National Science Week in full swing around the country
The Cape Town Science Centre was visited by hundreds of school children last weekend as part of the countrywide National Science Week celebrations. On Saturday, 8 August, there will be more activities, including workshops on topics such as robotics and coding, and more fun with demonstrations, interactive exhibits, and other opportunities to explore the world of science.
National Science Week activities have been organised around the country, with science centres, libraries, shopping centres, zoological societies, schools and other platforms hosting events. The focus week is an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology, implemented by the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (a business unit of the National Research Foundation) and various stakeholders and interest groups. The Minister of Science and Technology has urged the public to participate in the events.
The majority of the activities are based on this year’s theme, "Light and Light-based technologies". Science has given us the possibility of activity after the sun has set, with electric lights in our homes (or batteries in our torches).
Without light science we wouldn't have fibre-optic cables for intercontinental communication, or the lasers we use for high tech manufacturing and smartphones. We wouldn't have the medical techniques that help us diagnose and treat disease, from X-rays and 3D imaging to the selective targeting of cancer cells.
Thanks to developments in light-based technology, we've moved from electric-powered light to more sustainable sources of energy like solar power. South Africa is becoming one of the world leaders in the use of photovoltaic technologies, based on solar power, to add to its energy grid.
Humankind has moved from manually removing cataracts (a leading cause of blindness) to femtosecond laser technology, which is about 10 times more accurate than the conventional approach.
Here in South Africa, a team led by Prof. Andrew Forbes, of the National Laser Centre, designed flame lenses, which literally use fire to focus powerful laser beams. Normal lenses are made of solid-state glass, which cracks when it is exposed to high-powered lasers. But this new technological advance means that scientists can use higher powered beams than ever before.
This invention and many more will be highlighted during the 2015 NSW celebrations, which take place countrywide.
For more information, and a list of activities near you, visit www.dst.gov.za or www.saasta.ac.za.
