT or C4) detonates, it sends shock Before we can test our materials under that the best layered material containing waves out that rapidly compress explosions, we first have to make them glass fibre and aluminium layers is a the surrounding air. This causes and assess whether the bonding between commercial material called GLARE. a high-pressure blast wave that layers is good. To do this, we make GLARE is used to manufacture Airbus Containing travels through the air and has panels with thin sheets of aluminium aircraft parts, so it is encouraging that destructive effects on objects in alloy and woven glass fibre-reinforced this is the best of the layered materials. its path. As the blast wave comes plastic. We use different types of surface A ruptured GLARE panel is shown into contact with an object, a treatments on the aluminium surface in Figure 5. very high pressure rise occurs to try and to improve the bonding, almost instantaneously, followed such as special cleaning techniques, grit by a decay in pressure back to blasting, etching and chemical surface 0.3 mm Metal explosions atmospheric pressure. The peak treatments. We have also tried using pressure magnitude and duration a film adhesive between the sheets to 0.26 mm Composite of the blast wave depend upon Genevieve Langdon discusses the improve the bonding. the source of the explosion (how We then manufacture special test 1.42 mm much and what type of explosive), research that helps us understand how pieces with a small crack in the bond how far the waves travel (pressure between the metal and composite layer. layered materials behave in explosions decreases with distance) and what The official name of the test is the single it’s travelling though (air, water, leg bend experiment. Using a bend test sand, for example). If the blast machine, we cause the crack to open up occurs in a confined space, like and measure the force required to do a tunnel, the explosive energy that (Figure 2). From that we can work Figure 1: A cross-section of layered is greater because the pressure out the crack opening forces and energy material with metal and composite waves cannot escape. needed to break the bonding. This lets us parts Genevieve Langdon

THE ADVANTAGES OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS, Figure 2: Single leg bend testing to test the bond properties – the crack is opening up WHEN COMPARED WITH Genevieve Langdon METALS, ARE: ► Lightweight (a big Tearing of layers Petalling of alluminium advantage in the design of transportation vehicle). ► High stiffness/strength-to- weight ratios. ► The ability to tailor the properties of the composite to suit the precise application Perforation of panel by changing the fibre directions. Figure 3: Some of the damage types observed in blast test layered panels Genevieve Langdon WHY USE A LAYERED MATERIAL? Test specimen To pendulum LAYERED MATERIALS (WITH METAL AND COMPOSITE LAYERS) ARE: ► Lighter than metals alone ► More damage-proof than Polystyrene bridge composites alone ► Offer better fatigue resistance than metal alone Detonator ► Show improved fuel efficiency (important for transport applications because of the low weight).

Professor Front clamp plate Space rod Genevieve Langdon is Professor and Deputy Head of Back clamp plates the Mechanical Figure 4: The explosion test set-up Engineering Genevieve Langdon Department at the University of Cape Town (UCT). She heads up research on lightweight materials at the Blast Impact and Survivability Research Unit (BISRU) at UCT. She investigates 5.5 mm blast-resistant materials and structures for use in structural and transportation applications. She seeks to make the world a safer place by improving our understanding of a structures’ response to explosion loading. She has a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the Figure 5: Ruptured GLARE panel Genevieve Langdon University of Liverpool. She has published her research in many journal articles, conference proceedings, popular media and books. Genevieve is also CURRICULUM CORNER - NATURAL SCIENCES a chartered engineer, member of the South African Young academy of ► Matter and Materials ► Properties of materials ► Chemical reactions Sciences and an NRF rated research scientist.

24 www.assaf.org.za | Volume 13 | Number 1 | 2017 We create chemistry create We that makes locked-in flavors love bursting out. and Once its packaging has been opened, food is often quick to lose the freshness important that we get the most out of what that make it so appealing. It’s aroma chemistry can of its food. Luckily, have available, as the world wastes about one third make a difference. sealants and light stabilizers to have developed a range of packaging products, We So food is a longer life span, they seal in freshness. offering food. Apart from protect still at its best long after the pack has been opened. When less food goes to waste, chemistry. we create because at BASF, it’s our vision visit wecreatechemistry.com share To 283138_Land_Packaging_Coffee_UK.indd 1 NEWS EXTRA! A lure at both ends - Puff adders leave nothing to chance

he puff adder(Bitis arietans) is one of Africa’s deadliest snake species, not only because of its Tdeadly venom, but also because of its stealthy hunting behaviour, ambushing prey. Making it even more deadly, research has now shown that puff adders actively lure prey into striking range. By capturing and analysing thousands of hours of video footage of puff adders hunting in the wild, Wits University researchers, Xavier Glaudas and Graham Alexander, have shown that puff adders use what is termed ‘lingual luring’ to attract amphibian prey closer, and increase the odds of catching it. ‘A puff adder’s strike is typically no A puff adder Wits University longer than one or two head lengths (5 - 10 cm) in distance, so it needs a Glaudas and Alexander tracked 86 puff mouths for up to 30 seconds, which is strategy to attract potential prey to come adders over three years at the Dinokeng dramatically longer than what they do within that striking range in order to Game Reserve, about 100 km north of when they are just using their tongues catch it,’ says Glaudas, a herpetologist Johannesburg in South Africa. Glaudas to “smell” their environment. We know and post-doctoral fellow at the Alexander captured wild snakes and tracked them by of several species that use tongue-luring Herpetology Laboratory at Wits surgically implanting radio transmitters to attract prey. Some wading birds, like University. ‘We have found that puff into the snakes and releasing them at their egrets do it, as well as alligator snapping adders use their tongues, which resemble place of capture. turtles and some aquatic snakes, but this the invertebrates that frogs feed on to ‘We really wanted to have a closer look is the first time that it is reported in a increase prey-capture rate.’ into the secretive lives of these fascinating terrestrial snake,’ says Glaudas. Funded by the National Geographic animals, and specifically study their Even more surprising was the fact that Committee for Research and Exploration, foraging ecology,’ says Glaudas. the snakes only used lingual luring to To aid his research, Glaudas and attract amphibian prey. Alexander used video cameras set up in ‘All the cases of lingual luring that front of puff adders that were lying in we have observed, occurred with frogs, ambush position. which suggests that puff adders are able to ‘We placed our cameras mounted on a distinguish between amphibian prey and tripod about 70 cm away from the snake, other prey like small mammals.’ and the camera continuously recorded Glaudas and Alexander also witnessed what was going on. We came back the puff adders waving their tails, suggesting next morning to get the memory cards that they use their tails as lures as well. However, none of the tail-luring and reviewed everything that happened behaviour attracted prey within the during the night,’ says Glaudas. ‘We camera’s field of view, and more data on gathered over 4 600 hours of video this are needed. footage of snake foraging. So, that is 193 ‘We suspect that this behaviour is days of continuous footage – over half a also used to attract prey, as it is pretty y e ar.’ common in snakes, including adders, but What Glaudas and Alexander saw we weren’t able to observe prey capture surprised them. ‘It was complete luck,’ with the videos’ says Glaudas. says Glaudas. ‘We know that snakes use their tongues to pick up scent cues Issued by: Schalk Mouton, in their environment, but these snakes Xavier Glaudas with a puff adder Senior Communications Officer | Wits University were extending their tongues out of their Wits Communications

26 www.assaf.org.za | Volume 13 | Number 1 | 2017

QuestWork2017.indd 1 2017/02/01 09:48:08 AM NEWS EXTRA! NEWS EXTRA! Deep secrets revealed: research expedition sheds light on deep-sea ecosystems

fter a month at sea, 13 scientists, deepest visual biodiversity survey in technical experts and students South Africa to date. returned from the ‘Deep Secrets’ ‘Deep Secrets’ is a project of the Aresearch cruise that has expanded multi-disciplinary African Coelacanth ocean knowledge in South Africa. The Ecosystem Programme, catalysed team sailed from Cape Town on 26 through a joint initiative with the Map showing the 61 cruise research stations covering 15 habitat types and 7 of September 2016 traversing the shelf Oceans and Coasts Branch of the the proposed new Phakisa Marine Protected Areas in South Africa SAIAB Kerry Sink and scientist Zoleka Filander from the Oceans and Coast Branch edge from off Robben Island on the west Department of Environmental Affairs of the Department of Environmental coast to the outer shelf off the Kei River and the Department of Science and collected using a sled (towed sampling coral-encrusted rocky ridge on the slope Affairs examine corals collected at mouth via the very tip of the Agulhas Technology, facilitated through the device) and a grab (steel jaws that take a off Port Elizabeth, submarine canyons the newly discovered Secret Reef, a Bank, the southernmost point of the Presidential Operation Phakisa Oceans bite out of the seabed). The biodiversity in the Amathole area and coral habitats reef composed of many years of coral growth on the shelf edge off Knysna African continental shelf. The cruise Economy Laboratory. The project and samples provided specimens so scientists at Browns Bank on the west coast are SAIAB track covered more than 3 000 km expedition was led by the Principal One of the first images of a cold water can identify and count animals seen some the key undocumented features coral reef in South Africa’s deepsea collecting information about the geology, Investigator, Dr Kerry Sink, a scientist at in photographs and video footage and that were investigated by the team. ‘We project goals and pioneer new sampling environment SAIAB oceanography, biodiversity and ecology the South African National Biodiversity examine the small creatures that live were amazed at the complexity and approaches. Achievements could not at 61 research stations. Most of the Institute. One of the key project goals is within seabed sediments. They will have been realised without the skill the South African Environmental variability in seabed ecosystems’ said stations were below 200 m, providing to develop deep-sea research capacity also be used for genetic barcoding and of the navigating officers, capable Observation Network, Nelson Mandela Sink, reflecting on ‘the mosaic of sandy new insights into South Africa’s poorly across multiple institutions and as such in studies to characterise the foodweb Metropolitan University, the University of habitats, the diversity on gravel slopes, the technicians and dedicated crew aboard studied deep-sea ecosystems. The the expedition included staff from nine and understand energy flow. Innovative Cape Town, the University of the Western strange creatures captured in the Agulhas the vessel. Deep-sea lectures were held researchers used a towed camera and of the 15 organisations collaborating on plankton sampling was also done Cape, Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism muds and the beauty and fragility of the to complement the practical experience a Go-pro in specialised underwater the project. These include the Oceans using nets attached to the tow camera. and Scripps Institution of Oceanography deep coral ecosystems’. Some of the more gained by the team with international housings to shed light on a range of and Coasts Branch of the Department of Oceanographic sampling provided in California. Research goals focused on surprising finds included a garden of giant collaborator Professor Lisa Levin (Scripps never-before-seen habitats. The deepest Environmental Affairs, the South African measurements of sea temperature, oxygen characterising different habitats in the pink sea anemones off Port Elizabeth, Institution of Oceanography) sharing station surveyed was at a depth of National Biodiversity Institute, the South and the pH of the water, which varies with outer shelf, shelf edge and slope to inform kingklip in sandy burrows off Kenton and scientific knowledge and application with 1 035 m off Knysna and represents the African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, depth and region. Such information is management and spatial planning in the presence of fish eggs and larvae in the links to the Deep Ocean Stewardship critical to help understand climate change South Africa’s ocean. This includes the fronds of soft corals across the study area. Initiative (DOSI). sensitivity and impacts, which must be development of offshore Marine Protected The latter discovery indicates that coral Highlights of the expedition include factored into spatial ocean management. Areas (MPAs) and the implementation habitats may serve a nursery function for the first photographs of deep-water The findings of the cruise were of Marine Spatial Planning, a process to fish and the team is excited to learn the coral ecosystems in South Africa, extensive, with over 3 000 seabed images, identity of the fish species involved. new live coral specimens for further optimally zone the increasing number of many gigs of video footage and more The expedition covered seven of the 21 research, the discovery of the potential activities in the sea. than 600 biodiversity samples. A steep The cruise was hosted aboard the new proposed Phakisa MPAs, providing role of soft corals as fish nurseries and Department of Environment’s research the first images in five of these areas first observations of some fish and vessel Algoa. The sampling was designed and contributing baseline information invertebrates in their natural deep-water to understand different aspects of the to inform MPA implementation and habitats. Areas of future research were marine environment. Echo-sounder management. Fortuitously, a fuel stop identified including understanding the surveys were conducted to examine provided an opportunity to engage with effects of climate change on deep-water features on the sea floor, particularly fisheries stakeholders and together with coral habitats and the impact of demersal submarine canyons, offshore ridges, deep further radio communication at sea, trawling on deep-sea ecosystems. Back reefs and mounds thousands of years this helped raise awareness and build on dry land, the team will return to their old made by cold-water corals. Although understanding of the interaction between laboratories to analyse specimens, video, museum records indicated the presence trawlers and south coast rock lobster images, bathymetry and oceanographic of reef-building corals in deep-water, fishers and cold-water coral habitats. data collected in the field. New student such habitats have never before been The journey was not easy, with a projects will also be developed offering observed in South Africa. Biodiversity number of challenges such as equipment exciting research opportunities for other A hake in among a garden of Scientists and technicians from nine organisations collaborated in this multi- sampling included deep-water camera anemones in an untrawled area off failure, contending with severe weather young scientists to work with the Deep disciplinary expedition to deepen ocean understanding in South Africa SAIAB surveys and many specimens were Port Elizabeth SAIAB and port delays while trying to achieve Secrets team in 2017 and beyond.

he week starting 26 October 2016 Queenstown. financial literacy competitions, linked to marked the end of a landmark GMMDU’s Dr Philip Collett, who m at h s .’ Mxit-based maths competition heads up the mobile maths competition, The new app will have language T– which has run nationally, provincially said: ‘We want to see it grow – we have big support in six indigenous languages, and and city-wide since 2013 – and the launch plans for it.’ will be available from Grades 8 to 12. of a brand new android-based maths The mobile competition is just one The app can also be extended to other Why don’t we collect all of the high-tech resources that have subjects, provided the right partners are competition, which will kick off in 2017. these plastic bottles and see TM The TouchTutor Maths Competition, been developed by GMMDU. They also found. if we can recycle them? sponsored by the Capitec Foundation, have a curriculum-aligned teaching and Capitec Foundation’s Neptal Khoza was developed to ‘popularise’ maths learning model for maths and science, said: ‘We believe maths is the one thing among tech-savvy learners – and its called TouchTutorTM, which is available we need to solve the challenges of the developers, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan on tablets for selected Grade 10 to 12 country … When you’ve done maths, it University’s Govan Mbeki Mathematics learners, and laptops for teachers. And makes things much easier. You’re able Development Unit (GMMDU), are they have a desktop model, which is to reason … You’re able to engage as a determined to keep it fresh by shifting to placed in schools to form resource labs. society and come up with a solution.’ the latest cellphone technology. The maths competition – and the other He said levels of numeracy and Next year’s competition will run on tests that will be available through the critical thinking had deteriorated among a new app, available free from the App new app – is part of their focus on ‘mobile school-leavers – with many learners being Store. The app gives access to assigned assessment and support’. The tests will discouraged from taking maths. tests for competition purposes, along with have automated feedback on scores and ‘There’s no silver bullet to fix education solutions. [in South Africa] but there’s no excuse for Great idea! Let’s use other downloadable tests, which can be them for our Science used for curriculum support by learners ‘We would love to get this app to us not to do what we can.’ Spaza projects ... anywhere in the country. thousands of learners in far-flung places, The other Grade 9 winners in this or we can sell them to ‘It’s so important to recognise, support who can then use their phones to revise year’s mobile maths competition, all from buy a soccer ball. and flag talent among the youth – and this maths,’ said Collett. Pearson, were Bianca Gouws (second), ACTIVITY: INNOVATION WITH LITTER is an innovative way to stimulate interest,’ Downloadable and assigned tests, Peter Mehrtens (third) and Paige- said GMMDU head Prof. Werner Olivier. which will be available online or offline Louise Katz (fourth). The other Grade The announcement of the new on the new app, can also be used for 11 winners, also from Pearson, were in-school, local, district, provincial and Abby Sieberhagen (second) and Tyler you will need: competition format took place on On your piece of paper, draw a map of Go out into national competitions. ‘The Capitec van Huyssteen (third). All the winners 1 2 Wednesday 26 October 2016, at the Paper and pen your school or an area near your home. the area that Foundation will continue to sponsor this received money vouchers for Capitec  prizegiving for last year’s Grade 9 and 11 you have project – and may also introduce some bank accounts.  Large competition winners. Ironically, the top container or mapped and spots in each went to learners in the grade bag collect any below – Alexander Road High Grade 8 litter. On Clean plastic Classrooms learner Brandon le Roux, 14, and Pearson  Reception your map, High Grade 10 learner Kianna Peterson, shopping bags mark where 16. the dustbins Neither had studied the Grade 9 or Quad are and 11 maths syllabus before attempting the 3 Sort the litter where the curriculum-aligned maths tests. ‘I just get into organic (to Parking bad litter maths,’ said Le Roux, who is interested make compost) and Fields areas are. in pursuing an accounting career. ‘I’ve inorganic. Then Use clean entered many other maths competitions sort the inorganic plastic … Maths comes easily to me.’ into paper, plastic, shopping Peterson, 16, who is planning to study glass, metal, and bags to actuarial sciences, said her win was a non-recyclable. protect your surprise, ‘not knowing Grade 11 work’. ‘I Draw a graph to hands. TM just looked at the different equations and Congratulating the cellphone-based TouchTutor Maths Competition winners show the amounts Entrance Brandon le Roux, 14, from Alexander Road High and Kianna Peterson, 16, figured it out.’ from Pearson, are (from left) Capitec Foundation’s Neptal Khoza and Nicky of the different – Dustbin – Bad Litter Area The school with the highest number Mbelebele, and Prof. Werner Olivier, head of Nelson Mandela Metropolitan types of litter. of participants was Get Ahead College in University’s Govan Mbeki Mathematics Development Unit GMMDU

30 www.assaf.org.za | Volume 13 | Number 1 | 2017 NEWS EXTRA! NEWS EXTRA!

the transport properties of these devices. About the Wits Nanoscale Bhattacharyya believes this work will have immense Transport Physics Laboratory importance in developing carbon-based high-frequency devices. ‘It will open not only fundamental studies in carbon materials, The Wits Nanoscale Transport Physics Laboratory (NSTPL) but it will also have industrial applications in the electronic and was established in 2009 under the leadership of Bhattacharyya optoelectronic device sector,’ he says. when Professor João Rodrigues was the Head of the School of Superlattices are currently used as state-of-the-art high- Physics at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. The frequency oscillators and amplifiers and are beginning to find department is known as a leading physics school in the African use in optoelectronics as detectors and emitters in the terahertz continent, having one of the largest academic staff complements regime. While the high-frequency electrical and optoelectronic on a single campus. Since the opening of the laboratory, the properties of conventional semiconductors are limited by NSTPL has gone from strength to strength in establishing a the dopants used to modify their electronic properties, the facility that houses world-class fabrication and measurement properties of superlattices can be tuned over a much wider range equipment, an initiative strongly supported by research entities to create devices which operate in regimes where conventional such as the NRF, CSIR, Wits Research Office and DST/NRF devices cannot. Centre of Excellence in Strong Materials. Superlattice electronic devices can operate at higher The NSTPL is well equipped with various sophisticated frequencies and optoelectronic devices can operate at lower synthesis facilities, as well as a cryogenic micro-manipulated frequencies than their conventional counterparts. The lack of probe station to conduct sensitive quantum transport terahertz emitters and detectors has resulted in a gap in that measurements at temperatures near absolute zero. The NSTPL region of the electromagnetic spectrum (known as the ‘terahertz also houses a fully operational electron beam lithography gap’), which is a significant limitation, as many biological scanning electron microscope, used to fabricate nanoscale molecules are active in this regime. This also limits terahertz devices based on these carbon materials. Some noteworthy current projects include the fabrication Lead author of the paper, Ross McIntosh Wits University radio astronomy. Amorphous carbon devices are extremely strong, can operate of spintronic devices using supramolecular Gd-functionalised at high voltages and can be developed in most laboratories in carbon nanotubes, the fabrication of graphene field effect the world, without sophisticated nano-fabrication facilities. New transistors and most recently the study of the unconventional carbon-based devices could find application in biology, space superconductivity observed in boron-doped diamond. The Wits researchers find techniques to technology, science infrastructure such as the Square Kilometre NSTPL group has also published a number of papers on Array (SKA) telescope in South Africa, and new microwave theoretical investigations, led by Dr Mikhail Katkov and Dr detectors. Dmitry Churochkin, on the role of disorder on the quantum improve carbon superlattices for quantum ‘What was lacking earlier was an understanding of device transport in carbon systems. These various topics form part modelling. If we have a model, we can improve the device of the broader direction the group has taken, that being, quality, and that is what we now have,’ says Bhattacharyya. investigating the physics of carbon materials in the hopes of electronic device applications finding application in quantum information systems as well as detector devices valuable for space exploration.

esearchers at the Nanoscale Transport Physics Laboratory obtained from carbon devices. The paper has been published in Issued by: Schalk Mouton, Senior Communications Officer | Wits Communications from the School of Physics at the University of the Scientific Reports(Nature Publishing Group) on 19 October 2016. Witwatersrand (Wits) have found a technique to ‘This work provides an understanding of the fundamental POTENTIAL Rimprove carbon superlattices for quantum electronic device quantum properties of carbon superlattices, which we can applications. Superlattices are made up of alternating layers of now use to design quantum devices for specific applications,’ very thin semiconductors, just a few nanometres thick. These says lead author, Wits PhD student, Ross McIntosh. ‘Our work layers are so thin that the physics of these devices is governed provides strong impetus for future studies of the high-frequency by quantum mechanics, where electrons behave like waves. In a electronic and optoelectronic properties of carbon superlattices.’ paradigm shift from conventional electronic devices, exploiting Through their work, the group reported one of the first the quantum properties of superlattices holds the promise of theoretical models that can explain the fundamental electronic developing new technologies. transport properties in disordered carbon superlattices. The group, headed by Professor Somnath Bhattacharyya, has Bhattacharyya started looking at the use of carbon for been working for the past 10 years on developing carbon-based semiconductor applications almost 10 years ago, before he nano-electronic devices. joined Wits University, when he and co-authors from the ‘Carbon is the future in the electronics field and it soon will University of Surrey developed and demonstrated negative be challenging many other semiconductors, including silicon,’ differential resistance and excellent high-frequency properties POTENTIAL says Bhattacharyya. of a quantum device made up of amorphous carbon layers. This The physics of carbon superlattices is more complex than that work was published in Nature Materials in 2006. A schematic atomic diagram of a quantum well made from amorphous carbon layers. The blue atoms represent of crystalline superlattices (such as gallium arsenide), since the McIntosh undertook the opportunity at honours level amorphous carbon with a high percentage of diamond-like carbon. The maroon atoms represent amorphous carbon material is amorphous and carbon atoms tend to form chains to measure the electrical properties of carbon superlattice which is graphite-like. The diamond-like regions have a high potential (diamond is insulating) while the graphite-like and networks. The Wits group, in association with researchers devices. Now, as a PhD student and having worked extensively regions are more metallic. This creates a quantum well as electrons are confined within the graphite-like region due to the relatively high potential in the diamond-like regions. The maroon chains through the diamond-like regions represent at the University of Surrey in the UK, has developed a detailed with theoretician Dr Mikhail V Katkov, he has extended the polymeric chains, a feature which is unique to carbon superlattices. Superlattices are made up of a series of quantum theoretical approach to understand the experimental data theoretical framework and developed a technique to calculate wells. The green atoms represent nitrogen impurities Wits University

32 www.assaf.org.za | Volume 13 | Number 1 | 2017 www.assaf.org.za | Volume 13 | Number 1 | 2017 33 NEWS EXTRA! Tshwane University FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT Tshwaneof Technology University FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT ofWe Technologyempower people We empower people

Who made the art? The following qualifications are presented from 2018: Admission requirements for Doctor of Engineering The following qualifications are presented from 2018: AdmissionA Magister requirements Technologiae: for Doctor Engineering, of Engineering Master of Engineering, or a Admission requirements for the Higher Certificate in Engineering A Master’s Magister degree Technologiae: at NQF Level Engineering, 9 in a related Master field of Engineering,obtained from or a aSouth Researchers find way to determine the sex AdmissionA National Seniorrequirements Certificate for theor Higheran equivalent Certificate qualification, in Engineering with at least Master’sAfrican degreeuniversity. at NQF Level 9 in a related field obtained from a South Aa (4)National for English, Senior (4)Certificate for Mathematics or an equivalent and (4) for qualification, Physical Science. with at leastTotal African university. aAPS (4) forscore: English, 24. This (4) for is theMathematics general requirement and (4) for Physicalfor the Faculty Science. and Totalit may The following qualifications are presented at Faculty of Engineering and APSdiffer score: for individual 24. This Higher is the general Certificates requirement programmes. for the Faculty This is and a itone-year may Thethe following Built Environment qualifications according are presented to NATED at 151.Faculty of Engineering and of the artists who created ancient rock art differqualification. for individual Higher Certificates programmes. This is a one-year the Built Environment according to NATED 151. qualification. • Higher Certificate in Construction Engineering (Civil) Admission requirements for National Diploma •• HigherHigher CertificateCertificate in in ConstructionElectrical Engineering Engineering (Civil) AdmissionA National requirements Senior Certificate for National with an Diplomaendorsement of a bachelor’s degree •• HigherHigher CertificateCertificate in in IndustrialElectrical EngineeringEngineering A Nationalor an equivalent Senior Certificate qualification, with withan endorsement an achievement of a bachelor’s of (5) for degree English, rehistoric human ancestors that • Higher Certificate in Industrial Engineering or (5) an for equivalent Mathematics/Technical qualification, with Mathematics an achievement and of (5) (5) for for English, Technical • Higher Certificate in Mechanical Engineering (5) for Mathematics/Technical Mathematics and (5) for Technical • Higher Certificate in Mechanical Engineering Science/Physical Science. Applicants with a final combined score of created hand stencils in caves Science/Physical10 and more for Science.Mathematics Applicants and Physical with a Science final combined and a total score APS of of 40 000 years ago can now be Admission requirements for Diploma in Building 10between and more 23 for and Mathematics 27 will write and an AcademicPhysical Science Placement and Assessment.a total APS of Admission requirements for Diploma in Building between 23 and 27 will write an Academic Placement Assessment. Pidentified as male or female with more A minimum score of (4) for English, (3) for Mathematics and (3) for Physical AScience. minimum Total score APS of (4)score: for English, 25. Admission (3) for Mathematics is subject to andavailability (3) for Physical of space. • National Diploma Metallurgical Engineering than 90% accuracy. Science. Total APS score: 25. Admission is subject to availability of space. • National Diploma Metallurgical Engineering • National Diploma in Chemical Engineering Ancient hand stencils were made by Admission requirements for Diploma in Industrial Design • National Diploma in Chemical Engineering blowing, spitting or stippling pigment AdmissionA National Senior requirements Certificate for Diplomaor an equivalent in Industrial qualification Design with at least an Admission requirements for National Diploma: Surveying A National Senior Certificate or an equivalent qualification with at least an Admission requirements for National Diploma: Surveying onto a hand while it was held against adequate achievement of (4) for English. Total APS score: 21. In order A National Senior Certificate with an endorsement of a bachelor’s degree adequateto be considered achievement for admission of (4) for toEnglish. this qualification, Total APS score: you 21. must In order first meet A National Senior Certificate with an endorsement of a bachelor’s degree a rock surface, leaving a negative The cave in action – experimental reproduction of cave art in simulated to be considered for admission to this qualification, you must first meet or a diploma, or an equivalent qualification, with an achievement level the minimum academic requirements. All the applications should be or of a at diploma, least (4) or foran equivalentEnglish (home qualification, language orwith first an additional achievement language), level impression on the rock in the shape of cave conditions by researchers and students at the University of Liverpool thesupplemented minimum academicwith a portfolio. requirements. All the applications should be of at least (4) for English (home language or first additional language), supplemented with a portfolio. (4) for Mathematics/Technical Mathematics and (3) for Physical Science/ the hand. Hand stencils are frequently Jason Hall, University of Liverpool (4)Physical for Mathematics/Technical Science. A total APS Mathematics of 23 may beand considered. (3) for Physical Science/ Physical Science. A total APS of 23 may be considered. found alongside pictorial cave art created Admission requirements for Bachelor of Architecture Admission requirements for Bachelor of Architecture Professional recognition during a period known as the Upper ‘Now, using a new experimental Jason Hall, an archaeologist, also a A minimum score of (4) for English is required with a minimum of 25 APS Professional recognition A minimum score of (4) for English is required with a minimum of 25 APS The Bachelor of Technology degrees in Chemical, Civil, Electrical, score. Admission is subject to the completion of a Potential Assessment The Bachelor of Technology degrees in Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Palaeolithic. Stencils found in Sulawesi, application, results from our study member of the team from the University score. Admission is subject to the completion of a Potential Assessment Industrial,Industrial, Mechanical, Mechanical, Mechatronic, Mechatronic, and and Metallurgical Metallurgical Engineering Engineering enable enable Test andand availableavailable space.space.The The purpose purpose and and intention intention of of the the assessment assessment Indonesia, date back 40 000 years, and indicate it is possible to determine, with of Liverpool added: ‘As part of this study studentsstudents to to register register as as professional professional technologists technologists with with the the Engineering Engineering isis toto selectselect onlyonly studentsstudents who who are are likely likely to to be be successful successful in in their their studies studies those discovered in Europe are estimated more than 90% accuracy, the sex of we built a replica cave wall to allow us CouncilCouncil of of South South Africa Africa (ECSA) (ECSA) when when they they have have gained gained a minimum a minimum of of inin Architecture. Architecture. The The University University reserves reserves the the right right to to select select the the best best three years’ practical experience after qualifying. Since these degrees are to be as old as 37 000 years. someone who lived tens of thousands of to experiment with how art was made, candidates for this programme. This is a six-hour written test. three years’ practical experience after qualifying. Since these degrees are candidates for this programme. This is a six-hour written test. recognisedrecognised internationally internationally through through the the Sydney Sydney Accord, Accord, qualified qualified students students This study, published in December years ago, from the shape and size of their and how it might look under different cancan work work as as technologists technologists in in co-signatory co-signatory countries. countries. In theIn the UK, UK, for for 2016 (open‐access) in the Journal example,example, a technologist a technologist can can work work as asan anincorporated incorporated engineer engineer (IEng) (IEng) after after hand outline. We have even applied the lighting conditions – without having to go Admission requirements requirements for for the the Bachelor’s Bachelor’s degree degree in in Engineering Engineering registrationregistration with with the the Engineering Engineering Council Council of theof the United United Kingdom Kingdom (ECUK). (ECUK). of Archaeological Science, utilised method to hand stencils where digits are Technology deep underground. This “portable cave” BachelorBachelor of ofTechnology Technology degrees degrees have have a strong a strong practical practical and and application application techniques used in modern forensics A National Senior Senior Certificate Certificate (NSC(NSC – – completedcompleted Grade Grade 12 12 in in and and after after focus and technologists are competent engineering practitioners who missing – common in Palaeolithic art – has been really popular with the public, 2008), with an endorsement of a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent focus and technologists are competent engineering practitioners who 2008), with an endorsement of a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent are able to apply and modify engineering practices innovatively, solve to analyse stencils created by student something prior studies have not been qualification, with at least asubstantial achievement of (5) for English, (5) are able to apply and modify engineering practices innovatively, solve especially school groups, who can make qualification, with at least asubstantial achievement of (5) for English, (5) broadly defined engineering problems, give managerial inputs and work for Mathematics and (5) for Physical Science. Total APS score: 28. This is broadly defined engineering problems, give managerial inputs and work volunteers and researchers as part of a able to do.’ art in the same way that our ancestors did’. for Mathematics and (5) for Physical Science. Total APS score: 28. This is independently. B Tech degrees differ from BEng degrees, which allow a three-year qualificationqualification (integrated (integrated theory theory andand practical). practical). independently. B Tech degrees differ from BEng degrees, which allow collaborative research project between Previously, researchers focused on hand Project co‐ordinator, Dr Anthony registrationregistration as as professional professional engineers, engineers, in the in the sense sense that that their their focus focus is is more on the application of technological knowledge than on the derivation anthropologists and archaeologists at the size and finger length, often producing • Bachelor of Engineering Technology in Civil Engineering more on the application of technological knowledge than on the derivation Sinclair, a Reader in Archaeology at the • Bachelor of Engineering Technology in Civil Engineering of knowledge from first principles. • Bachelor of Engineering Technology in Electrical Engineering of knowledge from first principles. University of Liverpool, the University conflicting results. Here, a technique called University of Liverpool and an expert • Bachelor of Engineering Technology in Electrical Engineering of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) and the •• BachelorBachelor ofof EngineeringEngineering Technology Technology in in Industrial Industrial Engineering Engineering geometric morphometrics was used to in Palaeolithic archaeology said: ‘This is •• BachelorBachelor ofof EngineeringEngineering Technology Technology in in Polymer Polymer VisitVisit the the website website at atwww.tut.ac.za www.tut.ac.za for fordetailed detailed information information on theon thevarious various University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in detect sex‐based differences in hand shape a great example of how archaeological coursescourses and and access access the the Faculty Faculty of Engineeringof Engineering and and the theBuilt Built Environment Environment South Africa. Admission requirementsrequirements for for Master Master of of Engineering Engineering and form. Known‐sex hand stencils were science and forensic science are working page.page. University of Liverpool biological digitised and a series of 2D landmarks A Baccalaureus Technologiae Technologiae in in Engineering, Engineering, Bachelor Bachelor of of Engineering Engineering together to advance our understanding Technology Honours,Honours, BachelorBachelor of of Engineering Engineering or or a aBachelor Bachelor of of Science Science anthropologist, Dr Emma Nelson, led were applied to statistically evaluate the of the past, and the social and cognitive inin Engineering Engineering (in (in any any related related field), field), or or an an NQF NQF level level 8 8 qualification qualification in in ForFor more more information: information: the study. She said: ‘Archaeologists are true shape and relative size of each stencil. Engineering (or(or anyany relatedrelated field), field), withwith anan aggregateaggregate of of60 60 % for% for the the final final systems that evolved during the Upper FacultyFaculty Marketer: Marketer: Ms Ms Zelda Zelda Janse Janse van van Rensburg Rensburg interested in hand stencils because they Dr Patrick Randolph‐Quinney, a year ofof studystudy obtainedobtained from from an an accredited accredited South South African African university. university. Palaeolithic’. Email:Email: [email protected] [email protected] provide a direct, physical connection with forensic anthropologist at UCLAN and ‘We would encourage other researchers These programmesprogrammes involve involve a a research research project project with with dissertation, dissertation, specified specified Facebook:Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TUTengineeringfaculty http://www.facebook.com/TUTengineeringfaculty an artist living more than 35 000 years ago’. Wits University, said: ‘The problem with subjects. The candidates should prove that they understand a particular to apply this method to different human subjects. The candidates should prove that they understand a particular Twitter:Twitter: http://twitter.com/TUTEngineering http://twitter.com/TUTEngineering focusing on hand size and finger length is problem inin industryindustry to to which which their their research research applies applies and and are are able able to to analyse analyse populations so we can build a more global it,it, arrive arrive at at logical logical conclusions conclusions or or a a diagnosis diagnosis and and make make proposals proposals for for that two different shaped hands can have understanding of hand variation.’ improvementimprovement oror eliminationelimination of of the the problems. problems. identical linear dimensions and ratios. The full report, Beyond size: The To capture shape, we applied geometric potential of a geometric morphometric morphometrics, a technique that had analysis of shape and form for the never been tested on hand stencils.’ assessment of sex in hand stencils Randolph-Quinney says this geometric in rock art, appears in the Journal of approach is very powerful as it allows Archaeological Science. researchers to look at the palm and fingers The cave in daylight – an artificial independently. ‘It revealed that the shape portable cave wall that allows students Find the article online here: http://dx.doi. and researchers to produce rock art of the palm is actually most indicative of org/10.1016/j.jas.2016.11.001 Issued by: without having to go underground the sex of the individual, rather than the Schalk Mouton, Senior Communications Jason Hall, University of Liverpool finger size or length.’ Officer | Wits Communications

34 www.assaf.org.za | Volume 13 | Number 1 | 2017 ONLINE COURSE WALTER SISULU UNIVERSITY Free online course Extinctions: Past and Present Have you ever wondered about the of the course is about the crises that Coast Fossil Park, Kirstenbosch National diversity of life on our planet, and how biodiversity is facing today. In the course Botanical Gardens, and the Table this came to be? Have you pondered Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan interviews Mountain National Park. over what happened to the dinosaurs, several scientists (palaeontologists, Come and learn with Professor mammoths and other organisms that microbiologists, ornithologists, Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan, who is an we find only as fossils? Given the ecologists, etc) who each share their acclaimed paleobiologist, NRF A-rated high rates of extinctions today are you research experiences in this area. researcher, and author of academic and concerned about the future of organisms This five week course is at a popular children’s books on fossils. She is also and ecosytems on our planet? Starting level, and it is open to anyone with an former South African Woman of the in March 2017 Professor Anusuya interest in science or environmental Year, and in 2013 she was awarded the Chinsamy-Turan, based at the University issues. The course is delivered completely World Academy of Science’s Sub-Saharan of Cape Town, will be offering a free online through video lectures, short Prize for the Public Understanding and online course, Extinctions: Past and texts, optional discussions and quizzes as Popularization of Science. Present, on the UK Open University’s well as additional readings. Completing online learning platform, FutureLearn. the course requires roughly two to three The course explores the history of life on hours per week. If you would like to learn more Earth through geological time, and looks Extinctions: Past and Present is or enroll in this course please at how life on Earth has been shaped developed by the University of Cape visit: https://www.futurelearn.com/ by the five mass extinction events that Town, and filmed on location at the courses/extinctions-past-present occurred in deep time. The last week Iziko South African Museum, the West

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STARGAZING 2017 DIVERSE WILDLIFE KRUGER BIRDS

2017 Sky Guide Africa South Wildlife of Southern Africa – a Guide to Birds of the Kruger – Astronomical Handbook for field guide to the animals and National Park. By Warwick activity: Make a garden in a bottle Southern Africa. By Astronomical plants of the region. By Vincent Tarboton and Peter Ryan. 2016. Society of Southern Africa. 2017. Carruthers (Ed). 2016. Struik Struik Nature. Cape Town. In this activity you will explore how plants grow in closed bottles. Struik Nature. Cape Town. Nature. Cape Town.

TheSky Guide Africa South is published This is a wonderful all-in-one guide for all The Kruger National Park is one of the annually and is an invaluable resource for adverturers, travellers and tourists. This largest and best-known conservation YOU WILL NEED: 1 Put some soil in the bottom 2 Put the same amount of of each bottle, drop one water in each bottle (just anyone who enjoys watching the night edition is comprehensively updated and areas in the world. Although most  2 plastic 2-litre sky – and more to the point – enjoys includes new artwork and, for the first people visit to see the famous Big Five, bottles seed into each bottle, and enough to make the soil understanding what they are watching. The time, range maps for all entries at species the bird life in the park is staggering then cover them with a damp). Close the lid on one  2 seeds of the handbook is prepared by the Astronomical level. As in the previous edition, all entries in its diversity. There have been some same type (sugar little more soil. of the bottles, and leave Society of Southern Africa for use by are fully updated with the latest taxonomy 500 species recorded within its range, beans work well) the other bottle open. the novice, amateur and professional and common names. representing more than half the number Soil astronomer and offers a wealth of The book features more than 2 000 of species found across southern Africa.  information about the Sun, Moon, planets, carefully selected plants and animals, This book is filled with informative  Water comments meteors and bright stars. The large and small, that are likely to be species accounts, full-colour photographs information is clear and accessible, with encountered during a visit to any part of and distribution maps that show diagrams that support the text. the region. Each chapter has been written actual sightings, making it an essential This volume provides the 2017 by a leading expert in the field. guide for easy identification. There is information on the movement of the Each chapter is colour coded for an introductory chapter on the park’s planets, any eclipses, the dates of meteor easy reference and there are short geology, vegetation types, climate and showers and has clearly-presented star accounts giving key diagnostic features, rainfall and the importance of these in charts to aid in identifying stars and accompanied by accurate full-colour bird distribution. constellations in the southern African illustrations. An essential companion on any trip to night skies. A must for all nature lovers. the Kruger area.

NEW EVIDENCE OF LANGUAGE-LIKE ABILITIES IN BIRDS MIND-BOGGLING Colliding galaxies. Source: NASA Scientists are reporting new evidence that birds use them to warn each other of MATHS PUZZLE FOR birds can communicate meaningfully nearby predators such as raptors. Another with each other by re-arranging the same type of call known as the ‘D calls’ means QUEST READERS sounds in different ways. ‘come over here,’ a call the birds use after The ability to combine a limited discovering a new source of food or when number of words and phrases to create wanting their partner to come to the nest. What is as meaning is called syntax – a hallmark of However, the birds often combine these A person wearing eye human language. New findings suggest two calls into so-called ‘ABC-D calls’ large as an glasses. Wikimedia Commons that birds known as Japanese great tits when, for instance, the birds encounter have a form of this ability as well, and predators and join forces to frighten elephant NEW GLASSES MAY HELP they are not the only birds them away. When hearing a MINIMISE PERIPHERAL that may be revealing recording of these calls but has no VISION LOSS language-like abilities. played in the natural The scientists order of ABC-D, the Vision scientists may have discovered mass? found that they use birds are alarmed how to reduce pedestrian collisions various calls and and flock together, in crowded and chaotic open-space Answer to Maths Puzzle combinations of the scientists said. no. 39: 13 212 environments like shopping malls calls to interact in However, if the call involving individuals with partial specific situations. ordering is artificially blindness. Researchers have determined A combination of reversed to D-ABC, from which direction collisions with sounds known the birds don’t partially blind pedestrians are most likely as ‘ABC calls,’ for Japanese great tits use various respond. to originate and this understanding will instance, means calls and combinations of calls Source: World Science, guide the development of new glasses that http://www.world- ‘watch out!’ – the Wikimedia commons science.net WHEN GALAXIES COLLIDE… expand the sight of a person with limited peripheral vision. Astronomers have discovered what happens when the eruption from a Researchers at Harvard Medical School MILESTONE IN GRAPHENE PRODUCTION supermassive black hole is swept up by the collision and merger of two galaxy are developing new devices based on clusters. This composite image contains X-rays from Chandra (blue), radio prism-containing eyewear they previously For the first time, it is claimed, it has been Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute emission from the GMRT (red), and optical data from Subaru (red, green, and designed. New prism-containing glasses possible to produce functional OLED for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam blue) of the colliding galaxy clusters called Abell 3411 and Abell 3412. These would bend light to hit areas of the eye electrodes from graphene. The process and Plasma Technology FEP from and other telescopes were used to analyse how the combination of these two that still function, expanding what a was developed by Fraunhofer researchers Dresden, together with partners, have WIN A PRIZE! powerful phenomena can create an extraordinary cosmic particle accelerator. patient could see. together with partners from industry and succeeded for the first time in producing research. The OLEDs can, for example, OLED electrodes from graphene. The X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO/R. van Weeren et al; Optical: NAOJ/Subaru; Radio: NCRA/TIFR/GMRT) Harvard Department of Ophthalmology (with Send us your answer (fax, information provided by the Association for be integrated into touch displays, and electrodes have an area of 2 × 1cm². e-mail or snail-mail) together Research in Vision and Ophthalmology) the miracle material graphene promises Graphene is considered a new miracle with your name and contact COMPOUND EYES FOR INDUSTRY AND SMARTPHONE many other applications for the future. material. The advantages of the carbon details by 15:00 on Friday 7 It is claimed to be the perfect material: compound are impressive: graphene is April 2017. transparent, stable, flexible, conductive, light, transparent and extremely hard Fraunhofer researchers have developed associated aperture, each optical channel resolution while the machine is running. THE FIRST CORRECT ENTRY and ideal for touchscreens, photovoltaics, and has more tensile strength than steel. a process enabling the production of a has an individual viewing direction and Further applications might include THAT WE OPEN WILL BE wearables and much more. Moreover, it is flexible and extremely 2 mm flat camera. Similar to the eyes of always depicts another area of the field of cameras in cars that help parking or in THE LUCKY WINNER. WE’LL conductive for heat or electricity. insects, its lens is partitioned into 135 vision. industrial robots that prevent collisions SEND YOU A COOL TRULY Graphene consists of a single layer of SCIENTIFIC CALCULATOR! tiny facets. Following nature’s model, The cameras are suitable in medical between man and machines, and in carbon atoms which are assembled in a the researchers have named their mini- engineering, for instance – for optical smartphones. kind of honeycomb pattern. It is only 0.3 ► Mark your answer camera concept facetVISION. sensors, which will be able to examine Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft nanometres thick, which is about one ‘Quest Maths Puzzle no. 40’ Just as with insects’ eyes, the blood quickly and easily, and in the hundred thousandth of a human hair. and send it to: Quest Maths Fraunhofer technology comprises many printing industry, where such cameras are Puzzle, Living Maths, P.O. Box Graphene has a variety of applications small, uniform lenses positioned close needed to check the print image at high 195, Bergvliet, 7864, Cape – for example, as a touchscreen in together, similar to the pieces of a mosaic. Town, South Africa . smartphones. Each facet receives only a small section Fax: 0866 710 953. Many other applications are also of its surroundings. Just as an insect’s conceivable: in windows, the transparent brain aggregates the many individual graphene could regulate the light images of the facets to a whole picture The first prototype of the transmission or serve as an electrode in so in Fraunhofer’s newly developed Orange luminous OLED on a graphene polarisation filters. Graphene can also be facetVISION camera, micro-lenses and technology transfers the images electrode. The two-euro coin used in photovoltaics, high-tech textiles Email: [email protected]. For more aperture arrays take over these functions. from the camera to the smartphone (exactly the same diameter as our on Living Maths phone (083) 308 3883 similar-looking R5 coin) serves as a and even in medicine. and visit www.livingmaths.com. Due to the offset of each lens to its by Bluetooth via a transmission box comparison of sizes Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

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