Anjan Chatterjee uses tools from evolutionary psychology and cognitive neuroscience to study one of nature’s most captivating concepts: beauty. Learn more about the science behind why certain configurations of line, color and form excite us in this fascinating, deep look inside your brain. Animator Andrew Park illustrates Denis Dutton’s provocative theory on beauty – that […]
Global genetic study sheds light on glaucoma
Although the syndrome is uncommon in African Americans and virtually non-existent in West Africans, it is the cause of glaucoma in up to 20% of black South Africans. Susan Williams, Lecturer in Ophthalmology, University of the Witwatersrand and Michèle Ramsay, Director of the Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Professor in the Division of Human […]
Losing weight without a diet: manipulating a type of brain cell gets results in mice
Results of the study demonstrate that the activation of a particular type of brain immune cell, microglia, initiates a cascade of events that do indeed lead directly to obesity. Nicholas A Lesica, Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow, UCL A new study has found something remarkable: the activation of a particular type of immune cell in […]
100 Best things to do in South Africa
Jenn of Jen Reviews adroitly encapsulates the beauty and wonder of this rare and extraordinary country. Breath-taking sunsets, an incredible amount of beautiful and diverse wildlife, unspoilt and rugged scenery! These are just a few words to describe South Africa. If you are craving adventure, diversity and excitement, then this ultimate list of the top […]
South Africans don’t know much about science. Why this is a problem
Traditionally, people have turned to science for certainty and confirmation. But in a sea of social media and allegations of fake news, it has become increasingly harder for people to distinguish fact from fiction. Dr Saahier Parker, Chief Researcher at the Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators, Human Sciences Research Council From the microchips […]
Frog fossils tell us something new about rain patterns on South Africa’s west coast
Fossil frogs are a particularly useful group to track climatic change as their breeding habits are tied to rainfall patterns. Their fossils have taught us something interesting – that the current pattern of winter rainfall in the area is a relatively new phenomenon. This finding contradicts what’s been commonly accepted among scientists for decades; that the […]
SS Mendi bell recovered after 100 years
by Chris Szabo, defenceWeb The ship’s bell of the ill-fated SS Mendi has been recovered after decades of uncertainty about its whereabouts. The bell was left anonymously for a well-known local television personality in the southern English coastal town of Swanage. BBC reporter Steve Humphrey, one of the longest-serving journalists for BBC TV South, told defenceWeb […]
More than 7 500 animals ready for African Animal Ark operation
Tony Carnie, News24 Correspondent, News24 – 19 June 2017 Trailed by great clouds of dust, a massive convoy of noisy diesel trucks rumbles out of Zimbabwe this week starting on Monday to begin one of Africa’s largest-ever wildlife relocation projects. The aim is to shift more than 6 000 wild animals from Zimbabwe to neighbouring Mozambique […]
What is the Shia-Sunni divide?
Both Sunnis and Shias agree on most of the fundamentals of Islam. The differences are related more to historical events, ideological heritage and issues of leadership. The first and central difference emerged after the death of Prophet Muhammad in A.D. 632. The issue was who would be the caliph – the “deputy of God” – […]
How a rare skin disease links South Africa to an 18th Century French seaman
Keratolytic Winter Erythema (KWE) doesn’t affect the whole body but results in redness followed by peeling of thick pieces of skin on the palms and soles. Michèle Ramsay, Director of the Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Professor in the Division of Human Genetics , University of the Witwatersrand and Thandiswa Ngcungcu, PhD candidate in […]
