/ 10 February 2014

M&G Newsroom: Traces of stars and safety online

M&g Newsroom: Traces Of Stars And Safety Online

On the M&G Newsroom this week, we interrogate political party funding in South Africa. As Mail & Guardian associate editor Verashni Pillay's recent reporting suggests, more than one funder was behind the botched Democratic Alliance-Agang SA merger, raising questions about the influences behind our biggest political parties. With an election around the corner, we ask whether the time has come for transparent political party funding in South Africa.

Just how safe are you online? Our chief technology officer, Alistair Fairweather asked a group of unsuspecting volunteers. And, as his experiment showed, a little elbow grease will give any would-be stalker access to any information they want about you.

What can we do about beefing up our personal security online, or has the horse bolted? Should we be worried? Don't miss the M&G Newsroom this week to find out.

Then we chat to the M&G's science editor, Sarah Wild, about an $8-million experiment, currently underway in the Karoo, which aims to hunt down traces of when the first stars were formed. This is separate to the Square Kilometre Array, but the two may ultimately end up working in cahoots. Tune in to M&G Newsroom to find out why.