V o l u m e 4 4 N u m b e r 2 July 2002

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IN THE NEWS catch your attention.

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contents
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2 3
 Foreword

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4 5

A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR
GTZ – investing in the future of the world’s children
I
n 2001 the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development defined seven
international development goals of which two
emphasise the importance of basic education. In
line with these goals, governments the world
over committed themselves to provide free, quality
education to all children. Taking this commitment
seriously, the German Government doubled its finan-
cial contributions in the field of basic education. The aim is
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische
Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) was established in 1975
to empower
to support development and reform processes on people to
behalf of various German departments, partner
country governments and international organisa-
use their own
tions (such as the European Union, United Nations initiative, so
and World Bank).
The GTZ is a development agency with world-
that they
wide operations. It is owned by the Federal can improve
Republic of Germany and aims at improving
people’s living conditions and prospects. The
their living
projects and programmes are undertaken on the conditions
basis of bilateral agreements between Germany
and the partner government. Developing project
through their
strategies and measures is therefore a joint effort own efforts.
of both partners. Among others, activities are
orientated towards improving the quality of
science and mathematics at school level.
What is Technical Cooperation?
Technical Cooperation is all about boosting the
performance capacity of both individuals and
organisations. It helps enhance the political and
institutional framework for sustainable develop-
ment in partner countries. Technical Cooperation
transfers and mobilises knowledge and skills and –
together with its partners – creates and develops
the environment in which these can be applied.
The aim is to empower people to use their own
initiative, so that they can improve their living
conditions through their own efforts.
International partnership
International and local experts, and managerial
personnel, form the mainstay of the GTZ’s
presence in its partner countries. Altogether
6 7
the GTZ has more than 12 000 employees
worldwide. In South Africa, about 8 700 people
are contracted to the GTZ. In addition, there are
some 1 200 people employed at the Head Office
in Germany near Frankfurt am Main.
Activity areas
The GTZ’s consultancy services cover a wide range
of activity areas including:
● economic development;
● employment promotion;
● health;
● basic education;
● environmental protection;
● resource conservation;
● regional rural development, and
● good governance, democracy and human rights.
In recent years, government advisory services
have increased significantly.
Customised solutions
In cooperation with its partners
and with many years of
experience, the
GTZ is tailoring solutions to specific problem
situations and developing project strategies as
well as dovetailing inputs delivered by various
project actors (such as different governmental,
non-governmental and private organisations), so
as to achieve the best possible results.
Emphasis is on interlocking regional, sectoral,
commercial and logistic capabilities and integrating
management know-how and intercultural expertise.
Service package
The GTZ services include:
● advising organisations in partner countries on
project and programme planning, implementa-
tion and evaluation;
● recruiting and briefing experts for their tasks;
● organising and implementing project-orientated
training and upgrading;
● specification, planning and procurement of
materials and equipment for the projects; and
● granting, processing and dispersing
non-repayable financial contri-
butions from Technical
Cooperation
funds.
Message from our
sponsor: GTZ
The GTZ’s contribution in
the field of basic education
Since its inception, the GTZ has supported
the endeavours of developing countries
to improve basic education. The promo-
tion of basic education in development
cooperation still remains a key issue
in terms of social and economic develop-
ment. The GTZ is currently supporting
education in the following fields:
● intercultural bilingual education;
● sectoral consultancy;
● teacher training; and
● subject-specific interventions, such as environ-
mental education, science and health education.
The GTZ in South Africa
In South Africa, the GTZ has a team of 90
staff members who are working in four sectors:
● Education and Skills Development;
● Public Administration and Decentralisation;
● Community and Local Economic Development;
and
● Economic Growth and Employment Promotion.
The GTZ’s education projects cover both basic
education as well as skills training, in their effort
to support the implementation of the various edu-
cation reforms. Through these efforts, it is hoped
that the younger generation will eventually
become competent, innovative, productive
and responsible members of the new
South African society.
To find out more information about
GTZ, contact:
● Dr Ulf Metzger –
metzher.gtz-suedafrika@za.gtz.de
Tel: (012) 342-0181
● Mrs Linda Rose – Western Cape Education
Department; lrose@pawc.wcape.gov.za
Tel: (021) 467-2558
● Mr JS Bob Tladi – Free State Department of
Education; bobtladi@majuba.ofs.gov.za
Tel: (051) 404-8434
 IN THE NEWS In the news

Jupiter's new moons ESKOM EXPO FOR YOUNG SCIENTISTS

Astronomers at the University of Hawaii recently planetary formation processes. WINNERS AT THE INTEL INTERNATIONAL
discovered 11 new moons orbiting Jupiter - the These moons are visible as faint dots of light
solar system's largest planet - therefore increasing only a few kilometres long circling Jupiter at a SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FAIR
their number from 28 to a whopping 39! This dis- maximum distance of 20 million kilometres, all
covery means that Jupiter now holds the number moving in orbits counter to the direction of Two excited 18-year-olds, Bradley Mathews executing the project and utilising engineering
one position for having the most moons (stealing Jupiter's spin. They travel around the gas giant in and Bertus Esterhuysen, recently returned principles/methods to solve the problem.
the title away from Saturn which has 30 moons). distinct clusters, therefore suggesting that they are from representing South Africa at the Intel His second award was another US$500 cash
The research team found the new moons in mid- the shattered remnants of prior moons. That fact, International Science and Engineering Fair prize, from Schlumberger Excellence in
December 2001 using the Canada-France-Hawaii combined with their irregular, elongated orbits, (ISEF) in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Educational Development. This award is
telescope after spending months monitoring these strongly hints that they were “ captured” by Jupiter These two young scientists are very proud presented to young scientists exhibiting projects
moons to confirm their orbits. The scientists are when the planet was young. Alternatively, the of being selected to represent South Africa in the categories of earth and space sciences, Bradley Mathews shows
now analysing these moons’ sizes, surfaces and moons may have been trapped by the planet's internationally. “ I felt honoured to represent engineering, chemistry, physics and computer off his award-winning
orbits in the hopes of learning more about early increasing gravity during its final stages of growth. the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists. By sciences, who demonstrate exceptional creativi- refrigeration unit (Gold &
sponsoring the Eskom Expo for Young ty, independence and initiative in problem International winner).
This “ family portrait” , a composite of the Jovian system, includes the edge of Jupiter with its Scientists, Eskom has opened a door for me selection, research design and project execution.
Great Red Spot, and Jupiter's four largest moons, known as the Galilean satellites. From top to and allowed me to experience another culture, Both Bertus (who designed a wheel alert
bottom, the moons shown are: Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. This image and other images and has given me the chance to exhibit my mechanism which tells you when you need to
and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web, on the Galileo mission home own innovation and compete internationally change your tyres) and Bradley have achieved
page at: http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov. as a South African. Bertus and I would like to international recognition for their world-class
thank Eskom for being Proudly South African," projects. They won gold medals at the Eskom
says Bradley. Expo for Young Scientists national finals held
The participants entered their projects in Pretoria in October last year. Eskom takes

Internet access in SA - we've in the engineering category, where they com-

still got a long way to go
A recent study by World Wide Worx has revealed that three
million South Africans have access to the Internet. This
translates to one in 15 having access as opposed to one in
two in the USA. At current growth rates only one in 10 will
have access by 2006.
The research project, which was led by Arthur Goldstuck, took
six months to complete, attributed the slow growth of Internet
access in SA to several factors, including:
● delays in the licensing of a second network operator;
● Telkom's uncompromising attitude towards Internet Service
Providers (ISPs); and
● market ignorance about the value of the Internet (after
the technology market crash of 2000 and 2001).
Other key findings of the report, include:
● the educational environment in SA can expect a boom in
access to the Internet, with many projects under way to
get schools connected. It is believed that getting schools
connected will not only have good short-term effects, but
will also have a positive effect on the long-term growth
of the Internet in SA;
● a very healthy demand by businesses for leased lines -
permanent high-speed connections to the Internet; and
● mobile access to the Internet has not taken off and only
a small proportion of people with WAP software on their
cell phones use it to connect to the Internet.
peted against 147 projects, mostly American.
Bradley won two special awards for the
pride in energising South Africa's young
minds, unleashing Africa's bright futures and
the great rewards this will bring.
refrigeration unit that he invented (which
works off heat and doesn't need electricity).
The Intel ISEF, is one of the largest
pre-college science fairs and more than 1 200 Bradley and Bertus, the
The first award was a US$500 cash prize, of the most capable young science pioneers two Eskom Expo for Young
presented by Bently Nevada, the world's lead- from more than 40 countries shared ideas and Scientists winners, were
ing supplier of machinery protection and competed in the fair. proud representatives of
management solutions. This award is given South Africa at the Intel
to projects that demonstrate originality in For more information on the Eskom Expo International Science and
specifying a research problem or defining an for Young Scientists, please contact Malissa Engineering Fair (ISEF) in
engineering project, as well as creativity in Malheiro on Tel: (011) 506-4400. Louisville, Kentucky.
Big prizes for science pics!
Can you capture the beauty and excitement of also encouraged to participate. Original
science and technology on film? Do you have images representing all aspects of science can
striking images that convey how science and tech- be entered.
nology impacts on, and benefits, our daily lives? There are cash prizes of R45 000 in total
The Mail & Guardian and the Foundation for Education, at stake. Selected entries and the winning
Science and Technology (FEST) have joined forces to present photographs will be published in The Mail &
South Africa's first photographic competition specifically aimed Guardian and will be exhibited at an international conference
at illustrating and communicating the excitement and impact dedicated to public communication of science, to be held in
of science to a broad audience. Cape Town in December 2002.
The competition is open to professional photographers or The closing date for entries is Monday, 30 September 2002.
amateurs with an enthusiasm for science, technology and For more information on the three categories and how to
medicine. Researchers, health professionals and educators are enter, consult the FEST web site at: www.fest.org.za

8 9

The Stradivarius –
its secret sound
lies in its chemistry
For those of you who don't know, the Stradivarius
is a make of violin that has been hailed as the violin
of all violins. These instruments were made in
Cremona, Italy by Antonio Stradivari in the 17th
and 18th centuries and it is generally believed that
no violins have come close to the superior quality of
the Stradivarius since.
However, Scientific American recently
interviewed a Hungarian by the name of Joseph
Nagyvary has spent 25 years trying to unlock the
secrets of the Stradivarius' sound by looking at
its chemistry, and it seems that his persistence
is now paying off.
In order to find out what made the Stradivarius
stand apart from all other violins, Nagyvary had
to go back in time and find out what went into
making these violins in Cremona. He made several
discoveries, including:
● the use of an insecticide called Borax in the 17th
century to prevent the wood used for making the
violins from being destroyed by woodworm (this
made the wood harder and tighter which con-
tributes towards making the sound more brilliant);
● the use of various sugars made from fruit gum
(colourful liquid that seeps through the bark of
fruit trees and dries into a glassy matter that is
stiff and brittle - to protect the violin from
getting mouldy); and
● the use of a very fine crystal powder (made
from quartz) to saturate the wood. This crystal
powder protects against woodworm.
Mixing the crystal powder and fruit gum
together and using it on the violins,
produced a brilliant, very hard and very
brittle surface which made for
a very clear sound without the
high frequency hissing noises
that some violins have.
It has taken many years and
thousands of violins to try
and narrow down what set
the Stradivarius apart
from
the rest, but
Nagyvary
is now very con-
fident that his
study into the
10
In the news
NEW DIABETES Eastern Cape take
DRUG MEANS NO
MORE INJECTIONS
quiz in nailbiting finish
A team made up of three learners Minquiz, which is Mintek's premier
The New England Journal of Medicine recently reported on a new drug that
(Douglas Hobson: Union High School, event for the promotion of careers in
1
Graaff Reinet; Pierre Rossouw: science, engineering and technology
halts the progression of Type I diabetes. Type I, or juvenile, diabetes occurs Hoërskool Brandwag, Uitenhage, and to high school learners (especially in
when the body's own immune system attacks the insulin-producing islet Luyuvo Maloni: Moses Madiba the field of mineral technology), has
cells in the pancreas, preventing the formation of insulin - the protein that High School, Kirkwood) won the been running for 15 years.
controls glucose levels - which helps the body to regulate sugar in the blood. National Final of Mintek's Minquiz Interestingly, in the 1990s, a
Most Type 1 diabetics have to self-administer painful insulin injections schools' science competition at televised version of the quiz (called the
to control their blood sugar levels. However, clinical trial results show that Mintek recently . Gee Whiz Quiz), included South Africa’s
patients taking the new drug - called hOKT3g1(ala-ala) - continued to make The competition was fierce, ending first astronaut, Mark Shuttleworth, in
their own insulin and did not need externally created protein. This new with only one point separating first his winning team from Bishops.
drug is able to destroy the immune cells responsible for preventing insulin and second positions and three points 1: The winning team was from the
production, thereby allowing diabetics to live injection-free for at least a separating second from third, after Eastern Cape, and comprised of
year without any serious side-effects.
Drug trials were carried out on 12 newly diagnosed diabetics between
five tie-breaker questions!
In the end, the Gauteng South team
(from left) Pierre Rossouw
(Hoërskool Brandwag,
2
the ages of seven and 27. After a year, nine of these patients exhibited little, – consisting of Simon Spicer (St John's Uitenhage); Douglas Hobson
if any, reduction in insulin production and still did not require external College), Johan van Staden (Hoërskool (Union High School, Graaff
insulin injections. Ten of the 12 diabetics who did not receive the drug, Florida) and William Tefo (St Barnabas Reinet); and Luyuvo Maloni,
on the other hand, showed a significant decrease in their ability to make the College) – had to settle for second (Moses Madiba High School,
glucose-regulating protein. place, while the Kwazulu Natal team - Kirkwood).
Further testing is planned, but researchers are optimistic. “ The remarkable comprising of Tyrone Negus (Kloof 2: In second place was the team
results reported in this study provide enormous hope for finding a cure for High School), Wynand Louw (Kloof from Gauteng South consisting
people with Type I diabetes," remarks Robert Goldstein of the Juvenile High School), and Janice Coeries of (from left) Johan van Staden
Diabetes Research Foundation in the USA. (Domino Servite) – finished up third. (Hoërskool Florida), William Tefo 3
The winners in the first team quali- (St Barnabas College), and Simon
fy for bursaries in minerals-related Spicer (St John's College).
SARIMA – baan die pad vir careers from sponsors Anglogold, 3: The team from Kwazulu Natal,
inheemse navorsing en tegnologie Xstrata, and Sasol, and the runners- which was (from left) third, con-
up scored with generous cash prizes sisted of Tyrone Negus (Kloof
Die daarstelling van die Suider-Afrikaanse Navorsings- en for their schools. Co-sponsors of High School), Janice Coeries
Innoveringsbestuursvereniging (bekend onder sy Engelse afkorting Minquiz 2002 are Anglo Platinum, (Domino Servite) and Wynand
van SARIMA – Southern African Research and Innovation Management Multotec, Afrox, and Algorax. Louw (Kloof High School).
Association) begin vanjaar kan dalk vir jou as hoërskoolleerder onbelan-
grik lyk. Dié vereniging gaan egter ’n belangrike rol speel om te verseker
dat toekomstige Suid-Afrikaanse wetenskaplikes die geleentheid sal hê
om op die voortpunt van wêreld-innovering bedrywig te wees.
WILD LY ONDER TB
In sy kommentaar op die daarstelling van SARIMA het die Minister van ’n Skrikwekkende ontdekking is onlangs in Botswana ekotoerisme te laat skade ly.
Kuns, Kultuur, Wetenskap en Tegnologie, dr Ben Ngubane, SARIMA gemaak dat Afrika se wild ’n menslike siekte begin opdoen, Ekotoerisme verskaf meeste van die geld wat nodig is vir
aangemoedig om inligting aan hom deur te gee oor die noodsaak vir naamlik tuberkulose. Volgens Kathleen Alexander, Botswana wildbewaring in Afrika, en Chobe – Botswana se naasgrootste
die beveiliging en uitbouing van navorsingsvermoë om Suid-Afrika op se senior-wildbewaringsveearts, is daar twee bekende nasionale park – moet die welsyn van sy diere beskerm as hy wil
die voortpunt van vernuwing in die wêreld te hou. uitbrekings van TB onder wilde diere in die gebied: voortbestaan as ’n voorste toeristebestemming.
Dis goeie nuus vir dié van julle wat ná voltooiing van jul studies deel 1. Twee uitbrekings by gebande muishonde in Chobe. Alexander vermoed die vigs-pandemie wat reeds meer as ’n
wil wees van die wetenskapgemeenskap omdat dit beteken dat daar 2. Een uitbreking wat ’n hele groep meerkatte in die Kalahari derde van Botswana se bevolking aantas, is ’n deel van die
mense is wat daarvoor sal sorg dat waardige navorsing en innovering die uitgewis het. probleem. Mense wat sowel vigs as TB onderlede het, kan meer
kans en befondsing kry wat nodig is. Die feit dat jy in Suid-Afrika woon Volgens Kathleen moet dadelik werk gemaak word van dié waarskynlik wilde diere besmet weens die hoër voorkoms van
en nie in byvoorbeeld Amerika nie, kan jou dus nie keer om voortpunt- bevinding omdat maniere gevind moet word om die kontak die bakterie in hul sputum of ontlasting.
tegnologie te ontwikkel en internasionaal daarvoor erkenning te kry nie. tussen mens en dier te verminder sonder om die voordele van
11
TSA’s first Science, Engineering & Technology (SET)
Open Day enjoyed by budding technologists
Technikon SA (TSA) participated in the DACST SET National Week
(6-11 May 2002) by holding a SET Open Day at the TSA, Florida
Main campus. This event was organised by the Institute for the
Development of Science, Engineering and Technology (IDSET).
The participating schools were Forte, Altem and Kelekitso High
Schools from Soweto, Realogile and Eastbank High Schools from
Alexandra and Kgabutle High School from Rustenburg. The
learners eagerly participated in various activities including:
● animal toy making and animal behaviour enrichment by
Johannesburg Zoo;
● electrical engineering experiments and talk;
● technology-based science experiments in South Africa by
Pert Industries;
● model aircraft building by Modderfontein Aircraft Club,
● Coke bottle car racing, using pressure principles;
● science edutainment video by Richard Enterprises;
● web design for beginners;
● software integrated, interactive SET career counselling. Career
counselling gave an insight into SET careers and choices using
this interactive software;
● mixing chemicals to form bouncing balls; and
● buoyancy principle exercises.
The exhibitors showed some products produced using SET
principles. The industry exhibitors included: Microsoft SA,
Experilab, Pert Industrials, Richard Stewart Enterprises, SA
Police Forensic Science Department, Ster-Kinekor, Science vs
Science-Fiction, Reinol Chemicals, Modderfontein Model Aircraft
Club and Pearson Education.
Mintek begin Adopt-a-school projek
Die leerders van die Kwadeda Ngendlale-hoërskool in Zola-Noord,
Soweto, begin die vrugte pluk van ’n projek waarin Mintek dié skool
“ aangeneem” het as deel van sy betrokkenheid by ’n nasionale pro-
gram om die probleme van swak onderwys, persepsies en uitslae in
wetenskap, ingenieurswese en tegnologie (WIT) te help regstel.
Om sy borgskap op ’n positiewe noot te begin, het Mintek die
wetenskap-matriekleerders van Kwadeda na Mintek genooi waar
hulle eers ontbyt bedien is en daarna op ’n toer deur Mintek se
geriewe geneem is om hulle ’n beter begrip te gee van waaroor
wetenskap en tegnologie eintlik gaan.
Volgens Roger Paul, direkteur vir algemene tegnologie en
waarnemende uitvoerende hoof van Mintek, is Kwadeda gekies vir
dié borgskap te danke aan sy goeie akademiese prestasie, die feit
dat hy werklik hulpbehoewend is en boonop nie ver van Mintek
af is nie.
Die borgskap sluit in:
● die skenking van oortollige en verouderde toerusting
(Mintek het oortollige laboratoriumtoerusting wat
12
The teachers were exposed to Curriculum 2008, Outcomes
Based Education and teaching techniques presented by Prof
Ballim (Head of Engineering: University of Witwatersrand) and
Dr Hlongwane (CEO of National Science and Technology Forum) .
The high school learners were invited to take part in
SET Model and Bridge Building competitions.
The main aim of the competition was to promote SET
principles and encourage interest in SET careers. The application
of SET principles was tested using various criteria.
The prizes for this competition were donated by Pert Industries
(electronic labs), Richard Stewart Enterprises (physics videos) and
Kinnor Ltd (calculators). The winners were:
Model building competition:
First prize: Kelekitso, Second prize: Eastbank, Third prize: Kelekitso
Bridge building competition:
First prize: Eastbank, Second prize: Kelekitso
Small bridge competition:
First prize: Altem AD FOR VISTA UNI –
DACST intend to make this an annual event which will include a
Science Fair for the participating schools in September, as part
of the institute's broad Schools Outreach strategy.
POSIS SUPPLIED
For more information on the IDSET Schools Outreach
Programme, please contact The Project Coordinator: Sabera
Khan: Tel: (011) 471-3086 or e-mail: khans@tsa.ac.za
gebruik kan word in wetenskapklasse);
● die skenking van IT-toerusting (tot dusver is 25 rekenaars
geïdentifiseer as verouderd maar tog bruikbaar vir leerders); en
● verskerping van die WIT-bewustheid van leerders (Mintek is
daartoe verbind om belowende leerders aan te moedig om
deeltydse werkswinkels by te woon en hulle, afgesien van inten-
siewe WIT-opleiding, bloot te stel aan ander wetenskapverwante
bedrywighede. Mintek stel ’n program saam waarvolgens sekere
konsepte en tegnologië verduidelik en gedemonstreer sal word
met besoeke van Mintek se tegnoloë en wetenskaplikes aan
skole en ook besoeke van leerders by Mintek.)
Microsoft en Nashua het ook deelgeneem en het, in ’n poging
om die leerproses by Kwadeda ’n bietjie makliker te maak, onder-
skeidelik programmatuur en ’n nuwe fotokopiëermasjien geborg.
Hopelik sal dié Adopt-a-school program van Mintek uitkring
en ook ander maatskappye aanmoedig om verdienstelike skole
aan te neem om te help om hul wetenskapgeriewe te verbeter,
soos wat by Kwadeda gebeur het.

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist ...
... to be a part of the world of
Many people are put off science at an early age
because they think that they are not clever enough.
But the truth is that you don't have to be a genius to
be a scientist. What you do need is an interest in the
world around you and enough curiosity to want to
know how things work and why things happen.
T
he word “ science" means different
things to different people. But, more
often than not, when we think of
science we think of men in white coats
in a laboratory surrounded by glass test tubes
and bunsen burners. The Times English Dictionary
describes science as: “ a systematic study of the
nature and behaviour of the material and physi-
cal universe, based on observation, experiment
and measurement, and the formulation of laws Never accept
to describe these facts in general terms". something as
The “ material and physical universe" does not
exist in a laboratory, it is everything around us, fact unless
which means that we can all be scientists by you have
studying the world around us and finding
explanations for why things are the way they are. satisfactory
However, studying the world is quite a proof, but
challenging task, as it presents us with some
astounding phenomena, which often take a never dismiss
while for us to get our heads around. something
just because
it goes beyond
your under-
standing and
what you
prefer to
believe.
14
Thankfully, there have been many scientists
throughout history who have already dedicated
their lives to studying and formulating laws for
things like gravity (Isaac Newton 1642-1727),
chemistry (Robert Boyle 1627-1691), and electric
current (Luigi Galvani 1737-1798). This has
resulted in us getting the benefit of these discov-
eries. For instance, we can now defy gravity and
travel over the seas in aeroplanes; we can prolong
our lives by taking medicines that cure our ills;
and we can live our lives in comfort with access
to an uninterrupted electricity supply. If it had
not been for these people, whose curiousity drove
them to uncover these basic laws of nature,
our history would have been very different.
Today, history is still being written by
scientists of this kind - people who do not
accept things at face value. Good examples
include the work that is being done into:
● developing genetically modified foods which
are resistant to bugs;
● cloning and stem cell research which could
result in finding a cure for cancer; and
● laser surgery which negates the need for
someone to be cut open in order to have
an operation done.
These are all advances that could never have
been imagined 10 years ago and which could
Is science for you?
very soon change our way of life. No doubt you
will have heard the heated debates that surround
some of the above, but remember that through-
out history scientists have met with resistance
when they have challenged the status quo and
suggested new ways of thinking.
For instance, Polish astronomer, Nicolaus
Copernicus exploded the myth that the Earth was
the centre of the universe when he discovered that
the Earth and other planets actually rotated around
the sun. His ideas were so upsetting to the Catholic
Church at the time, that he was only persuaded to
put his theories down on paper in 1543, the same
year that he died. It took the Catholic Church
another 360 years before it finally acknowledged
that Copernicus' theory was right! Had it not been
for the Catholic church, the science of astronomy have to make the effort if you want the career
would have developed more quickly. of your dreams. But, be warned. Making excuses
In the same way, if the ancient alchemists for why you couldn't do what you really wanted When you
had not shrouded their experiments in secrecy, to do is much easier. You can always find are still at
the science of chemistry would have developed someone else to blame or you can blame your
school it is
more quickly. circumstances for holding you back.
These true stories go to show that you need to At the end of the day, if you can read and inconceivable
have an open mind if you want to be a scientist. write, you have access to all the information
Never accept something as fact unless you have you need to make things happen for yourself. to be worrying
satisfactory proof, but never dismiss something On page 46 you will find news about the SciTech about your
just because it goes beyond your understanding Web Awards, which provides you with a starting
and what you prefer to believe. point if you still haven't decided where your future career.
interest in science lies. Go surfing and spend However, it
In this issue! some time exploring all the different areas of
In this issue of Archimedes we touch on but a few science from which you can choose. is important
of the career choices that are available to you, Whatever you do, don't sell yourself short. to keep it in
the aspiring scientist or “ techno-geek". At the Whether you want to be an electrician or an
end of the day, it is up to you to do your home- astrophysicist, if you have faith in your ability to mind when
work and find out what it is that you are meant reach your goal, half the battle is already won. you make
to do with the rest of your life. Because, as Prof. After that, all you have to do is follow the famous
Les Underhill says in his article on page 24: “ A catchphrase that Nike uses and “ Just Do It". decisions,
career of 40 years is a desperately long time to such as, what
be doing something you hate!"
When you are still at school it is inconceivable subjects you
to be worrying about your future career. are going to
However, it is important to keep it in mind when
you make decisions, such as, what subjects you take and
are going to take and whether you are going to whether you
do them on higher or standard grade. Don't let a
difficult teacher or a bad mark get in the way. are going to
If you have a love for science, but are struggling do them on
to relate to the teacher, approach her and voice
your concerns, rather than dropping the subject higher or
and giving up on your dreams. standard
If you are not coping with higher grade maths,
but still find that you enjoy the subject, ask your grade.
teacher for advice on how to improve your marks
before dropping to standard grade.
No one achieved anything by giving up. YOU
15

Find out Mark Shuttleworth’s secret to success
HAVE A DREAM ...
... and stand out from the crowd
There are very few people who will not have heard of Mark Shuttleworth
and his amazing space odyssey. His journey to the International Space
Station represents a very significant moment in history that sent a clear
message to all South Africans, young and old: that we CAN dare to dream.
A
lthough Mark has been criticised for
spending so much on his endeavours,
he is philosophical about his reasons
for pursuing his dream of going to
space: “ At the end of the day, I’ve learned to go
with my instincts and to expect some criticism.
The toughest part isn’t the work, it’s standing
firm when someone sniggers at the back of the
crowd. If we all waited for everyone to agree,
nobody would DO anything interesting, or bold,
or adventurous, or courageous, or beautiful. Life
by committee is no life at all.
“ What gets me excited about this project is
that, for every one person who sniggers at the
back of the crowd, I think there are a hundred
dynamic people who are saying to themselves,
‘If he can do it, why can’t I?’,” says Mark.
And who can argue with that? It is just the
kind of determination that we need in this
country, the kind of determination that is going
to “ separate the boys from the men” , so to
speak. There are many negative things that
South Africans can (and unfortunately do) spend
our time thinking about. However, if we can take
our focus off what we can’t do and start thinking
about what we can do, who knows what will
happen and what goals we will reach?
As Mark says: “ Everybody has dreams which
seem to be out of reach. But the world is a
surprising place, and I believe that people who
strive for their dreams, more often than not,
turn them into reality. I worry that all the
constant press about African problems misses
the amazing truth: that opportunity is abundant
in Africa for those who seek it and are willing
to work for it. But if people don’t dream, then
16
they won’t make any effort to move forward and
take advantage of these opportunities.”
Making dreams come true
At school, Mark admits that he was always the
geek or the bookworm. His interests were mostly
intellectual and he never took sport particularly
seriously (although his rigorous training for his
trip into space forced him to change his ways).
His fascination with technology started at a
tender age, when he was introduced to computer
games, and from there it just grew and grew.
During his studies towards a Business Science
(Finance) degree at the University of Cape Town,
he was introduced to the Internet and was very
excited by the challenges and opportunities that
he believed would emerge as a result.
“ I was incredibly excited about this rapid
change towards a networked society and was
determined to find a strategy to build a global
business from South Africa with minimal
resources, which is how Thawte Consulting came
about,” says Mark.
At first Thawte started out as an Internet
consulting business, but the focus quickly shifted
to Internet security for electronic commerce.
Through a bit of foresight and a lot of hard
work, Thawte became the first company to
produce a full-security e-commerce web server
that was commercially available outside the
United States. By the time it was acquired by
VeriSign in the USA, Thawte had become the
fastest-growing Internet Certificate Authority,
and was the leading Certificate Authority outside
of the US.
Info from www.africaninspace.com
“ Thawte was my strategy to deal with the
Internet age, trying to find a business opportu-
nity that would work well from South Africa
and grow very quickly,” says Mark. “ Looking
back, I can see now that there was a lot of luck
involved as so many things happened over which
I had no control. But, I was also working with
an extraordinary team of individuals who were
willing to be adventurous, go against the flow
and take on companies that were much better
equipped than us. Most importantly, we all had
spirit and soul and were determined to win ...
which we did, in the end.”
Why not stop there?
Once Thawte was sold it is reasonable to say
that Mark could have taken a very, very long
holiday ... so why didn’t he?
“ Because it wouldn’t have been rewarding.
We all have the same amount of time and once
we’ve spent it, it’s gone. So, that’s the most
important decision and the guiding principle
for me, is to find something that’s going to
be rewarding, that’s going to inspire me and
other people,” philosophises Mark.
“ I am driven by a continuous desire to
reinvent myself. I certainly could never have
imagined doing some of the things that I’ve been
able to do, but if I’m afraid of anything, it is of
stopping that process of reinvention,” he says.
But, it isn’t just about wanting to reinvent
yourself. Wanting to do something and
actually doing it, are two completely different
things. Everybody wants to do exciting things
like travel around the world or become a famous
actor/actress, or go to the moon. The problem
is that in order to get what we want, we have
to be willing to work very, very hard and know
when to take risks.
It seems that Mark is quite good at knowing
Living your dreams
when to take risks. Why is this?
Says Mark: “ I try to think through as
many different options as possible before
picking one that I think is going to be
an adventure, but for which I think
I understand the fundamental principles
well enough to be able to navigate
through all the risks.
“ I also read a lot ... I read
current news in a wide variety of
fields and I spend a lot of time
trying to imagine how the world
is unfolding. Trying to see what
current trends are emerging -
what’s going to last and what’s
going to die early - and then
trying to find opportunity in the
things that are interesting and
worthwhile to me.”
And when we talk about “ worth-
while” , we are not talking about
money. Yes, money is always a
factor, but if you are not doing what you
love and enjoy, your chances of success
(and making money) are diminished.
“ People who’ve managed to create wealth are
always willing to link to the future and work
incredibly hard towards creating wealth where
others thought there was none to be created.
Ultimately, we are here to enjoy our lives, to feel
that we have reached our inner potential. Money
is really a very poor measure of someone’s
exploration of their inner potential.”
The sky’s not the limit
Speaking of exploration, what was it that
led Mark to believe that he could become a
cosmonaut and rocket off into space? The fact
is that he didn’t know that he couldn’t do it and
decided to take a chance: “ I love taking on new
challenges and therefore have to accept that
every now and then I will be diving into things
MORE ON PAGE 19
17
 Living your dreams

for which I am completely unqualified. Success endeavoured to share his exciting and
and failure are flip sides of the same coin and ground-breaking experience with as many

Meer oor die eksperimente wat Mark that coin is a willingness to be innovative and
take risks.”
people as possible, in an effort to inspire them
to aim high. During his time on the International

saamgeneem het die ruimte in … For Mark, his space adventure was the biggest
challenge he ever faced - but the bigger the
challenge, the greater the rewards. In order to
step out of the charred space-craft with that
Inligting bekom by www.africaninspace.com unbelievable grin and look of total exhilaration
on his face, Mark had to commit to eight months
Space Station, Mark was interviewed by everyone
from Nelson Mandela to children from his old
school. He was totally open about how he was
feeling and what it was like to be up there,
looking down on the Earth. Even the worst
cynics couldn’t help but be curious and a little

1 of intense training for the project.

He had to become proficient in the systems
amazed at what he was achieving.
And now that he has come back
of the Russian Soyuz spacecraft and also under- down to Earth, both literally and
Die heel eerste selle wat die liggaam skep, het nie ’n vooraf-afgebakende lotsbestemming nie. stand the International Space Station systems figuratively, there are new
Anders as meer volwasse selle is hulle nie velselle, lewerselle of breinselle nie – hulle is in order to ensure his safety while on the space challenges for him to
eenvoudig stamselle, wat verander om ’n spesifieke soort sel te word in reaksie op hul station. Besides intense physical training he tackle. But, hat’s the
omgewing. Begrip van dié selle is die sleutel tot die herstel van ernstige beserings waar also did weightlessness training, centrifuge way he likes it.
selle in ’n spesifieke liggaamsdeel onherstelbaar beskadig is. training, science programme training and
Omvattende navorsing oor gameetontwikkeling in toestande van nul-swaartekrag (soos in training on spacecraft communications,
die ruimte) kan waardevolle inligting verskaf oor embrioniese ontwikkeling op aarde, waar die guidance and control systems. No small feat,
vloeistofomgewing van die ontwikkelende fetus in die baarmoeder ’n mikro-gravitasiekrag skep. but what a reward!
Die ontwikkeling van sulke embrio-, stam- en liggaamselle word egter vertraag wanneer
hulle in die aarde se swaartekrag in ’n broeikas gekweek word. ’n Vergelyking van die groei It’s more than just living your dream
van sulke selle in toestande van nul-swaartekrag ten tyde van die ruimtesending met selle Luckily, Mark has realised that his dream
wat op aarde gekweek is, kan antwoorde verskaf oor die invloed van swaartekrag op die is bigger than himself and has
ontwikkeling van gamete.

2
Die ruimte belas die menslike liggaam heeltemal anders as waaraan ons op aarde
gewoond is. Baie van die wetenskap wat in wentelbane bedryf is, was gerig op begrip van
hoe ons funksioneer in toestande van mikro-swaartekrag. Terwyl Mark in die ruimte was, is
hy gemonitor deur ’n span op aarde wat boek gehou het van sy hartklop en die manier
waarop sy spiere reageer het. Daar is baie vrae en teenstrydige verslae oor biologiese reak-
sies – Mark het hopelik gehelp om van dié onsekerhede op te klaar.
Tot dusver het navorsing oor die invloed van mikro-gravitasie op die totale daaglikse
energieverbruik die dubbelgemerkte watermetode gebruik – ’n duur en lastige metode wat
vereis het dat ruimtemanne getrou elke dag monsters van hul uriene en speeksel moes
neem vir ontleding. Om die hartslag te monitor, is ’n veel goedkoper en makliker metode.
As dié manier akkuraat blyk te wees in toestande van mikro-swaartekrag waar daar bek-
ende en aangetekende kardiovaskulêre veranderinge is, kan die waarde van hartslagmonitering
vir die vasstelling van daaglikse energieverbruik versterk word.

3
As ons al die verskillende bedreigings in Afrika in ag neem, kan daar min twyfel wees dat
MIV/vigs en ander siektes ’n ernstige kwessie is. In die stryd teen siektes is ons eie liggame
die strydperk waar ons immuunselle reageer met en (hopelik) die siektes aanval namate ons
besmet word. Wetenskaplikes se probleem is dat die strydendes te klein is om regstreeks
dop te hou – ons moet ons verlaat op stukkies getuienis waarvan ons afleidings kan maak.
Een van die prosesse wat daarmee help, word OPK genoem – oplosbare- proteïnkristaliser-
ing, wat wetenskaplikes ’n manier bied om te kyk hoe die immuunstelsel sy wapens gebruik om
so te probeer vasstel hoe ons hulle doeltreffender kan maak.

18 19
 L e t ’s g e t t e c h n i c a l

The science of sound

by Cathy Welman
... and the theory of light
Many people think that pursuing a career in science means they’ll end up Controlling the wave
being a scientist dressed in a white laboratory coat, doing experiments Mpho soon learned that sound and lighting work
with foul-smelling concoctions. But, the world of science provides a myriad hand-in-hand when putting on a show, and select-
ed these as his major subjects. “ Both fields are very
opportunities. For many young people, coming to grips with a few basic
computer-based. You need to know the software.
scientific principles has enabled them to enter the creative, stimulating This technology forms a large part of our curricu-
world of film, radio, theatre and dance as part of the technical support crew. lum,” he says.
“ Understanding sound is not just about getting

“
A
rt is science made clear,” said Jean Cocteau,
a French author and film-maker. Joao,
Mpho, Kgosi, Lerato and Terry, all theatre
technology students at the Pretoria
Technikon, agree. They are all creative people who
have learned that the technology aspect of their
course is essential to make the pictures and sounds
they see and hear in their heads come alive on stage.
Terry Molise is a third-year student. “ This course
is definitely more creative than technical,” he says.
“ Although, we have learned that we can’t make the
creativity happen if we don’t know how. So, we
need the technical side as a base.”
Lerato Motau studied fine art before she made
the switch to theatre technology. She loves paint-
ing and design and, on entering her second year,
decided to major in stage décor. Her second major
subject is lighting. “ Through lighting, you bring
the stage you have created to life. When you
design a stage set, you need to interpret the script
and the genre of the play. When planning a show’s
lighting from scratch, you need to complement
the set. To do this, you need to take many factors
into account: the colours, effects and intensities,
and how these combine to create the mood and
feel you are after. This takes a creative, artistically-
trained eye, as well as an understanding of colour
and lighting theory.”
A big chunk of lighting theory deals with the
keystone effect, which determines how light will
look when projected onto a specific surface. This
is explained on page 22.
Another aspect of lighting a show or movie set
is calculating the amount of electricity that will be
needed. Lerato says that this can be a bit tricky.
“ But, apparently, it gets easier with experience,”
she laughs. As someone planning a career in
lighting movie sets, she had better hope so!
Lerato took maths and science in grade 12, and
thinks that this has provided a good grounding
for the technical side of her graduate studies,
especially when it comes to doing calculations.
Mpho Rabotapi, on the other hand, did not do
maths and science at school – and was lucky to
have received a lot of help from his class-mates, as
there were many “ basics” with which he was not
familiar. “ I needed a lot of help to start with,” he
says. “ My love is music and I went to tech to study
sound. I wanted to get into DJ-ing – there are so
many opportunities opening up in this field.”
sound out of speakers,” says second-year student
Joao Viegas, “ It’s about controlling a wave.”
Kgosi Khiba explains: “ You can deceive people
with lighting when it’s done well. However, the
slightest lighting mistake will catch the audience’s
attention. But you can fiddle around with sound
and deceive the audience anyway – provided that
you know how!”
The future
Although all hard-working and very focused, not
one of these students knows exactly what path
they will take when they graduate. Possibly, this
is because the opportunities open to theatre
technology graduates are so varied.
With the demise of the state-subsidised theatres
in the late 90s, every single production staged in
the country requires an independent technical
crew. Opportunities exist in television, theatre –
corporate, commercial and community – profes-
sional sound and lighting companies, civic theatres,
in advertising, and on movie sets, both local and
international.
Theatre technology students at Pretoria
Technikon are required to be involved in at least
10 productions every year. In 2001, the 75 first-,
second- and third-year students provided technical
services for a total of 217 productions. These
include an experimental theatre, an African pro-
duction, opera, a musical, classical and modern
Theatre technology students backstage: (from
left) Joao Viegas, Terry Molise, Mpho Rabotapi,
Kgosi Khiba and Lerato Motau.
dance
productions, and dramas, as well as David
Copperfield’s South African shows, the SAMA
Awards, the local production of the musical CATS,
and many others. So, there’s no shortage of work
out there!
“ Not only is there a lot of work, the industry
pays well if you’re hard-working,” says Hardus
Koekemoer, one of the lecturers. “ But, this country
is very under-developed in terms of theatres and
technology. Hence, this course is very business-
oriented. We create young entrepreneurs.”
It’s all in the plan
All third-year students are required to present
a complete business plan, which will equip them
to start up their own small businesses on
graduation. Much of the third year is dedicated
to an arts administration

Lerato took maths and science in grade 12,

and thinks that this has provided a good grounding
for the technical side of her graduate studies, especially
when it comes to doing calculations.
20 21

study module, which focuses on
business skills, entertainment and
copyrights laws, contracts, designing logos and
letterheads, and even covers the do’s and don’ts of
writing a letter to the bank for start-up funding.
Prior to this, the students will have completed
subjects including lighting, sound, costuming,
textiles, props, make-up, stage technology, theatre
history, communications, writing, computer
literacy, and stage management.
Third-year students are required to pass a
practical examination covering their entire study
field and then follow this up with three months
of vocational training in the industry. The demand
for these technical skills is so high that over
95% of Pretoria Tech’s students are employed
immediately after graduation.
Third-year students graduate with a Diploma in
Theatre Technology. This can be followed up with
a fourth year of study, which will earn the student
a B.Tech degree in Performing Arts Technology.
To qualify for the diploma, a senior certificate
is a prerequisite. Maths, science and a language are
preferred subjects to have passed at school
but these are not essential. However, because the
formal entry requirements are rather lenient,
potential students are also interviewed. “ We look
for students who are self-confident and good
communicators,” says Hardus. “ They must be
practically-oriented and at the same time very
artistic, and must also be able to work in a group.
All our students do active learning; they are
required to prepare work themselves and then
present it to their class. We cover an enormous
amount of theory, and also require students to put
in a lot of extra hours on their practical work.”
Thick skin
The students agree that the workload is heavy.
“ You need to be able to take the pressure,” says
Kgosi. “ You need to manage your time and get
your priorities in order.”
Mpho adds: “ You need to be hard-working and
thick-skinned. 100% attendance is essential. It’s
a strict environment – you are working with
3-phase power and very expensive equipment. Not
to mention the actors’ egos!”
Summing up, Hardus calculates that about 50%
of the input needed for a successful “ product” is
technical. On top of this, he reckons you need
100% creativity!
Lighting and sound theory aside, perhaps the
most scientific aspect of theatre technology is that
it puts you in much the same position as a doctor:
you only get one chance to do it right!
22
SIEN DIE LIG
In beligtingsteorie word die term “ sluitsteen” gebruik vir die effek wat
geskep word deur die verskillende afstande wat ligstrale aflê van hul bron
tot by die vlak waarop hulle geprojekteer word. Dié effek is sigbaar in die
verandering van die vorm, grootte en tekstuur (gefokuste of verspreide lig)
en die skerpte van die gevolglike ligbeeld.
Komende van ’n enkele bron skep dié elemente uiteindelik verwringing
en onegalige ligskerpte op die projeksievlak. Dié verwringing wissel ook
binne ’n enkele beeld. Namate die projeksiehoek skerper raak, vergroot
die afstandverskil en gevolglik verskerp die sluitsteeneffek.
Dié verwringings kan voorspel word met wiskundige berekenings waarin
ondermeer gebruik gemaak word van die afstand, intensiteit en invalshoek.
Sulke berekenings is krities vir ’n beligtingsontwerp.
“ Gelukkig is daar verskeie rekenaar-beligtingsontwerpprogramme
beskikbaar wat dié berekenings vir ons kan doen. Met dié programmatuur
kan ons, in 3D, die sluitsteeneffek sien op ’n oppervlak of voorwerp.
En vandaar is dit maklik om die effek wat ons soek, te visualiseer.”
FIND OUT MORE
Call Pretoria Technikon’s Department of
Entertainment Technology on (012) 318-6154.
A day in the life…
Find your
niché
... let your passion
lead the way
Meet Professor Les Underhill, head of the Avian
Demography Unit (ADU) at the University of Cape
Town. “ Avian what?” you might say. The Avian
Demography Unit aims to help conserve bird species
by providing important statistical information
about, among other things, the breeding habits
of birds, where they occur, and population sizes.
According to Prof. Underhill, heading up this
unit has allowed him the rare pleasure of being
able to combine his hobby (his passion for birds)
with his profession (as a statistician).
But, rather let him tell the story of how he
overcame life’s challenges and ended up doing Would you say that you have Meet Prof. Les
what he loves ...
Q a natural ability when it came
to maths and science, or is it
Underhill, head of the
Avian Demography
Looking back, what was it that more about your fascination and Unit and statistician
Q inspired you about science and
maths as a child?
interest in the subject (or both)? extraordinaire.
Pictured above he is
I owe a huge debt to my Dad. He finished I struggled to learn my multiplication tables. measuring bird eggs
school during the Depression years of the 1930s. It took years before “ seven times eight” was in the Siberian
He was a very clever person who did not have instantly “ fifty-six” . Although my results in Tundra.
the opportunities to achieve his own dreams. In maths and science at school were fairly good,
spite of this, he was never bitter. In his own it was hard work to get those marks.
quiet way he made sure that his kid was exposed
to a wide variety of experiences, including When you did your BSc, what was
science. He took me to the planetarium, and to
the bird club. I must have been in about Grade 7
Q it that made you decide to focus
on mathematics and statistics?
when the first artificial satellite was launched -
the Russian “ Sputnik” . We went to the nearest When I started my BSc, I planned to major in
field to watch it pass over Cape Town. That was chemistry and mathematics. But hydrogen sulphide,
an amazing experience - Sputnik was the first the gas that smells like rotten eggs, seemed to crop
object people had put into orbit around the
MORE ON PAGE 24
Earth.
23

up in the practicals every week, so I always went
home with a headache on Wednesday afternoons!
A friend from school days invited me to join him
doing statistics. Hydrogen sulphide was so awful
that I gleefully replaced chemistry with statistics.
That was a life-changing event. I quickly realised
that I had found what I wanted to do. I know that
this is not a particularly intelligent or carefully
planned way of choosing a career. But
I also know that it happens this way to a lot of
people. I guess that the moral of the story is to
try as many different options as you can, and to
keep an open mind about all of them. It is very
important that we find the right thing to do with
our lives. A career of 40 years is a desperately
long time to be doing something you hate!
It is obvious that you have a
Q passion for birds, how did you
end up working with birds and
eventually becoming the director
of the Avian Demography Unit?
Peter Lor, who now heads up the State Library in
Pretoria, has to take a lot of the blame. At the
end of my first year at university, I had a vacation
job in Pretoria. Peter invited me to join him bird
ringing. That was the beginning of the end.
Although I was already a birder, I was fascinated
by the opportunity to study birds in the hand.
When I got back to Cape Town, I joined a group of
ringers, and was trained for several years by them
before I was awarded my own “ bird ringing
24
licence” . Most of the ringers in Cape Town joined
together to form the grandly-named “ Western Cape
Wader Study Group” . We collected lots and lots
of data. As a statistician, I got the job of analysing
it. It took a while, but ultimately I stumbled onto
the fact that there was a niche for a statistician
specialising in the analysis of bird data. Some of
the data is unlike that generated in other fields of
science. As a theoretical statistician, I was able to
develop the new mathematical techniques needed
to process some of this data. This was a lot of fun.
When the University of Cape Town made me a
professor, they decided they would call the position
the “ Chair of Avian Demography” – “ avian” means
“ to do with birds” , and “ demography” is “ the
study of populations” . So Avian Demography is the
study of bird populations.
In simple terms, what is the
Q purpose of the Avian
Demography Unit?
Our mission is to help conserve bird species. It is not
easy to conserve what you don’t understand. So it is
important to know the answers to the following
questions: How long do they live? How old are they
when they start to breed? How many times do they
breed in their lifetimes? How many eggs do they
“ It took a lay? What percentages of these hatch and ultimately
produce adult birds that breed? Are there things we
while, but,
can do to improve the percentage of breeders? What
eventually, I are the causes of death? Are these causes changing?
Which causes are due to human impact? What steps
stumbled onto do we need to put in place to reduce the number of
birds dying in this way? How many birds are there of
the fact that
a species? Is this number going up or going down?
there was a What would happen to the population size if a par-
ticular place were made a reserve? In brief, the ADU
niche for a tries to provide useful information to the people
who have to take the conservation decisions.
statistician
specialising in Most of the research that you
the analysis Q carried out involves animals
and mostly birds. Did you plan
of bird data.” this or did it just happen that way?
Statistics is a service discipline; the job of the
statistician is to help researchers in all fields of
human endeavour to extract the message out of
the data they collect. When I was a young academ-
ic, I tried to help astronomers, psychologists,
market researchers, financial analysts, etc, with
their data analysis. But the discipline where I got
the most enjoyment was the one in which I already
had an interest as a hobby: ornithology. I found it
A day in the life…
really difficult to work up enthusiasm for data
about stars, or about divorce statistics, or about
share prices. I have been very lucky to have been
able to spend most of my career tackling the prob-
lems that have interested me the most.
It would appear that your deci-
Q sion to pursue a career in science
has opened many doors for you.
I have met lots of wonderful, dedicated people who
have made a huge difference to my life, and have
enriched it a great deal. You are probably thinking
that these people are top scientists; that’s wrong,
many of them have been my students. These people
have “ opened doors” for me, but they have mostly Prof. Les Undehill with former Honours student, Fikile
been the doors to understanding. Science is about Hlatshwayo, measuring penguin eggs at Robben Island.
deep and important issues and about gaining
insights into how the world (and the universe) experiences, the better you can put your own
functions. At the end of the day, these experiences
help to give life quality and purpose. There are few
If you want to research into the global context.
My own travels have taught me that there is
other careers that offer the same kinds of rewards be a scientist, wonderful science, in many disciplines, that can
at such a profound level. only be done in South Africa. This is especially true
take a keen in biology, in geology, in oceanography. We are in
What would you say to encour- a scientifically complex position at the southern tip
interest in
Q age learners who are finding
school maths and science boring everything
of Africa, and have all sorts of special opportunities
to study things no one else can.
and don’t see a future for themselves in Our peculiar political history also presents unique
science? around you. opportunities. For example, where else in the world
can medical scientists work in essentially First-world
Observe
The big problem with being young is that you facilities, and yet have the real problems of the
haven’t lived for long enough to realise that the carefully. Third-world within a few kilometres of their labora-
stuff you get taught at school is going to be tories? At the one extreme, imagine a scientist in
really useful. It is a quite a difficult idea to Ask questions London working on a cure for Tuberculosis (TB).
grasp that school stuff has been carefully She has superb facilities, but has to get into an
that start:
selected by people who genuinely want you aeroplane to see a real case of TB. Our South African
to be the best you can be. OK, not everything is “ Why”. Try medical researcher has a vast number of TB sufferers
going to equally useful, and what is useful to you almost on his doorstep. At the other extreme,
might never be used by the person sitting at the to find the imagine a scientist trying to work in a Third-world
next desk. My daughter, a second-year university country, where the infrastructure is so weak that it
answers.
student, came to me yesterday complaining that she
ought to have paid more attention in her first year
is almost a full-time job to keep a laboratory going,
let alone do any research. Beside medicine, there
statistics course, because she now needed the things
she ought to have learnt in that course for second
are lots of ways in which the juxtaposition
of First-world facilities and Third-world
year biology. problems in South Africa presents
unique opportunities for scientific
Your work has taken you to research. In the area in which I do
Q a number of other countries.
Would you say that the research
being done overseas is more exciting
than the work being done here?
As a scientist, it is incredibly important to travel,
to see other countries, with other ways of doing,
and looking at, things. The wider your range of
25

most of my research, ornithology, the study of
birds, there is a huge difference between Europe
and Africa. If you divide the number of European
bird species by the number of ornithologists there,
you get a number much smaller than one. Each
European ornithologist gets about a tenth of a bird
to study. If you do this arithmetic in Africa, the
number is much larger than one. There are about
50 species per ornithologist. That is the most
extraordinary luxury. You can more or less choose a
bird species at random in Africa, and have it as
your own private research playground. There are
just too many scientists in Europe and America. I’d
rather work in Africa!
As South Africans, one of our national diseases is
an inferiority complex that makes us believe that we
cannot compete with the best in the world. That is
utter rubbish. I’ll tell you a well-kept secret. There is
so much raw material here that a scientist in Africa
has a far better chance of making stunning scientif-
ic discoveries than our peers in Europe or America.
Do you think that the future of
Q science and technology in South
Africa is bright or do you think
there is room for improvement?
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NEED MISSING TIFF FOR BACKGROUND
The opportunities are enormous. We need as a
If you want to
nation to invest more money in science and tech-
nology, and give our young people a sense that
there is a career here. You won’t get rich, but you
be a scientist, can make a real contribution.
take a keen If you were asked to get
interest in Q secondary school learners
excited about science and
everything
technology, how would you go about it?
around you. Does it involve more than just doing
their maths and science homework?
Observe
carefully. When my kids were at school, and we saw a person
doing a particularly boring job, I often used to ask
Ask questions them: “ How do you think that person came to be
that start: doing the job he/she is doing?” The answer, of
course, was: “ They probably hadn’t tried hard at
“ Why”. Try school, and had thereby closed themselves off from
to find the all sorts of opportunities” . One of the most impor-
tant moments in our lives (and some people never
answers. make it this far), is when we start to take the long-
term view - we give up an evening of fun now to
do homework properly realising that this will deliver
rewards in years to come. Persevere with maths and
science, keep your long-term opportunities open.
My mother, the scientist
What’s it like to grow up with a mother who is a distinguished physicist
and the sister of one of the most famous scientists of the 20th Century?
Popular Science News Editor Charles Hirshberg remembers.
I
n 1966, Mrs Weddle’s first grade class at
Las Lomitas Elementary School got its first
homework assignment: we were to find out
what our fathers did for a living, then come
back and tell the class. The next day, as my
well-scrubbed classmates boasted about their
fathers, I was nervous. For one thing, I was afraid
of Mrs Weddle: I realise now that she was probably
harmless, but to a shy, elf-size, nervous little guy
she looked like a monstrous, talking baked potato.
On top of that, I had a surprise in store, and I
wasn’t sure how it would be received.
“ My daddy is a scientist,” I said, and Mrs Weddle
turned to write this information on the blackboard.
Then I dropped the bomb: “ And my mommy is a
scientist!”
Twenty-five pairs of first-grade eyes drew a
bead on me, wondering what the hell I was talking
about. It was then that I began to understand
how unusual my mother was.
Today, after more than four decades of geophys-
ical research, my mother, Joan Feynman, is getting
ready to retire as a senior scientist at NASA’s Jet
Propulsion Laboratory. She is probably best known
for developing a statistical model to calculate the
number of high-energy particles likely to hit a
spacecraft over its lifetime, and for her method of
predicting sun spot cycles. Both are used by scien-
tists worldwide. Beyond this, however, my mother’s
career illustrates the enormous change in how
America regards what was, only a few decades ago,
extremely rare: a scientist who’s a woman and also
a mother.
To become a scientist is hard enough. But to
become one while running a gauntlet of lies,
insults, mockeries, and disapproval – this was
what my mother had to do. If such treatment is
unthinkable (or, at least, unusual) today, it is
largely because my mother and other female
scientists of her generation proved equal to every
obstacle thrown in their way.
My introduction to chemistry came in 1970, on
a day when my mom was baking challah bread for the
Jewish New Year. I was about 10, and though
I felt cooking was unmanly for a guy who played short-
stop for Village Host Pizza in the Menlo Park, California,
Beating the odds
Little League, she had persuaded me to help.
When the bread was in the oven, she gave me a
plastic pill bottle and a cork. She told me to
sprinkle a little baking soda into the bottle, then a
little vinegar, and cork the bottle as fast as
could. There followed a violent and completely
unexpected pop as the cork flew off and walloped
me in the forehead. Exploding food: I was ecstatic!
“That’s called a chemical reaction,” she said, rub-
bing my shirt clean. “The vinegar is an acid and
the soda is a base, and that’s what happens when
you mix the two.”
After that, I never understood what other kids
meant when they said that science was boring.
One of my mother’s earliest memories is of
standing in her crib at the age of about 2,
yanking on her 11-year-old brother’s hair. This
brother, her only sibling, was none other than
Richard Feynman, destined to become one of
the greatest theoretical physicists of his genera-
tion: enfant terrible of the Manhattan Project,
pioneer of quantum electrodynamics, father of
nanotechnology, winner of the Nobel Prize, and
so on. At the time, he was training his sister to
solve simple math problems and rewarding each
correct answer by letting her tug on his hair
while he made faces. When he wasn’t doing
that, he was often seen wandering around Far DON’T FENCE ME IN
Rockaway, New York, with a screwdriver in his For Joan Feynman
pocket, repairing radios – at age 11, mind you. or any woman of
My mother worshipped her brother, and there was her era, success in
never any doubt about what she would become. By science required not
the time she was 5, Richard had hired her for only a curious mind,
2 cents a week to assist him in the electronics lab
he’d built in his room. “ My job was to throw certain
but a fighting spirit.
In 1949, when this
switches on command,” she recalls. “ I had to climb
up on a box to reach them. Also, sometimes I’d stick
picture of Feynman
in fencing garb was
my finger in a spark gap for the edification of his taken, she was
friends.” At night, when she called out for a glass of working on radiation
water, Riddy, as he was called, would demonstrate safety procedures
centrifugal force by whirling it around in the air so at the Naval Research
that the glass was upside down during part of the Laboratory in
arc. “ Until, one night,” my mother recalls, “ the glass Washington, D.C.
slipped out of his hand and flew across the room.”
MORE ON PAGE 28
27

Richard explained the miraculous fact that the
family dog, the waffle iron, and Joan herself were all
made out of atoms. He would run her hand over the
corner of a picture frame, describe a right triangle
and make her repeat that the sum of the square of
the sides was equal to the square of the hypotenuse.
“ I had no idea what it meant,” she says, “ but he
For her
recited it like a poem, so I loved to recite it too.” thesis, she
One night, he roused her from her bed and led her
outside, down the street, and onto a nearby golf
was told
course. He pointed out washes of magnificent light to study
that were streaking across the sky. It was the aurora
borealis. My mother had discovered her destiny.
cobwebs
That is when the trouble started. Her mother, because
Lucille Feynman, was a sophisticated and compas-
sionate woman who had marched for women’s
she would
suffrage in her youth. Nonetheless, when 8-year- encounter
old Joanie announced that she intended to be a
scientist, Grandma explained that it was impossible.
them when
“ Women can’t do science,” she said, “ because their she was
brains can’t understand enough of it.” My mother
climbed into a living room chair and sobbed into the
cleaning.
cushion. “ I know she thought she was telling me the
inescapable truth. But it was devastating for a little
girl to be told that all of her dreams were impossible.
And I’ve doubted my abilities ever since.”
28
The fact that the greatest chemist of the age,
Marie Curie, was a woman gave no comfort.
“ To me, Madame Curie was a mythological charac-
ter,” my mother says, “ not a real person whom you
could strive to emulate.” It wasn’t until her 14th
birthday – March 31, 1942 – that her notion of
becoming a scientist was revived. Richard presented
her with a book called Astronomy. “ It was a college
textbook. I’d start reading it, get stuck, and then
start over again. This went on for months, but I
kept at it. When I reached page 407, I came across
a graph that changed my life.” My mother shuts
her eyes and recites from memory: “ ‘Relative
strengths of the Mg+ absorption line at 4,481
angstroms . . . from Stellar Atmospheres by Cecilia
Payne.’ Cecilia Payne! It was scientific proof that a
woman was capable of writing a book that, in turn,
was quoted in a text. The secret was out, you see.”
My mother taught me about resonances when I was
about 12. We were on a camping trip and needed
wood for a fire. My brother and sister and I looked
everywhere, without luck. Mom spotted a dead branch
up in a tree. She walked up to the trunk and gave it
a shake. “Look closely,” she told us, pointing up at
the branches. “Each branch waves at a different
frequency.” We could see that she was right. So what?
“Watch the dead branch,” she went on. “If we shake
the tree trunk in just the right rhythm, we can match
its frequency and it’ll drop off.” Soon we were roasting
marshmallows.
The catalogue of abuse to which my mother was
subjected, beginning in 1944 when she entered
Oberlin College, is too long and relentless to fully
record. At Oberlin, her lab partner was ill-prepared
for the advanced-level physics course in which they
were enrolled, so my mother did all the experiments
herself. The partner took copious notes and received
an A. My mother got a D. “ He understands what
he’s doing,” the lab instructor explained, “ and you
don’t.” In graduate school, a professor of solid state
physics advised her to do her Ph.D. dissertation on
cobwebs, because she would encounter them while
cleaning. She did not take the advice; her thesis was
titled “ Absorption of infrared radiation in crystals of
diamond-type lattice structure” . After graduation,
she found that the “ Situations Wanted” section of
The New York Times was divided between men and
women, and she could not place an ad among
the men, the only place anyone needing a research
scientist would bother to look.
Beating the odds
At that time, even the dean of women at Columbia
University argued that “ sensible motherhood” was
“ the most useful and satisfying of the jobs that
women can do” . My mother tried to be a sensible
mother and it damn near killed her. For three years,
she cooked, cleaned, and looked after my brother
and me, two stubborn and voluble babies. One day
in 1964 she found herself preparing to hurl the
dish drain through the kitchen window and decided
to get professional help. “ I was incredibly lucky,”
she remembers, “ to find a shrink who was enlight-
ened enough to urge me to try to get a job. I
didn’t think anyone would hire me, but I did what Richard’s boyhood
he told me to do.” She applied to Lamont-Doherty home lab of 1932,
Observatory and, to her astonishment, received where Joan worked
three offers. She chose to work part-time, studying as an assistant for
the relationship between the solar wind and the two cents a week.
magnetosphere. Soon she would be among the
first to announce that the magnetosphere – the
part of space in which Earth’s magnetic field
dominates and the solar wind doesn’t enter – was
open-ended, with a tail on one side, rather than
having a closed-teardrop shape, as had been
widely believed. She was off and running.
MORE ON PAGE 30
29

My mother introduced me to physics when I was
about 14. I was crazy about bluegrass music, and
learned that Ralph Stanley was coming to town with
his Clinch Mountain Boys. Although Mom did not
share my taste for hillbilly music, she agreed to take
me. The highlight turned out to be fiddler Curly Ray
Cline’s version of “Orange Blossom Special”, a barn
burner in which the fiddle imitates the sound of an
approaching and departing train. My mother stood
and danced a buck-and-wing and when, to my great
relief, she sat down, she said, “Great tune, huh? It’s
based on the Doppler effect.” This is not the sort of
thing one expects to hear in reference to Curly Ray
Cline’s repertoire. Later, over onion rings at the
Rockybilt Cafe, she explained: “When the train is com-
ing, its sound is shifting to higher frequencies. And
when the train is leaving, its sound is shifting to lower
frequencies. That’s called the Doppler shift. You can
see the same thing when you look at a star: if the light
source is moving towards you, it shifts towards blue; if
it’s moving away, it shifts towards red. Most stars shift
towards red because the universe is expanding.”
I cannot pretend that, as a boy, I liked everything
about having a scientist for a mother. When I saw
the likes of Mrs Brady on TV, I sometimes wished I
had what I thought of as a mom with an apron.
And then, abruptly, I got one.
It was 1971 and my mother was working for
NASA at Ames Research Center in California. She
had just made an important discovery concerning
the solar wind, which has two states, steady and
transient. The latter consists of puffs of material,
also known as coronal mass ejections, which,
though long known about, were notoriously hard
to find. My mother showed they could be recog-
nised by the large amount of helium in the solar
wind. Her career was flourishing. But the economy
was in recession and NASA’s budget was slashed.
My mother was a housewife again. For months, as
she looked for work, the severe depression that had
haunted her years before began to return.
Mom had been taught to turn to the synagogue in
times of trouble, and it seemed to make especially
good sense in this case, because our synagogue had
more scientists in it than most Ivy League
universities. Our rabbi, a celebrated civil rights
activist, was arranging networking parties for
unemployed eggheads. But when my mother
asked for an invitation to one of these affairs, he
accused her of being selfish. “ After all – there are
men out of work just now.”
“ But Rabbi,” she said, “ it’s my life.”
I remember her coming home that night,
stuffing food into the refrigerator, then pulling out
30
The world of
forensics
Science against
the vacuum cleaner. She switched it on, pushed it
back and forth across the floor a few times, then
switched it off and burst into tears. In a moment, I
was crying too and my mother was comforting me.
We sat there a long time.
crime!
“ I know you want me here,” she told me. “ But I
can either be a part-time mama, or a full-time
madwoman.”
A few months later, Mom was hired as a research
scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric
Research, and we moved to Boulder, Colorado.
From then on, she decided to “ follow research
funding around the country, like Laplanders follow
the reindeer herds” . She followed it to Washington, ON THE BEACH
D.C., to work for the National Science Foundation, Joan Feynman with
then to the Boston College Department of Physics, the brother she looked
and finally, in 1985, to JPL, where she’s been ever up to, Richard, in
since. Along the way, she unlocked some of the Far Rockaway N.Y.
mysteries of the aurora. Using data from Explorer
33, she showed that auroras occur when the mag-
netic field of the solar wind interacts with the
magnetic field of the Earth.
In 1974, she became an officer of her
professional association, the American Geophysical
Union, and spearheaded a committee to ensure
that women in her field would be treated fairly.
She was named one of JPL’s elite senior scientists
in 1999 and the following year was awarded
NASA’s Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal.
Soon she’ll retire, except that retirement as my
mother the scientist envisions it means embarking
on a new project: comparing recent changes in
Earth’s climate with historic ones. “ It’s a pretty
important subject when you consider that even a
small change in the solar output could conceivably
turn Long Island into a skating rink – just like it
was some 10 000 years ago.”
WINDS OF CHANGE
The first thing I did when I came home from Seen here at a
Mrs Weddle’s class that day in 1966 was to ask my scientific conference Planning on taking
mother what my father did. in Finland, Feynman
She told me that he was a scientist, and that she has always been a up a career in crime
was a scientist too. I asked what a scientist was, and traveller. Now about
she handed me a spoon. “Drop it on the table,” she to retire, she will not when you leave school?
said. I let it fall to the floor. “Why did it fall?” she stop moving - and
asked. “Why didn’t it float up to the ceiling?” It had plans to research You may want to rethink
never occurred to me that there was a “why” involved. historic patterns
“Because of gravity,” she said. of climate change. that decision and rather
“A spoon will always fall, a hot-air balloon will
always rise.” I dropped the spoon again and again until go into criminal forensics.
she made me stop. I had no idea what gravity was, but By Charles Hirshberg
the idea of “Why?” kept rattling around in my head. (Reprinted with kind Read on ...
That’s when I made the decision: the next day, in permission from the
school, I wouldn’t just tell them what my father did. I’d May 2002 edition of
tell them about my mother too. Popular Science)
31

T
he crime in South Africa is
certainly not something to
boast about, but the people
who have committed their lives
to help catch the criminals - by physically
proving their guilt - are definitely people
of which we can be very proud.
The one (and probably the only) advan-
tage of having a high crime rate in our
country is that, as a result, we have one
of the best forensics laboratories in the
world. The Forensic Science Laboratory
of the South African Police Services is
not only one of the most highly equipped
laboratories of its kind in the world,
it is also run by a team of seasoned
professionals who have seen it all and
have the evidence to prove it.
Modern science is playing an increas-
ingly important role in forensics. The
most important scientific advance that
has taken place for forensics, is the intro-
duction of DNA (Deoxyribose Nucleic
Acid) testing, which has made it virtually
impossible for a criminal to have been at
a crime scene and not have left evidence
of being there. All it takes is body tissue
(such as a tiny piece of dry skin or a
strand of hair), or body fluids (such as
saliva or semen). With this evidence,
forensics can extract a DNA profile
of the criminal and match it to any
suspects that they may have.
However, forensics is not just about
DNA testing, there are many other
aspects to it which help a crime
scene come alive.
32
What is forensics all about?
Francois Bekker, Communication Manager
for the SAPS Forensics Laboratory,
explains: “ The purpose of forensics is to
help the police officer or investigator to
piece together crimes by helping them to
verify their evidence.
“ A crime scene is mute without physical
evidence. However, with physical evidence
in hand, the forensics team can make the
crime scene talk and enable the investiga-
tor to piece together the events leading
up to the criminal act.”
It is important to emphasise that foren-
sics focuses on physical science only and
does not analyse evidence based on any
social science elements – that is up to the
investigating officer.
Says Francois: “ If you want to lock up
criminals these days, you cannot use
social science to prove guilt, you have to
have physical proof. In other words, you
have to have physical proof that the
criminal was there and that he/she was
there to commit that particular crime –
circumstantial evidence is not enough.”
Despite what, TV programmes like
Profiler, would have you believe, the
investigator and the forensics lab do not
have much contact with each other. There
are two reasons for this:
1. Not every crime happens next door to
the forensics lab, so the investigator
usually has to send evidence away for
testing.
2. It is important for the forensics team to
have an objective view. In other words,
it is better that they don’t know the
story behind the evidence so that they
can take an entirely clinical approach
when they test it.
Therefore, when a crime is committed,
it is up to the investigator called to the
scene to know what to look for and what
to send in for testing. Of course, there
are exceptions. For instance, if the
President was attacked, a
special investigation team
would be sent in to
make sure that no stone
was left unturned in an
effort catch the
perpetrator.
Tour the Forensics Lab
There are different departments at the Forensics Lab. The three main departments are: Ballistics, Biology and Chemistry
Ballistics
The dictionary defines ballistics as “the study of the flight dynamics
of projectiles [e.g. bullets], either through the interaction of
the forces of propulsion, the aerodynamics of the projectile,
atmospheric resistance and gravity (exterior ballistics), or through
these forces along with the means of propulsion, and the design of
the propelling weapon and projectile (interior ballistics)”.
In plain English, ballistic forensics is called on to investigate
firearm-related crimes. Depending on the circumstances of the
crime, the ballistics team will look at three things:
1. Exterior ballistics - mapping the flight path of the bullet
based on what kind of gun and bullets were used and where
the incident took place.
2. Interior ballistics - proving that the gun found on the crime
scene was actually used for the crime by matching the
“ toolmarks” on the spent cartridges from the scene, with the
control cartridge (which is fired from the gun at the lab).
3. Wound ballistics - looking at the damage that the bullet did
to the body in order to work out how far the shooter was
from the victim when the gun was fired.
Although it is not always necessary, a ballistics technician
does sometimes need to visit the crime scene to collect the
information they need.
Chemie
Die wetenskaplikes wat in die chemie-afdeling van die foren-
siese laboratorium werk, is meestal B Sc-gegradueerdes met
chemie as hoofvak.
Die chemie-afdeling is verdeel in drie hoofrigtings:
1. Dwelmontledings – In dié afdeling word gefokus op die iden-
tifisering van ontwettige dwelms. Die polisie kan bv. in ’n
klopjag ’n groot dwelmfonds maak van wat gemeen word
Mandrax is, maar dit berus by die dwelmontledingsafdeling
om te bevestig dat dit wel Mandrax is. Hulle word ook
ingeroep ter bevestiging wanneer die polisie op onwettige
dwelmlaboratoriums afkom.
2. Toksikologie – Toksikoloë is kundiges wat kan vasstel of
iemand dalk vergiftig is, en indien wel, watter gifstof
gebruik is.
3. Brandondersoeke – Die brandondersoekspan word ingeroep
wanneer geboue aan die brand geraak het. Hulle werk is om
vas te stel waar die brand ontstaan het en of brandstigting
dalk ter sprake kan wees. Dit word gewoonlik vasgestel deur
te soek na spore van die een of ander soort brandstof.
Ander soorte werk wat die chemie-afdeling doen sluit in:
● die toets van ivoor vir egtheid;
● ontleding van spoorreste (bv. as ’n moordenaar van ’n toneel
The world of
forensics
According to Francois, this is not a job for the faint-hearted,
as the ballistics team is often exposed to some very gory
situations where they have to carefully examine every aspect
of the crime scene in order to work out exactly how the crime
took place.
Back at the lab, the ballistics team has world-class equipment,
which enables them to do their work accurately and quickly.
They work with microscopes, computers and have a water
tank in the basement where they can fire the weapons when
necessary.
At the moment there is no specific course that can be studied
if you want to become a ballistics technician. Training is done
in-house with police officers who show the potential to be
able to do the job.
“ We are, however, currently negotiating with a few tertiary
institutions to introduce a forensic policing course at technikon
level, but that is something that is still in the pipeline,”
says Francois.
ontvlug en sy hemp teen ’n heining sou skeur, kan die
forensiese laboratorium die stukkie materiaal ontleed en dit
pas by die klere van verdagtes, al sou dit selfs net ’n enkele
fraaiingtjie wees);
● die toets van edelmetale om te bevestig dat hulle eg en
suiwer is;
● die ontleding van voertuie wat in botsings betrokke was
om die blaam vir die botsing te probeer bepaal of vas te
stel of ’n tegniese fout dalk die rede was; en
● die bestudering van wat “ vraagdokumente” genoem word:
die identifisering van vervalste geld, ontleding van
handskrifte en ink, en leuenverklikkertoetse.
33

Biology
The scientists working in the Biology division of the forensics
lab are usually BSc graduates who have majored in biology.
As was mentioned earlier in this article, DNA testing forms
a major part of the work that is done by the team in the biology
department.
They are sent a hair, or saliva or some kind of bodily tissue
or fluid and have to use this evidence to extract a DNA profile
of the criminal.
In the past, the DNA profile was no use unless the investigat-
ing officer had a suspect in custody with which to compare
the profile. However, this is soon going to change, as
Francois explains: “ In October this year we are
going to be launching the ‘DNA Criminal
Intelligence Database’ or DCID.
In a nutshell, this is going to
be an electronic database
which contains all the
There are currently great opportunities for people who are considering a career in
forensics. If you would like to find out more about the qualifications you need or if
you have any other queries about careers in criminal forensics,
please call Francois Bekker: (012) 845-5793.
HALF PAGE AD FOR WITS TECH
POSITIVES SUPPLIED
34
DNA profiles of previously convicted criminals. Therefore, all
future DNA profiles will be checked against this database in Are you Einstein
in the making?
order to see if it matches any of the profiles of previously
convicted criminals.
“ If we had had access to the DCID when the Pretoria rapist
was on the rampage, we would have caught him after the first
rape, as he had been convicted for rape before,” says Francois.
Who knows how many more criminals are out there doing
the same thing over and over again, just because there is no Take part in this fun questionnaire
way of proving their involvement. DNA testing and the DCID
are hopefully going to put an end to this. and see how you do.
While this database system has already been introduced in
the UK and the USA, the DCID to be launched is South Africa 1. You are busy doing an assignment on your Dad’s
is going to be a world first. The reason for this is because our computer when, all of a sudden, the cursor freezes
crime rate is so high and the forensics lab is so busy, that it in the middle of the screen. What do you do?
makes sense for the DCID to be run with robotics. In other A. Quietly go and switch the computer off at the wall, clear
words, instead of a person having to sit behind a terminal up any traces of your being there and hope that you haven’t
and enter the data (as is done overseas), the SA DCID is going broken it.
to do all that itself. All the scientists will have to do is prepare B. Press Control-Alt-Delete and reboot the machine and make
the sample and the robotic system will do the rest. sure that you save your work regularly in case it happens
again.
C. Press Control-Alt-Delete and reboot holding down the
Shift key in order to disable the Extensions. You run NAV
to check that you haven’t picked up a virus after which
you defragment the hard drive, etc, etc.
D. Give the tower a good whack ... that always works!?!
To find out more about operating a computer visit
www.teachingideas.co.uk/ict/contents.htm
2. You will have learnt in biology that
the biological name for humans, is
homo sapien. “Homo” means
human in Latin. What does
“Sapien” mean?
A. The wise
B. The great
C. The brainy
D. The complex
To find out more the Linnaeus
System (used for classifying
plants and animals) and its inventor
visit: www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/
history/linnaeus.html
3. Your little brother is
struggling to do a 50-piece puzzle, but is
too proud to ask for help. What do you do?
A. Grab the puzzle away from him and finish it in 10 seconds
flat while telling him what a loser he is.
B. Leave him to figure it out for himself as it will teach him
to be independent and to persevere.
C. Go and sit with him and throw him some helpful hints so
that he can finish the puzzle without thinking that he had
to have any real help.
Te s t y o u r k n o w l e d g e
D. Sit down and explain to him that the puzzle is too
cognitively advanced for him and that he should actually
only be attempting 36-piece puzzles for his age.
Find some computer puzzles and games at:
www.microsoft.com/games/pc/gameslist_date.asp
Or: www.syvum.com/teasers
Or: //dir.yahoo.com/recreation/games/puzzles/
brain_teasers/
4. What was the Philosopher’s Stone?
A. The name of a Harry Potter book.
B. A stone that Siegmund Freud kept
on his desk which helped inspire him.
C. A mercury powder which alchemists believed would turn
lead into gold.
D. A tablet that was found in one of the Egyptian pyramids
with the philosophies of the
time inscribed upon it.
Find out more about alchemy
at: www.levity.com/
alchemy/index.html
5. What shape is the Earth?
A. wide oval
B. tall oval
C. circle
D. hexagonal
Find out more about the Earth and its dimensions at:
http://terra.nasa.gov/
6. Your science teacher organises for your
class to visit the planetarium. What’s your
first thought?
A. I wonder how I can make sure that I end up sitting next
to my “ perv” on the bus?
B. Oh cool! I love astrology. Maybe they will read my stars
and tell me what the future holds.
C. Perfect timing. I was just reading about the latest photos
from the Hubble Telescope and I have some questions. I
had better write them down and make sure I am prepared.
35
 21st Century Art

D. I will not go! Too much money is wasted

on exploring space. The money would be
better spent on alleviating poverty. I will not
support such wasteful and fruitless endeavours.
Find out more about the Johannesburg Planetarium
and the Hubble Telescope at:
www.wits.ac.za/planetarium and: www.stsci.edu/hst/
7. What living creatures are used in some hospitals
to clean dead tissue out of wounds?
A. Fly larvae
B. Maggots
C. Leeches
D. The five-eyed sea slug
Find out more about living creatures used in medicine at:
HI-TECH ART FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
9. Why is an X-ray called an “X”-ray?
GET IN THE
A. When doctors used to send patients to have
X-rays done, they used to draw an “ X” on the spot that they
wanted X-rayed.
B. When William Roentgen discovered X-rays he didn’t know
what they were and so used X, the symbol for something
unknown in Algebra.
C. Mr Roentgen loved to read pirate stories and his discovery of
X-rays reminded him of the skull and cross bones, hence his
use of the X to

S
www.smtl.co.uk/wmprc/biosurgery/index.html represent the cross bones. cience is not just about the natural
D. X-rays used to be the last thing that a doctor would do to sciences, it is about technology as well.
8. You are flicking TV channels on a Saturday try and find out what was wrong with someone, and X is the What would life be like without cars,
evening and come across a couple of heavyweight last letter of the alphabet. kitchen appliances, TVs and computers.
boxers beating the daylights out of each other. Find out more about X-rays and William Roentgen at: Without these things, there would be none of the
What is your first thought? www.cc.emory.edu/x-rays/century.htm creature comforts like homemade milkshakes,
A. I wonder how many brain cells a boxer loses, cartoons and computer games!
on average, during a 12 round boxing match? 10. How many moons does Jupiter have? Indeed, technology has made life a lot more
B. I wonder if boxers have any brain cells to A. 11 exciting and has certainly played a pivotal Throughout this revolution, animators have
willingly take part in such a mindless sport? B. 19 role in terms of what we do to entertain been there creating fantastic visual effects that
C. I wonder with what force the one boxer will have to hit C. 28 ourselves. In the “ olden days” people used to have transfixed children and adults alike.
the other, in order to knock his feet out from under him? D. 39 play cards or collect stamps to keep themselves Whether it be the new Spiderman movie or
D. Oh cool - here are two guys beating the entertained, but now we either head for the the latest and greatest in computer games,
daylights out of each other. I wonder how much I have FOR FIVE BONUS POINTS: What is the name of TV remote or get cosy in front of the computer, animators are there creating fantastic visual
missed? the satellite that was sent to Jupiter, to help us with mouse in hand. effects that leave us amazed.
Find out more about boxing as a sport at: www.boxing.com/ find out more about the planet and its moons? These technological advances have also
Find out more about the dangers of boxing at: To find out more about Jupiter and its moons visit: diversified our job market, opening up new Do you want to be an animator?
www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/ http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/ and exciting opportunities. An excellent example Does animation sound like something that
Or: http://www.sciam.com/2000/0200issue/ of this is the job of the animator. you want to do? Have you got artistic talent
0200johnson.html While this is by no means a new field – the and a keen interest in computers? Then, this
Walt Disney Company has been doing animation is a career for you to consider.
for many years – technology has drastically Martin Heigan was 14 years old when he first
changed the face of animation. Animation started came across a brochure on graphic design and
Now work out your score out as a series of drawings, which were pho-
tographed one frame at a time in order to make
realised that this was the field in which he
wanted to specialise. At Technikon his focus
1. A=0; B=3; C=5; D=0 2. A=5; B=0; C=0; D=1 3. A=0; B=1; C=5; D=0 4. A=1; B=0; C=5; D=0 up a sequence. Now these sequences are all changed and he set his sights firmly on
5. A=5; B=0; C=0; D=0 6. A=0; B=0; C=5; D=1 7. A=0; B=0; C=5; D=0 8. A=5; B=1; C=5; D=0 put together on computer. Therefore, the skills 3-D animation: “ The cinemas were full of
9. A=0; B=5; C=0; D=0 10. A=0; B=0; C=3; D=5
necessary to be an animator have changed from spectacular, computer-generated films and I
Answer for 5 bonus points: Galileo
being almost purely artistic, to being a mix of was determined to eventually get involved in
(Note for question 10: Until recently it was believed that Jupiter had 28 moons but new research
artistic and computer skills. projects of this kind,” recalls Martin.
recently revealed 11 more moons that were missed by previous studies.)
Martin Heigan, head of 3-D Animation at The Martin didn’t take maths or science (although
Results Video Lab Group, explains: “ There is no doubt he did take biology and geography) at school,
0 - 15: You have a little bit of work to do if you want to get up to speed. But all is not lost. If you really want to become that creativity and artisitic ability are still the but was fascinated with computers from an early
a scientist or techno-boff, there is still time for you to put renewed efforts into developing your science skills ... it’ll most important skills you need to be an animator. age. “ It is ironic to think that because I didn’t
just take a bit of commitment and hard work on your part. However, you will not be able to express your take maths and science, I wasn’t allowed to take
16 - 39: Not too shabby. The interest and curiosity is there, and it seems that all you now need to do is explore your potential creativity if you don’t know how to use the computer science as a subject. But today I
in order to work out where your strengths in science lie. So, keep reading as much as you can about science and modern paintbrush, namely, the computer.” work with the most complex Unix based super
technology and who knows where your talents will take you. Over the past 10 years, computer hardware and computers and software in the world,” says
40 - 49: Fantastic ... you obviously have a passion for science and technology. Keep up the good work! software have revolutionised the media, making Martin. “ Hopefully this is no longer the case
50 - 55: If you keep going at this rate, you are going to go far - so, don’t stop now! it possible to create spectacular visual effects at schools, as using computers and other
Dyna Mite Man – Personal Project
which have captured everyone’s imagination. © Martin Heigan technology is fast becoming the norm in many

36 37
 21st Century Art
The Venus Fly Trap – Personal Project
© Martin Heigan

jobs that are not science or maths based.”
However, that is not to say that a bit of
knowledge in science won’t be useful in the
field of animation. As Martin explains: “ 3-D
animation has a very technical side to it. I am
able to program very complex visual effects and
use concepts of physics to generate natural
phenomena like fire, snow, tornadoes, rain, etc.
Having a thorough knowledge of these subjects
helps me to understand some of the technical
aspects of the high-end 3-D software on the
market today. So, although science is not a
prerequisite to becoming an animator, it can
help you to be better at it in the longer term.”
Animators also have to be willing to embrace
new technology and not be afraid of change.
characters and conceptual designs on paper first.
“ A typical television commercial will take
from 2-6 weeks to complete, while film effects
and animation can keep teams of animators
busy for months. However, if you love your
work, like I do, you never get bored and that
is how you get the best results,” says Martin.
You may be wondering, “ But how exciting
can being an animator in teeny-weeny,
Third- world South Africa be?” Well, actually
a whole lot more exciting than you think!
“ South Africa is known for producing really
good animators. In fact, a lot of South Africans
are in top positions in animation companies
around the world. This is because South African
animators have to be very well-rounded in all
keep that work coming in, then we will soon
be seeing the animation industry in South Africa
growing substantially,” Martin continues.
Martin has already got an impressive array
of award-winning, international projects – both
in advertising and film - under his belt. A few
examples include:
Television:
● Body Story 2 (A BBC/Discovery Channel
production on the human body - UK)
● Tarzan - the epic adventures (USA)
Film:
● Merlin - the return (UK)
● The little unicorn (UK)
● Pirates of the plane (USA)
● Dazzle (still in the making - UK)
Advertising:
● Akira Television (Singapore, Far-East, Europe)
● Dutch Telecom “ Baby” (Holland)
● Laganza “ Frog” (Japan)
Martin’s success did not happen overnight. He
started as a trainee at the Video Lab Group in
1993 where he was taught the principles of
video, film and sound by experienced VT opera-
tors and video/film engineers. “ This gave me a
good understanding of the medium that I would
be working with and how it works,” he recalls.
“ After my year as a trainee, I joined the
full-time staff at ‘The House Next Door’, the
animation and visual effects division of the
Video Lab. My initial experience was built up
in television commercials - at first I was more
involved with 3-D visual effects and design. I
then gradually started to do the more involved
3-D character animation.” Four years - and a
lot of hard work - later Martin was appointed
Senior Animator at Video Lab.
Since then, Martin’s passion for his job
has resulted in him becoming a sought-after
animator who is not unaccustomed to having
his work win awards. In addition to that he
is often called upon to lecture at Technikons
and other computer graphics schools and has
been interviewed on Radio 702, Top Billing
and even CNN.
MORE ON PAGE 40 The Last Leprechaun – Film
© Peakviewing Transatlantic

It seems that the words “ technology” and
“ advancing” are inextricably linked, as whenev-
er we hear about technology, it is spoken about
as something that is always advancing, always
moving forward, never staying the same. “ That
is why I wanted to become a 3-D animator, as
it meant that I would always be working with
cutting edge technology and software,” Martin
enthuses.
A day in the life ...
“ Animators are typically approached by
advertising agencies and film companies to
make their creative ideas come to life. I am
usually briefed on what visual effects or
animation is required for the job and then I
get down to work. Most of the work is done
on computer, although I still tend to draw
Omo - TV Commercial
© Uni Lever (Omo)
the animation disciplines and techniques. Our
animation market is much smaller than the UK
and the States, which basically means that our
animators don’t have the luxury of being able
to specialise within the field, but rather have
to be able to do everything.
“ Added to this, our project budgets are
generally smaller, which means that we have
to achieve the best results with the least
amount of resources. It just goes to show that
sometimes, ‘bigger’ is not always ‘better’,”
says Martin.
“ Although the animation industry in South
Africa is still growing, we use exactly the same
hardware and software as the rest of the world.
This means that we are well-equipped to take
on the high profile international projects, which
we are starting to see in South Africa. If we can

Pirates of The Plain – Film

© New Ernest Productions

38 39
 An astro-nomical
achievement
The Little Unicorn – Film © Peakviewing Transatlantic, Merlin, The Return – Film © Peakviewing Transatlantic,
Battle Walker – Personal Project © Martin Heigan, Smarties – Television Commercial © Nestle

Cosmic boffin blazes a trail

Cornia Pretorius meets SA's first African astrophysicist

RAMOTHOLO “ Rocky” Sefako didn't do much to encourage him to look up in

became the first African student search of new galaxies. But today he believes
to obtain a doctorate in astrophysics space is “ more fantastic than science fiction".
in South Africa. What changed the course of his life was a
talk on the expansion of the universe

T
he quiet 31-year-old completed his
thesis at the Potchefstroom University's
Unit of Space Physics where he used
the laws of physics to explore cosmic
phenomena around massive black holes and
rapidly rotating collapsed or dead stars that take
about one second to rotate about their axes.
Sefako, from Witsieshoek in the rural Free
State, was the first member of his family to go
to university.
Dr Khotso Mokhele, president of the National
Research Foundation, described Sefako as a
If anything, Martin is definitely proof that “ trailblazer".
a Third-world country can produce first class
professionals. Animasie “ If we define astronomy as a Western scientific
discipline, it was introduced in South Africa in
at the University of Lesotho, where
he completed his first degree and,
after that, an advertisement for
honours and master's degree
students at the Potchefstroom
University's Unit for Space Physics.
Said Sefako: “ Maths is for everyone.
It develops you mentally, but it is very
difficult to motivate children to do
it. They need role models."
According to Sefako,
Shuttleworth's space expedi-
tion contributed towards
boosting maths and science,
and the young astrophysicist

What have you got to do? van 1820. It took us until 2002 to produce our first
black PhD. That, for me, is a story."
would like to go on a road
show with him.
So, what does one have to do to become
an animator? Besides having artistic ability,
Rekenaar Two other PhD candidates, Thebe Medupe
of the University of Cape Town and Lerothodi
Sunday Times

you will need to do some kind of tertiary

studies to become a successful animator.
Speletjies Leeuw of the University of Central
Lancastershire, are following hot on the heels
Rekenaarspeletjies en Sony Playstation of Sefako. Both work at the SA Astronomical
Says Martin: “ When I finished school one
is die “ in ding". Daar is inderdaad só Observatory in Cape Town and have submitted
could not yet study animation in South Africa.
’n groot aanvraag na rekenaarspeletjies their doctoral studies for scrutiny.
However, now there are a number of animation
dat dit beskou word as die snel- Mokhele said their achievements would boost
courses, as well as the more traditional
groeiendste bedryf ter wêreld. initiatives like the R80-million Southern African
technikon courses like Graphic Design and
“ Die goeie nuus is dat dit groeiende Large Telescope that is being built in Sutherland
Fine Art.
moontlikhede bied vir animeerders in the Northern Cape.
“ My advice to any aspiring animators is,
en hulle sterk in aanvraag plaas. In addition, it fits in with plans to market SA
please study first! You need to develop your
Speletjie-animasie, in teenstelling met as an astronomy and space science destination.
creative talents before you can be successful at
rolprent- of TV-animasie, behels Said Mokhele: “ We can't do that unless we
earning a living with art. A lot of people think
grootliks dieselfde bedrywighede. Dis have more South Africans coming through the
that if they learn a 3-D software package, they
net die tegnieke en sekere tegniese system. This new generation is important to
will immediately be able to animate. Forget it! STARSTRUCK:
aspekte wat effens verskil. send a representative message."
That’s like saying that you have a Formula Ramotholo Sefako,
“ As jy hou van speletjies, rekenaars Sefako 's achievement came during the week
1 Ferrari and your driver’s license and that with an optical
en animasie kan die speletjiesmark vir that the National Astrophysics and Space Science
qualifies you to enter the Grand Prix ... not telescope at
jou ’n baie belowende beroep word," Programme was launched.
likely!” Potchefstroom
sê Martin. Thirteen institutions will pool their resources
It is important to remember that animation University, is a role
is a skill that you have to learn. The animation and with a “ dream team of scientists" train and model for youngsters
industry is quite small which means that anima- If you are interested in finding out more mentor more space scientists. interested in space
tors are competing for jobs. The better your about becoming an animator please email As a lover of maths rather than science, Sefako science Picture:
© Akira Television – Television Commercial
creative talents, the better your chances are of martinh@videolab.co.za or visit the following never dreamt of becoming a stargazer. His high SIMON MATHEBULA
getting the job that you want. website: http://martin.ice.org school years in Butha-Buthe in Lesotho also

40 41

Delve int a w rld of unseen pr portions
D
o you want to see things that you
have never seen before, bizarre
creatures that can survive in boil-
ing water or in the coldest parts of
the Antarctic, creatures that can make and
destroy, promote health and cause disease?
Microbiology is a career that will introduce
you to a whole world of miniscule alien-like
creatures called microbes that, for all practical
purposes, rule the world.
It has even been said that although the
Earth would get along just fine if there
were no humans, without microbes
all life would cease to exist. A
scary prospect, but when you
consider the role that microbes
play in day-to-day life, it is not
hard to understand why they
are so important.
Microbes are everywhere.
Right now, there are
probably more microbes on
your hands than there are
people on the Earth! (Thank
goodness we can’t see them
with the human eye or we would
probably feel queasy at
the sight of them
crawling all over us).
However, while it is
frightening to think that these
little critters live on us, inside us
and in the food we eat, we
could not survive without
them. On the website
www.microbeworld.org
microbes are described
as:
● makers (e.g.
photosynthetic algae
and bacteria produce
up to half the oxygen
in the atmosphere), and
destroyers (e.g. bacteria and
fungi are agents of decay – they
break down dead or used matter and
prevent the world from filling up with trash
and sludge);
42
● promoters of health (e.g. the microbes living
on and in our bodies protect us against
invaders by leaving no room for pathogens to
take hold), and agents of disease (e.g. AIDS
is caused by a microbe called the Human
Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV, and
scientists have yet to find a cure for AIDS
due to the ability to change and evade each
new treatment that comes along); and
● tools for the future (e.g. viruses are now
being developed into genetic cures through
gene therapy which disables a virus’ disease-
causing genes and loads it with new genes
which fix the genetic defect), and a source of
new challenges (e.g. as people move into pre-
viously uninhabited areas, due to expanding
populations, we are coming across previously
unknown microbes which are believed to be at
the root of outbreaks of new diseases such as
the Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever and Hantavirus
Pulmonary Syndrome).
The different types
of microbes
Microbes come in
several different
forms, including:
● BACTERIA –
single-celled
organisms whose
genetic material is
not enclosed in a
nucleus. They come
in all shapes and sizes
and can be found on just about
everything on Earth;
● ARCHAEA – single-celled organisms that are
found in some of the most extreme environ-
ments on Earth. It is believed that archaea
may be prehistoric in nature and scientists are
studying them in the hope of uncovering more
info about how life arose and developed on
Earth;
● VIRUSES – the smallest of the microbes, virus-
es are basically bits of genetic material which
switch between life and non-life depending on
their environment. Outside a host cell viruses
are completely inert, but once inside a host,
they become quite active, usually to the
detriment of the host;
● FUNGI – are organisms that cannot make their
own food and instead get their nutrients from
organic matter such as decaying leaves or dead
animals. Most fungi is microscopic, but the fungi
we can see include mushrooms and mould; and
● PROTISTS – are creatures that exhibit character-
istics of plants or animals and include algae and
protozoa. Algae are creatures that contain
chlorophyll and can therefore photosynthesise
(in fact, algae provides more than 30 percent of
the Earth’s atmospheric oxygen). Protozoa have
animal-traits. One-third of protozoa are parasites
which can cause ill-health such as malaria or
gastrointestinal problems.
Microbiology – a voyage of discovery
From the above one can see that the microbiologist
can learn a lot from studying the behaviour of
these minute characters. In fact, as time goes by
and we learn more about them, they are increas-
ingly being used to find cures for disease, to create
drought-resistant, bug-resistant crops, to clean up
pollution and so on.
If you are interested in a career as a microbiolo-
gist you will need to have taken higher grade
science, maths, biology and computer science (if
possible) until matric. Tertiary education involves
going to a university and doing a Bachelor of
Science degree majoring in microbiology, after
which you will specialise further within a field.
There are so many different microbes out there,
that it would be impossible for one microbiologist
to study all of them. Specialisations include:
● bacteriology (studying bacteria);
● virology (studying viruses);
● mycology (studying fungi);
● epidemiology (studying new diseases); and
● immunology (studying how the body defends
itself against microbial invaders).
Microbiologists are needed in many industries,
including: food, agriculture, health, pollution,
biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.
Microbiology
A day in the life of an epidemiologist
Ali S Khan, MD is a field epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), America’s public health agency. His job
involves travelling all over the world to places where there have been
outbreaks of mysterious diseases that haven’t been seen before.
“ I deal with all those scary diseases that you may have heard of like
Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever, Congo-Crimea Haemorrhagic Fever and
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome,” explains Ali.
Ali has to go to places and find out what microbe is causing an
illness which, in turn, helps him to find a way of getting rid of the
virus from those who are infected. He likes to think of himself as
a disease detective.
“ Sometimes my job is very scary as many of the diseases that I
deal with tend to be deadly and there is no treatment available if I
get infected. As a result, my team and I have to take very careful
precautions to make sure that we don’t end up catching the disease
that we have been called in to investigate.
“ This means that, on occasion, we have to wear protective clothing
like latex gloves, plastic gowns and masks. When there is a chance that
the disease is airborne, we have to set up a special lab in the field that
is totally sealed in order to house the patients. If we go into this lab,
we wear a respirator device that filters the air that we breathe in order
to protect us from infected air,” says Ali.
Ali really enjoys his job as he gets to go to remote places that he
would never otherwise have had the opportunity to see. He also enjoys
meeting all the people and learning about cultures that other people
never so much as hear about.
The strange thing is that Ali did not intend to become a disease
detective and actually initially studied to be a doctor. However, fate
stepped in and he ended up at CDC.
You do not have to be a doctor to become an epidemiologist, there
are many different skills that are needed in the field of epidemiology,
it just depends where your interest lies.
If you are interested in a career as a
microbiologist you will need to have taken
higher grade science, maths, biology and
computer science (if possible) until matric.
43
 A booming good
career choice

Have a
!
A career in explosives Other aspects of
Explosives technology is a qualification which can Explosives Technology (ET)
stand on its own, but it can also complement skills Obviously, ET is considered to be a fairly dangerous

T
in specific industries, such as: mining, civil engi- vocation and one of the main focuses of your

L
neering, the film industry and the military. Says training will be to make sure that you don’t blow

S
David: “ Although a tertiary qualification is not yourself (or anyone else!) up in the process. As a

B A
David Coutts who has a National Higher Diploma in explo-
sives technology and heads up the Academy of Explosives
Technology (AET) explains: “ You will find that most explosives
technologists have an enquiring mind and have experimented
with gunpowder and rockets from an early age. As a youngster
Have you ever wondered I was inspired by the scientific nature of explosives and had a
general curiousity about things that go bang.”
what it would be like to David has been working with explosives for 20 years and says that
it is not just about blowing things up. It also involves manufacturing
press a button which sets and researching explosives for use in specific applications, such as:
● military – for all the different types of ammunition;
off the explosives that
● mining – for the blasting of rock and coal in both underground and
surface operations;
implode a building?
● construction – blasting for roads, foundations and the demolition of
a prerequisite at the AET, the majority of our
students are already employed in the mining and
civil engineering industries and use this qualifica-
tion to enhance their existing knowledge and skills.
“ However, the AET qualification is a good step-
ping stone for school-leavers who are determined
to get into this field and it will stand them in good
stead when approaching mining companies, civil
engineers and explosives manufacturers for career
opportunities.”
Although explosives technology is a very
specialised field, there is a constant need for
well-qualified explosives technologists due to the
continual development (in terms of roads and
buildings) that is taking place in Africa.
According to David, potential explosives
technologists are always at an advantage if
they have a good matric having at least taken
mathematics and science on standard grade.
result, safety is the most important aspect of ET.
Everything has to be worked out exactly, such as,
how much explosive to use and how far away you
need to be when the explosive is detonated.
“ There is no margin for error as you only get
one chance to get it right,” says David ... which
probably explains why ET is statistically considered
to be very safe. If you would
Another aspect of ET that is becoming increas- like to find
ingly important, is concern for the environment. out more about
Those involved in the manufacture of explosives a career in
have to consider the effect their products will explosives
have on air and water pollution, while those in technology
the mining and civil engineering field have to visit the
take into account the noise, dust and ground Academy for
vibration that they may cause. Explosives
While David insists that there is a routine side Technology’s
to the job of an explosives technologist, it surely website at:
cannot take away from the fact that, at the end of www.aet.co.za
the day, you get to blow things to smithereens.

Hopefully, for many buildings; and

● pyrotechnics – the field of fireworks and special effects for the film industry.

of us, the closest we will

The discovery of explosives
ever get to big explosions Although Alfred Nobel is often credited with having invented the first explosive -
nitroglycerine - it was actually first invented by a man called Ascanio Sobrero,
is watching them on TV. a professor of chemistry, in 1847. However, he was so appalled by its
destructive nature that he never did anything to develop it.
However, for the more It took Nobel another 20 years to discover that if you combined nitro-
glycerine with kieselguhr, it would make a more stable explosive (dynamite).
adventurous, a career in Unfortunately, nitroglycerine is very unstable and Nobel learnt this lesson
the hard way, when an explosion at his factory near Stockholm, Sweden,
explosives technology will killed his brother and four other people. After that, he was determined
to make it safer, which is how dynamite came about.
be a dream come true. Nowadays, nitroglycerine is not used that much anymore (because it
is too dangerous to manufacture) and has been replaced by:
● Water-based ammonium nitrate explosives that are mainly used in the
mining and civil engineering industries. These explosives are much safer
and cheaper to manufacture and use. They also pose less health risks for the
people who have to work with them.
● Organic molecular explosives that are suited to military applications. These explosives
consist of a single molecule which contains all the explosive properties (whereas water-
based explosives are mixtures of various components which make up the explosive).
Organic explosives are also much more powerful than water-based explosives and are
therefore perfectly suited to military applications where the explosive needs to be able
to shatter the steel in a bomb, for instance.

44 45
 Careers online
Looking for more information?
Look online. Here are some
web-based resource sites which
you will find informative ...

Do you want to find out more about the different careers available in the
fields of science and technology? Look online. The Internet definitely provides
the best starting-point for budding scientists who know that they want to follow
a career in science but need to narrow down where their true interest lies.
Paleomap Project: The official string theory web site:
A journey into our planet's history. Seeing, hearing and String theory is the theory that tries to

T
he best thing to do, is to get comfortable in front of
your computer (or the computer at the library or the
nearest Internet café) type the word "science" into your
favourite search engine and see where it takes you.
However, this could take a while, so if you already have a vague
idea of what you enjoy most about science, then start there. But,
beware not to narrow your search too much as you may miss
out on fields that you never knew existed, but that you will find
absolutely fascinating and possibly perfect for you.
The SciTech Web Awards 2002
While searching the Web is going to provide you with enough
reading material to keep you busy for the rest of the year, it is
important that you don't waste your time up-loading sites that
aren't very useful.
The international online magazine, ScientificAmerican.com
recently published its second annual SciTech Web Awards. The
editors of the magazine have basically sifted through the virtual
piles of web sites to find, what they believe, are the top 50
science and technology sites on the Web at the moment.
What you will find very handy about the SciTech Web Awards,
Here are some of the award winners ...
is that the chosen sites are split up into 10 different categories, Ever wondered what Earth looked like smelling the world: explain what makes up the universe at
which basically cover all your options when it comes to choosing 1 000 million years ago? This site has How does your brain decipher the its deepest level. Not something that
a career path in the science and technology arena. all the maps, 3-D images and animations messages sent to it by your senses? The will come up in conversation every day,
They are: you need to get a good idea of what it following site does a good job explaining but it certainly piques the curiousity.
1. Archaeology and paleontology was like. the complex system of communication www.superstringtheory.com
2. Astronomy and astrophysics www.scotese.com between your brain and senses.
3. Biology www.hhmi.org/senses
4. Chemistry
5. Computer science
6. Earth and environment
7. Engineering and technology
8. Mathematics
9. Medicine
10. Physics
The sites range from the serious and information-packed to the
more playful side of science and technology. No doubt they will
help you to narrow down your search for the career that is going
to suit you best.
You can access these awards by going to ScientificAmerican.com DNA from the beginning:
and clicking on the SciTech Web Awards 2002 button on the Eric Weisstein’s world Computer history museum: DNA is fast becoming the focus of much
home page. Happy searching! of mathematics: The world of computing is advancing at of the latest research being done into
If you love numbers then you can such a rapid rate that it is almost impossible forensics and cloning, among other things.
easily get lost in this site. Whether it be to keep track. This site has a searchable Visit this site to learn more about the most
geometry, trigonometry, algebra or calculus, time line which covers innovations, milestones important molecule of life.
you'll find all the info you need right here. and important people involved in the www.dnaftb.org/
mathworld.wolfram.com development of computers from 1945 till now.
www.computerhistory.org

What’s that stuff?

How stuff works:
Want to impress your friends with your
know-how? Do your homework on this
site and learn about how things like jet
engines, digital cameras and so on, work.
www.howstuffworks.com
Dino Russ’s Lair: dinosaur and ver-
tebrate paleontology information:
A site that is jam-packed with useful and
fun links to a myriad different sites that
cater for all ages (even sites that cater for
those of you looking to find out more
about careers in paleontology).
www.isgs.uiuc.edu/dinos/dinos_home.html
Ever wondered what ink is made of, or
lipstick or cement or self-tanning lotion?
This is the site that will settle your curiousity
about what goes into anything and everything.
The nine planets: a comprehensive pubs.acs.org/cen/whatstuff/stuff.html
tour of our solar system:
Anything that you want to know about our
solar system can be found on this site. All the
facts and plenty of images to back them up.
www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/
nineplanets.html

46 47
 CAREER SEARCH …

University Technikon
contact details contact details
Listed below are the phone numbers and web addresses Listed below are the phone numbers and web addresses
for universities throughout the country. for technikons throughout the country.
Rhodes University: Border Technikon:
(046) 603-8655 www.ru.ac.za Tel: (043) 708-5200 www.bortech.ac.za
Stellenbosch University:
Cape Technikon :
(021) 808-2493 www.sun.ac.za Tel: (021) 460-3911 www.ctech.ac.za
University of Natal (PMB):
(033) 260-5233 www.nu.ac.za Eastern Cape Technikon:
Tel: (0474) 401-2000 www.tktech.ac.za
University of Natal (Dbn):
(031) 260-2668 www.nu.ac.za Mangosuthu Technikon:
University of Port Elizabeth: Tel: (031) 907-7111 www.mantec.ac.za
(041) 504-2511 www.pe.ac.za ML Sultan Technikon:
University of Cape Town: Tel: (031) 308-5111 www.mlsultan.ac.za
(021) 650-4399 www.uct.ac.za
PE Technikon:
University of the Free State: Tel: (041) 504-3911 www.petech.ac.za
(051) 401-2708 www.uovs.ac.za
Potchefstroom University: Peninsula Technikon:
Tel: (021) 959-6911 www.pentech.ac.za
(018) 299-2893 www.puk.ac.za
Rand Afrikaans University: Technikon Free State:
(011) 489-2637 www.rau.ac.za Tel: (051) 507-3911 www.tofs.ac.za
Pretoria University: Technikon Natal:
(012) 420-2980/ www.up.ac.za Tel: (031) 204-2111 www.ntech.ac.za
2692/ 4281/ 2735
Technikon Northern Gauteng:
Wits University: Tel: (012) 799-9000 www.tng.ac.za
(011) 717-1038 www.wits.ac.za
University of Durban-Westville: Technikon North West:
Tel: (012) 703-2241/4 www.tnw.ac.za
0800 004 991 www.udw.ac.za
University of Fort Hare: Technikon Pretoria:
(040) 602-2011 www.ufh.ac.za Tel: (012) 318-5911 www.techpta.ac.za
University of Transkei: Technikon South Africa:
(047) 502-2111 www.utr.ac.za Tel: (011) 471-2000 www.tsa.ac.za
University of Zululand:
Technikon Witwatersrand:
(035) 879-1380 www.uzulu.ac.za Tel: (011) 406-2911 www.twr.ac.za
University of the Western Cape:
(021) 959-2911 www.uwc.ac.za Vaal Triangle Technikon:
Tel: (016) 950-9000 www.tritek.ac.za
UNISA:
(012) 429-3111 www.unisa.ac.za
NEED MORE INFO ABOUT TECHNIKONS?
Vista University:
Committee of Technikon Principals (CTP): (012) 326-1066
(011) 938-1701 www.vista.ac.za

48
 CAREER SEARCH …

University Technikon
contact details contact details
Listed below are the phone numbers and web addresses Listed below are the phone numbers and web addresses
for universities throughout the country. for technikons throughout the country.
Rhodes University: Border Technikon:
(046) 603-8655 www.ru.ac.za Tel: (043) 708-5200 www.bortech.ac.za
Stellenbosch University:
Cape Technikon :
(021) 808-2493 www.sun.ac.za Tel: (021) 460-3911 www.ctech.ac.za
University of Natal (PMB):
(033) 260-5233 www.nu.ac.za Eastern Cape Technikon:
Tel: (0474) 401-2000 www.tktech.ac.za
University of Natal (Dbn):
(031) 260-2668 www.nu.ac.za Mangosuthu Technikon:
University of Port Elizabeth: Tel: (031) 907-7111 www.mantec.ac.za
(041) 504-2511 www.pe.ac.za ML Sultan Technikon:
University of Cape Town: Tel: (031) 308-5111 www.mlsultan.ac.za
(021) 650-4399 www.uct.ac.za
PE Technikon:
University of the Free State: Tel: (041) 504-3911 www.petech.ac.za
(051) 401-2708 www.uovs.ac.za
Potchefstroom University: Peninsula Technikon:
Tel: (021) 959-6911 www.pentech.ac.za
(018) 299-2893 www.puk.ac.za
Rand Afrikaans University: Technikon Free State:
(011) 489-2637 www.rau.ac.za Tel: (051) 507-3911 www.tofs.ac.za
Pretoria University: Technikon Natal:
(012) 420-2980/ www.up.ac.za Tel: (031) 204-2111 www.ntech.ac.za
2692/ 4281/ 2735
Technikon Northern Gauteng:
Wits University: Tel: (012) 799-9000 www.tng.ac.za
(011) 717-1038 www.wits.ac.za
University of Durban-Westville: Technikon North West:
Tel: (012) 703-2241/4 www.tnw.ac.za
0800 004 991 www.udw.ac.za
University of Fort Hare: Technikon Pretoria:
(040) 602-2011 www.ufh.ac.za Tel: (012) 318-5911 www.techpta.ac.za
University of Transkei: Technikon South Africa:
(047) 502-2111 www.utr.ac.za Tel: (011) 471-2000 www.tsa.ac.za
University of Zululand:
Technikon Witwatersrand:
(035) 879-1380 www.uzulu.ac.za Tel: (011) 406-2911 www.twr.ac.za
University of the Western Cape:
(021) 959-2911 www.uwc.ac.za Vaal Triangle Technikon:
Tel: (016) 950-9000 www.tritek.ac.za
UNISA:
(012) 429-3111 www.unisa.ac.za
NEED MORE INFO ABOUT TECHNIKONS?
Vista University:
Committee of Technikon Principals (CTP): (012) 326-1066
(011) 938-1701 www.vista.ac.za

48