Edible insects in South Africa; to regulate or not to regulate?

I’ve never eaten an insect on purpose before, but I am willing to try. The concept of entomophagy, or eating insects may be quite a foriegn curiosity to me, but not so to some South Africans who love the stuff. I recently came across a research paper that essentially called for the regulation of edible…

Video – Mbali Mahleyeye on being a black woman in science

Mbali Mahleyeye recently attended the 25th celebration of the finding of Little Foot fossil at an event held by French ambassador in Pretoria. SciBraai contributor, Sibusiso Biyela sat down with Mahleyeye, who is a remote sensing scientist working at the Department of Water and Sanitation, and asked her what her journey as a young, black,…

Ososayensi bathole isilwane sasemandulo esandisa umlando wohlu lwezilwane

Asikho isilwane esiphilayo emhlabeni owomile esidlula ububanzi bendlovu. Enye yezinto ezenza ukuthi indlovu ikwazi ukukhula ibe isisindo nobubanzi obudlula zonke ezinye izilwane esiqiwini ukwakheka kwemilenze yayo. Imilenze yendlovu inamadolo abheke phambili nasemumva, kodwa ayi emaceleni njengamadolo ezingwenya. Imilenze yendlovu iqondile uma uyibheka ngaphambili kanye nasemumva ukuze ikwazi ukuthwala isisindo sayo. Lolulwazi lwezilwane eziphilayo namuhlanje lutshela…

From CRISPR to mini “brains”: My Kavli Week Diary

I recently attended the Kavli Prize week of activities around the Kavli Prize 2018 ceremony held in Norway in September 2018.  In addition to the many memories I made, I gathered some photos, video, and audio and I will keep updating this page with new content as soon as I finish writing and producing it.…

Ukusetshenziswa kwemishini ecabangayo nokuphepha komphakathi

Ukusetshenziswa kwamishini ecabangayo kuya ngokuya kukhula njengoba amandla wamakhomputha endlondlobala. Lokhu sekwenza ososayensi bacabange kabanzi ngekusasa kokuphepha komphakathi. Ingakho kuhlangane osolwazi abasuka emazweni ase-Europe abahlangane kukhomfa we-ESOF2018 e-Toulouse, a-France kuNtulikazi walonyaka. Umshayeli wemoto waziwa njengomuntu emthethweni ovumelekile ukuthi aqhube izinhlobo eziningi zezinqola. Lokhu kubekwa emthethweni ukuthi kubekhona okwaziwayo ukuthi ungumshayeli kwenzelwa ukuthi uma kukhona okwenzakalayo…

South African ship and robots to uncover the future of climate change in Africa

An adventurous team of South African scientists is preparing for a journey to an ocean at the bottom of the Earth. Their expedition will delve deeper into how the climate will change in Africa, and how South Africa can better protect its food supplies. In July 2019, researchers led by Dr Pedro Monteiro at the…

Africa’s science leaders have babies too

It has been difficult to accept, psychologically, that Maya is almost entirely my responsibility while she is a baby, and a breastfeeding one at that. In my mind, as a modern woman in a free and equal society, I had thought her care should be shared 50/50 between myself and her father Stephan. He, naturally,…

Jill Farrant: resurrection (plant) woman

Prof Jill Farrant’s life merges with water. To be more specific, she’s occupied by the ability of a rare few so-called resurrection plants to seemingly die off when none of this life-giving source is available, only to bounce back within hours once a few drops come their way. She was born in the summer of…

Shisa Sayensi- Isayensi yangeviki – 07 kuMasingane 2018

Isilwane esithusayo sasiphila eNingizimu Afrika emandulo Awucabange nje amazinyo afana nemimese, egcwele umlomo wesilwane esingangebhasi, simi phambi kwakho – isilwane esifana nenyoni enemilenze emide nomsila ofana nowengwenya. Ukuba wawuphila ngezikhathi sasemandulo esidlula iminyaka engama-200 izinkulungwane zezinkulungwane (200 000 000), ubungahlangana naso lesi silwane esithusayo. Ososayensi abacwaninga amathambo ezilwane zasemandulo sebethole izinyathelo ezashiwa ilezi zilwane ezibizwa…