With 2005 being World Year of Physics, this particular field of science is being celebrated in style by some international physicists of note at this year’s Sasol SciFest. Among them are Professor Neil Turok, Wendy Sadler and Dr Tanya Lake.
Professor Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan is a cool mom. She knows more than most people on the planet do about dinosaurs. And that pleases her two sons, aged six and eight tremendously, because having a palaeobiologist handy whenever you need one to settle an argument over just how big Tyrannosaurus rex really was is always a good thing!
Each year Sasol SciFest focuses on an endangered animal and its ecological footprint or spoor. This year the spotlight falls on the African elephant, SciFest’s official Spoor of the Year. It has become the powerful symbol of a continent, a true flagship species that seems to encapsulate the energy of Africa’s natural landscape and its raw, unbridled beauty.
Science-fiction is one of the biggest genres in Hollywood, producing some of the highest-grossing movies of all time. Strange as it may sound, given its current popularity, sci-fi was all but dead 30 years ago, in motion-picture terms at least. Modern movie sci-fi owes its popularity to the vision of one man. Catch the classics at the Sasol SciFest.
Grissom looks puzzled – The corpse on the gurney is semi-decomposed and the coroner is battling to get to grips with what happened. This is a typical scene from the TV series <i>CSI</i>, which follows the adventures of a team of top forensic pathologists. But what television doesn’t tell you is that, more often than not, the heroes of crime scene investigation are not even human – they are insects.
When Karen Trendler started up the Animal Rehabilitation Centre (ARC) in the kitchen of her home in Kameeldrift, outside Pretoria, she had nothing but a background in nature conservation and a limitless compassion for animals to draw upon. But Trendler was single-minded in her commitment to make ARC work.
About 100-million sharks, rays and skates are being killed every year, and experts predict that if this current rate continues, in 20 years many species will become extinct. Already it has been established that some species of shark face the risk of extinction having dropped in population numbers by 89% between 1986 and 2000.
"We are playing a key role in long-term environmental observation. We need to make predictions with regards to our environment." What does the future hold for our protected flora and fauna and the people who manage these vital areas? Hector Magome of South African National Parks speaks to Sharon van Wyk
Traditional medicine in South Africa could face severe shortages of raw materials because of stubborn seeds. Not only are these seeds unable to be stored effectively, but the traditional medicine market is causing these plants to be over-utilised and this could lead to extinction.
If you are too young to have learnt to spell the word “science”, don’t worry – Sasol SciFest has a special programme for children aged four to eight. Called the Playfair, participants can expect a different science experience each morning, from chocolate-making workshops to building radios.