The Space Issue by HIP 2B2

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SMART READS

Unscramble this alien’s request and

The really big ﬁve: what to spot on a space safari_p 12

you could win a HIP2B2 backpack.

Careers in space_p 16

Send your name, school, grade and

Which planet will be our next home?_p 19

answer to <win@hip2b2.com>.

Mooning around_p 20 Who wants to be a space tourist?_p 21

PHOTOGRAPH: GALLO/GETTYIMAGES.COM • COVER PHOTOGRAPHS: GALLO/GETTYIMAGES.COM, iSTOCK PHOTOS

Death from the skies: how the universe will kill you_p 22 Technology in space_p 24 REGULARS

Ed’s note_p 2 Community of Hip: your news, your views_p 4 What’s new in science?_p 6 Smart technology_p 8 Deconstruction: how a spacesuit works_p 10 Body smart: why gas stinks_p 27 HIP2B2: meet your 15 Brand-new Ambassadors_p 29 Sci DIY: make a solid liquid_p 34 Sport science: how do athletes jump so high?_p 36 Smart maths: shapes in space_p 38 Brain busters: puzzle over these_p 46 Simply science: claustrophobia explained_p 48 INTELLIGENT ENTERTAINMENT

Be there – B2: what’s hot this April_p 40 Music: Jeremy de Tolly and his Dirty Skirts_p 41 Movies: how ﬁlmmakers fake scenes in space_p 42 Games: the ABCs of MMORPGs_p 43 Books: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy_p 44

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When explorers set out to discover new lands, they found Africa, Australia, North America and South America. And on each new continent, they found strange people who spoke languages they had never heard and didn’t understand. Centuries later, the exploration of Earth is over – we know all the lands and the languages on it. We have breathed the air on top of the highest mountain and we’ve touched the silent ocean ﬂoor. But we aint seen nothin’ yet. Truth is, our planet is only a tiny speck in that mysterious place called the Universe. Which is why the exploration has begun again. But this time around, the unknown is so much greater. Kilometres have become light years. Continents have become planets. Islands have become galaxies. Ships have become shuttles. Are you the next Marco Polo, destined to discover new lands and civilizations? If so, the Space issue of HIP2B2 is here to give you a taste of what you’re in for. Good luck and bon voyage! JANNA

Editor Janna Joseph Art Director Anton Pietersen Managing Editor Desireé Kriel Junior Writer Nicklaus Kruger Copy Editor Sally Rutherford Proofreader Deanne Vorster Contributors Nikki Benatar, Ellen Cameron, Paul Carter, Erin Classen, Simon Crundwell, Nina Liebenberg, Jacqui Lund, Michelle Minnaar, Ambre Nicolson, Linda Pretorius, Anthony Samboer, Bruce Farthing, Justine Stafford, Mark van Dijk Educational Consultants Wordwise Publisher Helena Gavera Executive Editor Ami Kapilevich Editorial Director Stefania Johnson BSQUARE COMMUNICATIONS EDITORIAL BOARD General Manager Cathryn Treasure Marketing & Sponsorship Lauren Terras <lauren@hip2b2.com> HIP2B2 pioneered by Mark Shuttleworth ADVERTISING & MARKETING Sales Executives Nick Armstrong +27 (0)21 417 1188 Michael Daly (JHB) +27 (0)11 263 4804 PRODUCTION, CIRCULATION & SYNDICATION Production Manager Shirley Quinlan Subscriptions John Pienaar +27 (0)21 417 1218 Subscriptions Call Centre 0860 103 662 Syndication Manager Glynis Fobb Repro by New Media Repro Printed by Paarl Print

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

The HIP2B2 roadshow may be coming your way soon! Look out for us in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London, Joburg, Durban, Limpopo, Potchefstroom, Welkom and Pretoria – click to <www.hip2b2.com> for our full travel itinerary.

Published on behalf of BSquare Communications by New Media Publishing (Pty) Ltd +27 (0)21 417 1111 • <www.newmediapub.co.za> Advertising Director Aileen Lamb New Business Development Martha Dimitriou +27 (0)21 417 1276 Creative Director Crispian Brown Production Director Lucrezia Wolfaardt Digital Manager Heléne Lindsay Finance Manager Mark Oaten EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS Editorial Development Director Irna van Zyl Business Development Director John Psillos Managing Director Bridget McCarney All rights reserved. While precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of information, neither the editor, publisher nor New Media Publishing can be held liable for any inaccuracies, injury or damages that may arise.

PHOTOGRAPHS:DENVER HENDRICKS; GALLO/GETTYIMAGES.COM

CHAT ROOM

ABC 101 265

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N E W S !

We spoke to learners at the Kellogg’s HIP2B2 Brand Ambassador Event.

RORY WILLIAMS

CHARNE MOSES

Grade 10, Settlers High School Star sign: Cancer. I’d like to be a ﬂight engineer or pilot. I love the idea of ﬂying. Moon landing: hoax or real? Real. Why would anyone think it wasn’t? If I could visit any planet, I’d choose Venus, because they say that’s where women are from!

Grade 12, Berg River High School Star sign: Virgo. I’d like to be a physiotherapist, because I love working with people. My favourite presenter was Jessica; her talk was useful and informative, telling us how to treat dogs in dangerous situations.

ALEX SWAN

Grade 10, Stellenberg High School, Bellville Star sign: Cancer. I really loved Louis’s presentation; it’s amazing that someone our age can do something so important. Moon landing: hoax or real? Hoax – I love to be different, and there are very good arguments for it not having happened.

Grade 10, Stellenberg High School, Bellville Star sign: Virgo. My role model is David Beckham. When he was young, a coach told him to stop playing soccer, but he didn’t – and look where he is now. If I could visit a planet, I’d go to Pluto – it’s so far from my parents!

CHANEL DANIELS

N EL

Grade 10, Settlers High School Star sign: Leo. My role model is myself – I think it’s better to live your own way than to follow someone else. I’d like to be a neurologist someday, so I can ﬁnd out how people think and study their brains and nerves.

KAYLIN BALL

PHOTOGRAPHS: DENVER HENDRICKS, WILLIE LATEGAN; iSTOCK PHOTOS

YOU SAID IT

On 2 March 2009, the HIP2B2 Brand Ambassadors presented their annual projects to Mark Shuttleworth and an audience of learners. Jessica West with HIP2B2 General Johannes Jonker won Manager, Cathryn Treasure. ﬁrst prize for his social bookmarking site (<www.yoop.co.za>), while Louis von Biljon took second prize for his Eyes for the Blind invention (<www.eyes4blind.co.za>). Jessica West was awarded Brand Ambassador of the Year – and a brand new laptop! – with Johannes and Hayley Minter-Brown in tied second place. To see all the Brand Ambassadors’ projects, click to <www.hip2b2.com>.

B R A N D

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FORUM

YOU SMSED

99,98%

Y O U WRO T E

MEMORABLE MOVIES

Some of the most famous movies about memory manipulation include Keanu Reeves’ Johnny Mnemonic (fun), Jim Carrey’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (thought-provoking), and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Total Recall (an Arnie movie – ‘nuff said).

R E B M U

If you could, would you erase any of your memories? Why (or why not)? Email us at <talk2us@hip2b2.com>.

BY NICKLAUS KRUGER • PHOTOGRAPHS: iSTOCK PHOTOS

*The solar wind is a stream of high-energy electromagnetic radiation and charged particles emitted by our Sun. The Earth’s protective magnetosphere shields us from the Sun’s harmful effects.

Looking for a list of all the world’s moonwalkers (except for the guy who did that Thriller thing and is not Billie-Jean’s lover)? Check out <www.infoplease.com/askeds/moon-walkers.html>.

DID YOU KNOW?

OF MICE, MEN AND MEMORIES

Memories are mysterious things. And often they’re not very pleasant. How many of us can say we have no regrets and that there’s nothing we’d rather forget? Well, you’re in luck – the ability to erase memories may seem like science fiction, but it’s on its way. Researchers from the Medical College of Georgia have managed to erase both new and old memories in mice. Using protein engineering and organic chemical synthesis, they found that by increasing the levels of the brain enzyme alpha-CaMKII before recall of a memory they could erase only the specific memory being recalled. In addition, the memory vanished rapidly and without causing physiological damage. As yet, the researchers haven’t tested their technique on human beings, but our brains work in much the same way as those of mice, so they don’t anticipate real difficulties. They hope the technique will be useful in treating conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, and for generally making life a little more bearable, at least after the fact.

Mark Shuttleworth created HIP2B2 when he returned from his trip into space. But as Africa’s ﬁrst astronaut, he’s more than just the inspiration behind the brand – he is a reminder to us all that the sky is the limit.

TALK

10% of an Y

Hey there! I just want to respond to the question you asked in the Feb ’09 issue: would I erase any of my memories? Well, sure, who doesn’t want to forget embarassing bloopers or stupid mistakes? But isn’t remembering all the painful times in your life and learning from them the basis of wisdom? Bad memories teach us lessons, make us stronger and help us appreciate what we have. Then of course there are experiences that can cause phobias and should be forgotten – hostage situations, rape, witnessing a murder and so forth. Still, I think this technology shouldn’t be implemented as there are too many ways it could and would be abused. But then, I’m not the one with the phobia! Have a good one. – Jan-Paul du Plessis, 16 ONE SMALL SHOCK FOR MAN

In 1969, man first walked on the moon. Since then, only 11 other human beings have done the same. NASA is planning to increase this number by 2020, but they’ve just learnt that it could be a shocking experience. Astrophysicists have recently discovered that the lunar surface becomes electrified during each full moon. Once a month, for six days, the moon passes through the Earth’s magnetotail – a long ‘tail’ that forms when the highly charged particles of the solar wind* whiz past Earth and mix with its magnetic field. For those six days, the moon’s surface becomes highly charged, and any astronauts walking on it would feel a static shock. It wouldn’t be deadly, but it would be painful, a bit like walking across a carpet and then touching a doorknob. NASA plans to investigate other effects of the magnetotail when they send their electroshock-therapy patients – sorry, astronauts – up there again. Of course, none of that will explain why we can put a man on the moon, but we still can’t make a decent cup of instant coffee …

EMAIL <talk2us@hip2b2.com> or <hip2b2@newmediapub.co.za>. WRITE TO HIP2B2, PO Box 440, Green Point 8051

adult’s fat cells die throughout every year. Unfortunately, the body always replaces them.

75% of the universe is made up of hydrogen.

SMS ‘HIPCOM’ followed by your thoughts to 34978 (R2 per SMS), or comment free of charge on our MOBISITE at <mobi.hip2b2.com>.

1 million

Over unsold copies of Robbie Williams’ latest CD (Rudebox) will be crushed and used to resurface China’s roads.

years is how long it takes for the Sun to complete a revolution around the Galactic Centre (of the Milky Way), moving at about 220 km per second!

WHAT’S NEW IN SCIENCE?

of the mass of our solar system is contained in our Sun. It’s so big that a million Earths could easily ﬁt inside it, with plenty of room to spare.

220 million to 250 million

SCI FILES

Hey Nomfundo (and all aspiring astronauts) … you’re either really lucky or so supersmart that you knew we were working on the Space Issue! Keep reading for 48 pages of out-of-this-world info, and see page 16 for some great careers in space. – Janna

YOU THOUGHT

– Nomfundo, Grade 10

Would a human body decompose on the moon? – THOBEKA, G8 A body decomposes in the presence of humidity and bacteria. These don’t exist on the moon, so a body would probably just lie there forever, losing moisture to the vacuum but otherwise staying pretty much intact for the next moonwalker to trip over. Gross. – Janna

ON THE MOBISITE

Dear HIP2B I’ve wanted to be an astronomer since I was 10 years old and I’m always looking for information about this ﬁeld. Many people probably want to be astronauts, but they don’t have the knowledge they need. I was t wondering if some day you could talk abou n Africa South the us, of lf astronomy, on beha that ise prom I – e astronauts of the futur South Africa will be proud of us someday.

1982 was the year in which Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster ﬁlm ET was released. The eyes of the main character, the alien ET, were modelled on those of Albert Einstein. Einstein’s forehead appeared on Yoda in 1977’s Star Wars.

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SCI FILES

W H AT ’ S N E W I N S C I E N C E ? FUN ON THE ANT FARM

A STAR’S GOTTA EAT

It may be a dog-eat-dog world, but it’s a star-eat-star universe. Inside globular clusters (spherical groups of about 100 000 stars), there are stars called big blue stragglers. These are much larger than the other stars – and seem a lot younger. All stars in a cluster are born around the same time, though, so the stragglers should have burnt out long ago (massive stars die faster). So what’s up? Researchers have found that the big blues are practising ‘stellar cannibalism’. One star is basically eating its buddy to keep on keeping on. Talk about bad neighbours!

Farming is hard work – just ask leaf-cutter ants. These creatures place their freshly cut leaves in ’gardens’, so that a particular type of fungus they like to eat can grow upon the leaves. The worker ants even ‘weed’ their gardens, by pulling out microbial pests. Now, research has shown that they also use chemical means to keep their gardens healthy. Some worker ants carry Actinobacteria (the same bacterial group that produces 80% of modern antibiotics), which destroy any fungus-killing pests that could wipe out the ants’ entire crop (or even the ants themselves). This is the first time we’ve discovered other animals using pathogens for their own benefit. No word on whether the workers are unionised, though. At least we got that going first …

CHILDREN OF THE STARS

THE BAD WEATHER BRAIN

Sunshine and happiness are wonderful things but they may not be good for your memory, say psychologists at the University of New South Wales, Australia. Researchers tested the ability of 73 people to recall 10 objects on a shop counter. Half the shoppers were tested on sunny days, while the others were tested on rainy days. The cold-day customers

remembered three times as many items as the others, and were less likely to falsely ‘remember’ objects that were never there. A questionnaire confirmed that the rainy-day buyers were in a worse mood, which is known to trigger a more cautious mode of thinking. So, if you have a test tomorrow, find a rainy, miserable spot to study in. Or find some other way to make you feel bad. It’ll pay off in the long run.

Sure, you know about hurricanes and other dangerous weather phenomena. But what are the chances of being killed by an invisible tornado, or a megacryometeor? Find out at <http://tinyurl.com/weatherkillers>.

BY NICKLAUS KRUGER • PHOTOGRAPHS: iSTOCK PHOTOS

Almost all elements heavier than hydrogen and helium – including those in our bodies – are created inside the cores of stars. That means we’re literally made of stardust.

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clever, cool or crazy

It’s perfectly natural to hate your alarm clock. It’s even more natural to hit the snooze button and go back to sleep when it turns off. But now the machines are ﬁghting back. The Memory Game Alarm Clock is based on a game from the ’80s called Simon. The program featured lights and sounds that were associated with certain colours; to continue playing, the user had to match each sound to its corresponding colour. To stop the Memory Game Clock’s alarm, it’s not enough just to hit the right button: you have to hit the right sequence of colours to shut the noise off. You’ll probably still hate it, but at least you’ll have the daily satisfaction of beating the thing at its own game. <www.urbantrendhk.com>

MEET THE SCARABMOBILE Move over, James Bond and your fancy rides. This ultracompact concept vehicle is the smartest new car on the block. Able to transform from a sleek, ﬂattened speed machine to an upright urban cruiser, the Scarab consists of interchangeable modules so you can ﬁnally have your own customised Insert-Your-Name-Here-Mobile. Powered by a battery, biofuels or fuel cells, the Scarab comes with sensors, radar and Lidar (like radar but with light) to detect pedestrians and other vehicles. GPS provides location data, while a wireless modem tells you what’s ahead in time to change your route. It doesn’t come with antivillain missiles, but maybe some day … <www.orizein.com>

ALL-PURPOSE

PEN

If the pen is mightier than the sword, then ThinkGeek’s Ultimate Geek Pen rules them all. As well as using ink to write (as any good pen should do), it also functions as a stylus for your touch-screen phone or computer, a torch, a laser pointer and – if you’re in the mood for a bit of crime-scene investigation – a sneaky tool that can shine UV light (or black light) onto your surroundings. Not much more you could ask for in a pen – except maybe a built-in sword. <www.thinkgeek.com>

DIY: FUN IN THE SUN So you love playing your Nintendo DS Lite, but you hate running out of power? Luckily, there’s a way to attach 60 x 60 mm solar panels to the device – enough to power your games quite nicely, as long as you’re out in the sunshine. To switch to solar power, click to <http://tinyurl.com/DScharge>.

BY NICKLAUS KRUGER • PHOTOGRAPHS: URBAN TREND (HK) LTD, DAVID GONCALVES, THINK GEEK, REDEYE GOLF, VUZIX, PRETTY USEFUL TOOLS

SMART TECHNOLOGY

JUST FIVE MORE MINUTES ...

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SMART TECHNOLOGY

BY NICKLAUS KRUGER • PHOTOGRAPHS: URBAN TREND (HK) LTD, DAVID GONCALVES, THINK GEEK, REDEYE GOLF, VUZIX, PRETTY USEFUL TOOLS

A PUTT ABOVE THE REST Golf may be called ‘the beautiful game’, but anyone who’s failed again and again when the hole is a metre away wouldn’t agree. Those poor sods might want to consider practicing with RedEye Golf’s Laser Putter. Its laser sensory system easily ﬁnds the Smart Target, and even emits a constant tone when perfectly aligned – you’d have to be blind and deaf not to line up the shot (making it is another matter, though). Practice makes perfect, and perfect practice is the best kind there is, after all. But it’s not just for behind the scenes: it’s endorsed by several PGA tours, and a quick conversion makes it tournamentlegal. It’s even been used in competitions to devastating effect by long-time pro golfer Fred Funk. <www.redeyegolf.com>

LOW-TECH MOMENT: THE SOUND OF SIMPLICITY Worried about the state of our planet? Even Michael Jackson’s plea to Heal the World can’t make Earth’s problems go away. But if you want to listen to the song anyway, at least you don’t have to pollute the planet with a clunky set of metal speakers. Instead, get some Inbox Speakers from Pretty Useful Tools. They may not be big and shiny, but these baby blasters make up for their size with their massively smart and ecofriendly design. Folding ﬂat into a carry pouch, they’re made from recycled cardboard or plastic (using the minimum amount of material possible). Just plug them into a standard headphone jack – like the one on your laptop or MP3 player – and you’ll have all the sound you need, guilt-free. Click to <www.prettyusefultools.com>.

SEE LIFE DIFFERENTLY Sometimes, you just want to climb into the TV and be surrounded by another world for a while. That’s not possible (yet), but Vuzix has created the next best thing – video eyewear that converts your 22” screen into a 64” monster. Their new iWear AV920 goes even further. Not only can you plug it in to supersize your screen, but the eyewear is also semitransparent, so you can wear it as ordinary glasses to get a new perspective on life. Using ‘augmented reality’ technology, it can display information as you look around. Kind of like being the Terminator, without the Austrian accent. Click to <www.vuzix.com>.

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DECONSTRUCTION Set of three sunshades (12). Clear polycarbonate visor (11).

we take it apart TV camera and lights attached to the outer shell of the helmet. Extravehicular communications module.

Gold-coated outer visor (10). Antenna. Communications carrier assembly (CCA) (8).

Caution and warning system (5).

In-suit drink bag. Sublimator to extract moisture and heat from suit (6).

Plastic helmet (9).

Primary life-support subsystem (PLSS) backpack (1).

Connector to the PLSS for water supply.

Battery.

SimpliďŹ ed aid for extravehicular activity rescue (SAFER).

PLSS inner shell, which houses water tanks and other components. Primary oxygen tanks (2). Display and control module (DCM) (13).

Fan/separator/pumpmotor assembly (4).

Bearings allow connected parts to swivel and create an air-tight seal. Wrist mirror for reading back-to-front writing on DCM.

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Contaminant-control cartridge (CCC) (3).

Secondary oxygen pack (SOP) housing. Secondary oxygen tanks (7).

ILLUSTRATIONS: ANTHONY SAMBOER AND BRUCE FARTHING

Liquid cooling and ventilation garment (LCVG) (14).

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DECONSTRUCTION: SPACESUIT THE INNER WORKINGS

Next time mom tells you to put on a jersey, spare a thought for the overdressed guys in space. Without a spacesuit, you wouldn’t want to be an astronaut. Why? Because within 15 seconds of stepping into space, you’d faint from the absence of air. Thankfully, this means you wouldn’t have to feel all your bodily fluids boiling without any air pressure. In the sunlight (120 °C), you’d be grilled alive, while the shade would quickly cool you down to a joint-crackling -100 °C. If you survived all this, plus radiation from cosmic rays and charged solar particles, then the flying bits of rock and debris would surely finish you off. To keep you alive and (fairly) comfy out there, a spacesuit must provide oxygen and remove carbon dioxide. This is done by the primary life-support subsystem (PLSS) backpack (1), which contains the primary oxygen tanks (2), carbon-dioxide removal equipment, known as the contaminant-control cartridge (CCC) (3), a ventilation fan (4), a warning system (5) and a sublimator (6), which is a moisturemanagement and water-cooling system. The secondary oxygen tanks (7) at your waist offer 30 extra minutes of ‘air time’. Even your head needs several layers, starting with the communications carrier assembly (CCA) (8). This contains earphones and a microphone so you can talk to the crew and hear warning tones. Next comes the plastic helmet (9), which is then covered with a gold-coated outer visor (10) to protect you from the Sun, as well as a polycarbonate visor (11) for thermal impact protection and three adjustable shades (12) to shield your eyes from the Sun’s glare. The best part? You can monitor your in-suit environment using the display and control module (DCM) (13). The worst part? Beneath all this, you have to wear a maximum-absorption garment (MAG) – basically, an adult nappy.

Lights. Simpliﬁed aid for extravehicular activity rescue (SAFER). Primary oxygen tanks (2). In-suit drink bag.

Secondary oxygen tanks (7).

Extravehicular visor assembly (EVA). Display and control module (DCM) (13). Wrist bearing connects arm to EVA glove.

Wrist mirror.

Temperature control keeps astronaut cool.

Controls for PLSS. Safety tethers. Bearing connects boots to lower leg. IF YOU CAN’T STAND THE HEAT ...

It may look like your winter PJs, but the full-body liquid cooling ventilation garment (LCVG) (14) is great at cooling you down. Equipped with 91,5 m of narrow tubes, it pumps water near your skin to remove excess heat, and draws sweat off your body through built-in vents, which it then recycles in the water-cooling system.

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you think the African Big Five is impressive, get a load of the intergalactic Big Five: you’ll ﬁnd eagles, eyes, Mexican hats, very big dogs and more ... But before we blast off, remember to take a bathroom break. In 1961, when Yuri Gagarin was driving towards the rocket that made him the ﬁrst man in orbit, he got an attack of pre-trip nerves. So he took a leak on the rear right tyre of the bus. Since then, Russian cosmonauts have always ‘relieved themselves’ on their bus’ wheel before take-off, as did Mark Shuttleworth!

HOURGLASS NEBULA

When pictures of the Hourglass Nebula were ﬁrst published in 1997, the editors of National Geographic wrote: ‘Astronomers looked 8 000 light years into the cosmos … and it seemed that the eye of God was staring back.’ This isn’t really the eye of God, but rather a planetary nebula. When stars get old, they increase their size and energy output, and eject their outer layers. The UV radiation that escapes from the core causes the surrounding cloud of matter to glow.

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(As more-or-less agreed by scientists … but nobody’s exactly sure of the dates.)

Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is one of the earliest galaxies to be formed.

4 570 000 000 YEARS AGO

The ‘Big Bang’ occurs. Minutes later, the ﬁrst stable atoms (hydrogen and helium) form.

13 200 000 000 YEARS AGO

13 700 000 000 YEARS AGO

TIMELINE OF THE UNIVERSE

PHOTOGRAPHS: RAGHVENDRA SAHAI AND JOHN TRAUGER (JPL), THE WFPC2 SCIENCE TEAM, AND NASA/ESA,

Pack your bags for a virtual space safari, and look out for these spot-worthy sights.

Our Sun is formed as a result of the rapid collapse of a hydrogen molecular cloud.

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EAGLE NEBULA: PILLARS OF CREATION

Our Solar System forms out of the mass of dust and gas left over from the Sun’s formation.

1 824 YEARS AGO: 185 AD

Introducing the biggest known star in the universe, located in the constellation of Canis Major, which means – and resembles – ‘big dog’. The star is about 500 000 times brighter and 2 100 times bigger than our Sun, which means you could ﬁt seven quadrillion (that’s seven with 15 zeroes) Earths into it!

Inside the Eagle Nebula stand the ‘Pillars of Creation’ – columns of hydrogen gas and dust that incubate new stars. Research has found that the shock wave from a nearby supernova (exploding star) probably toppled them 6 000 years ago, but with their light taking 7 000 years to reach us, they should appear to stand for another 1 000 years.

Chinese astronomers are the ﬁrst Earthlings to record seeing a supernova.

40 YEARS AGO: 21 JULY 1969

VY CANIS MAJORIS

4 540 000 000 YEARS AGO

NASA/ESA AND R. HUMPHREYS ( UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA), JEFF HESTER & PAUL SCOWEN (ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY, AND NASA/ESA

EXPLORING SPACE

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the ﬁrst humans on the moon.

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EXPLORING SPACE

MESSIER 87

Named after French astronomer Charles Messier, this giant galaxy measures 120 000 light years in diameter. But what astronomers like most about it is the jet of electrons and subatomic particles that shoots out of its nucleus at nearly the speed of light, creating a ‘tadpole tail’ that extends at least 5 000 light years.

SOMBRERO GALAXY

Whizzing 28 000 000 light years from Earth, we come across the Sombrero Galaxy – a spiral galaxy with a dust ring that makes it look a bit like a Mexican hat. Researchers have also found that there’s a supermassive black hole at the centre, with a mass of at least one billion times that of our Sun. ¡Ay caramba!

STRANGE STUFF LEFT IN SPACE

GLOSSARY

NEBULA A cloud of dust, hydrogen gas and plasma. NEUTRON STAR What’s left over from the gravitational collapse after a massive star goes supernova (ie, explodes). As well as bits of space shuttles, we’ve left other interesting objects in space. This includes a glove lost on the ﬁrst American space-walk, a camera left near Gemini 10, a wrench, pliers and a toothbrush. A briefcase-sized tool bag recently ﬂoated away from astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, containing specialised hardware for space conditions and valued at a R1 million. Most of these objects have re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere within a few weeks. We’re still waiting for the tool bag, though.

RED HYPERGIANT Hypergiants are the biggest stars in the universe, but they’re very rare and they have a short life span. While our Sun has a life span of about 10 billion years, hypergiants only survive for a few million years. Depending on surface temperature, they can appear to be red, white, yellow, blue or luminous blue. SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE As the name suggests, this

DID YOU KNOW?

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In 1997, an Oklahoma woman was hit on the shoulder by a piece of a fuel tank from a Delta II rocket. She was unhurt and lived to tell the tale.

is a really, really big black hole with a mass of between 100 000 and 10 000 000 000 times that of our Sun.

PHOTOGRAPHS THE HUBBLE HERITAGE TEAM STScI/AURA AND NASA/ESA, NASA/JPL-CALTECH AND THE HUBBLE HERITAGE TEAM (STScI/AURA)

GALACTIC

3/24/09 1:20:04 PM

EXPLORING SPACE

It’s not easy getting an interview with ace astronomer, Professor David Block. ‘Since the launch of my book, Shrouds Of The Night, I’ve been getting calls from journalists, TV crews and fans wanting to know more,’ he says. What’s all the fuss about? Surely astronomy is just for science bofﬁns who spend long, lonely nights staring at the stars? ‘Oh no,’ says Prof. Block. ‘We live in a digital age, and today astronomy is all about using hi-tech space cameras to unravel the mysteries of the universe.’ One of those mysteries is the subject of Block’s book, which he cowrote with world-famous Australian astronomer, Professor Ken Freeman. The book shows never-before-seen images of Earth’s neighbouring galaxies – some more than 200 million light years away – thanks to a super-powerful infrared telescopic camera that penetrates the space dust hiding these galaxies. HOW DID YOU GET INTO ASTRONOMY? ‘As a boy, I watched Bennett’s comet, which had a long, ﬁery tail. It was like a candle had been lit in my heart and I wanted to know more! After school, I completed a BSc degree, which gave me an excellent foundation in Maths, Physics and Applied Maths – essential for understanding the cosmos. I then completed my Honours degree in Applied Mathematics, a Masters degree in Relativistic Astrophysics/

Applied Mathematics and a PhD in Astronomy. My ﬁrst research paper, on relativistic astrophysics, was published in London when I was 20. Since then, I haven’t looked back.’

WHAT DO YOU DO EVERY DAY? ‘Research is a very important part of my job. I also lecture at The University of Witwatersrand in Joburg, mentor new students and communicate the wonders of the universe to young minds.’ WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR JOB? ‘I think of myself as a little beetle on a sand dune, born to scratch away until I set off the avalanche! That’s what being an astronomer is: chipping away at life’s biggest questions, like “How did the world begin?” or “What is time?” It’s terribly exciting.’ WHAT’S THE WORST THING ABOUT ASTRONOMY? ‘Some of my students don’t cope well with times of silence. Deep thinkers like astronomers can’t afford to be distracted by things like TV or MXit. Technology must be your slave, not your master!’ LAST WORDS OF ADVICE? ’Find your passion and reach for the stars. Most importantly, never give up. Even if astronomy isn’t for you, ﬁnd the environment you’re happiest in, then be Sirius – the brightest star in the night sky.’

‘Rings of fire’ in the Andromeda Spiral Galaxy, as imaged by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope.

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EXPLORING SPACE

Other awesome careers in space. ACEM AN

BY JUSTINE STAFFORD • PHOTOGRAPHS: iSTOCK PHOTOS; PORTRAIT: PIERRE POTGIETER

We all watched as Afronaut Mark Shuttleworth blasted off into space, and cheered when 15-year-old Nomathemba Kontyo was chosen to work on NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover mission. But for most people, becoming an astronaut takes many years of training, during which they learn how to command, pilot or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft. Their job? To conduct research and experiments, like observing and photographing natural and manmade changes on Earth so we can better understand our planet. Cool, huh?

STUDY IT

T S CIE N

R O E XPE

Ever said, ‘Well, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist!’, and then wondered what this term means? ‘Rocket scientist’ is just an informal name for an aerospace engineer – an extremely clever person who engineers the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It’s such a complex and difﬁcult job that they’re considered the brain surgeons of space. Needless to say, you have to be superbrainy to become one, so if building and blasting things off into space is your dream career, you’d better start studying now!

Look up at the night sky. Now think about what man has discovered in space: stars, planets, even other galaxies. Wouldn’t it be amazing to understand what these entities are made up of and how they work? Well, that’s the job of an astrophysicist: to use disciplines of physics (such as electromagnetism, relativity and nuclear physics) to better understand the physical properties (like luminosity, temperature, density and chemical composition) of celestial bodies. Phew, all those long words and this is just the simple explanation!

Interested in a career in space? Check out the following departments.

• The National Astrophysics and Space Science Programme, Cape Town: <www.star.ac.za>. • University of Cape Town, Department of Astronomy: <mensa.ast.uct.ac.za>. • University of the Free State, Department of Physics: <www.uovs.ac.za>. • University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, School of Pure and Applied Physics: <www.nu.ac.za>. • University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg,

School of Chemical and Physical Sciences: <www.ukzn.ac.za>. • Rhodes University, Department of Physics and Electronics: <www.ru.ac.za>. • University of South Africa (Unisa), Department of Mathematics, Applied Mathematics and Astronomy: <www.unisa.ac.za>. • University of Stellenbosch, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering: <www.ee.sun.ac.za>. • University of the Witwatersrand, School of Computational and Applied Mathematics: <web.wits.ac.za>.

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3/24/09 1:25:41 PM

EXPLORING SPACE

BY NINA LIEBENBERG • PHOTOGRAPHS: iSTOCK PHOTOS

king ear warfare; robots ta Global warming; nucl is there life after Earth? over the world … It’s great to be part of a solar system. One day, when our lovely planet runs out of space or energy, there’ll be seven other planets to choose from. The problem is, none of them can support human life. Which is why the clever guys in white coats are researching a technique called terraforming: making a planet suitable for human habitation. Mars and Venus are the top two candidates, but which planet will scientists choose? MIGHTY MARS

The red-hot favourite Probably the most ‘Earthlike’ already, Mars contains all the elements for life: water, carbon dioxide and nitrogen. It also has a rotation of 24 hours and 37 minutes, an axial tilt of 24 degrees (Earth’s is 23,5 degrees) and a gravitational pull one-third

of Earth’s (so ditch the diet – if you weigh 60 kg on Earth, you’ll weigh 20 kg on Mars). So why aren’t we rocketing off for Martian vacations? For starters, there’s too much carbon dioxide and not nearly enough oxygen and nitrogen. It’s also very cold, with an average temperature of -62,77 ˚C. Project Mars Makeover would start with heating the surface. For this, we’d need to build large orbital mirrors to reﬂect the sunlight, or simulate global warming by pumping harmful gases into the atmosphere. Then, we could plant trees for extra oxygen. VOLUPTUOUS VENUS

The smouldering siren Called our sister planet, Venus is our closest neighbour and virtually our twin in size

and mass. But she’s more Evil Stepsister than Caring Older Sister – you wouldn’t survive long on her surface, since you couldn’t breathe the air. You’d also be crushed by the atmosphere – about 90 times heavier than Earth’s – and be burnt alive by the surface temperature of 480 ˚C. There’s also almost no water – even the rain is primarily sulphur and carbon dioxide. Project Venus Makeover would begin with solar shades or reﬂectors to cool the surface down. Then, we’d have to remove or convert that nasty carbon dioxide atmosphere. AND THE WINNER IS ...

Clearly, Mars wins the makeover vote, but don’t hold your breath. Our next home is likely to take hundreds of years to prepare. Until then, look after Earth – after all, she’s the only natural beauty.

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3/24/09 2:30:59 PM

EXPLORING SPACE

You see it almost every night, but how much do you really know about the moon? The moon is Earth’s only natural satellite, and takes 27 days, 7 hours, 43 minutes and 11,6 seconds to make one full orbit. Because it takes approximately the same amount of time to rotate about its own axis, we only ever see one side of the moon from the surface of the Earth.

without this, large volumes of water would slosh from the equator (where the moon causes higher ocean levels) towards the poles, and the Earth might even spin six hours faster. Now imagine how much less you would get done with only 18 hours in a day. THE MOON AND MADNESS

Like our planet, the moon is not a perfect sphere – it’s shaped like an egg, so if you go outside and look up, one of the small ends is pointing directly at you. LIFE WITHOUT LUNA

Without its lunar companion, our planet would be quite a different place (and we’re not just talking about the absence of that romantic evening glow). The tides are caused mostly by the gravitational pull of the moon, and

The word lunatic is derived from luna, or ‘moon’ in Latin. Researchers have suggested that the full moon is responsible for increased instances of alcoholism, car accidents, madness, epilepsy, arson, suicide and homicide. Policemen, emergency room attendants and bartenders all attest to this, although nothing can be proved scientiﬁcally (yet). DID YOU KNOW?

Astronauts have reported that moon dust felt like snow and smelled like spent gunpowder.

HOW IT WORKS: THE MOON AND TIDES

LOW TIDE

HIGH TIDE

MOON’S GRAVITATIONAL PULL

LOW TIDE

EARTH’S CENTRIFUGAL FORCE

BY MICHELLE MINNAAR • PHOTOGRAPHS: iSTOCK PHOTOS

The moon’s gravity pulls on Earth’s oceans, creating a high tide directly in line with the moon. Another high tide occurs on the opposite side of the planet because gravity pulls Earth toward the moon more than it pulls the water.

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EXPLORING SPACE

Got cash to spare? Join the first space tourists for the adventure of a lifetime.

BY MICHELLE MINNAAR • PHOTOGRAPHS: iSTOCK PHOTOS

WHO WILL TAKE US THERE?

HOW WILL IT WORK?

Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic plans to Half of the voyage will involve climbing transport its first tourists this year. A ticket to a safe altitude with the mother on its first spaceship, the VSS Enterprise, ship, VMS Eve. At 15 240 metres, the will set you back about R2 million. But spacecraft will detach from the ship Virgin Galactic already has over 7 000 initial and launch from mid-air to reach a reservations and about 1 500 actual maximum height of 109 km above down payments. Earth’s surface. This method Each passenger will is considered to be safer SPACE PIONEERS be trained for three than NASA’s space shuttle In 2001, American Dennis Tito days before the ground-based launch. became the first fee-paying tourist launch, and the When re-entering in space. He was later followed by average flight will the atmosphere, the our very own Mark Shuttleworth and last two-and-a-half spacecraft won’t need American entrepreneur Gregory hours. Passengers a heat shield as it won’t Olsen, who each paid R200 million will only experience experience the extreme for the out-of-this-world weightlessness for aerodynamic heating opportunity. three to six minutes typical of re-entry at orbital of this time. velocities (normal space shuttles come in at Mach 22,5 and from an altitude of 300 km). WHY DO IT? Aside from zero gravity, the view is spectacular. At night, parts of the globe READY TO GO? flicker with lightning storms and you Visit <www.virgingalactic.com> may even get to see a volcano, a forest fire or <www.spaceadventures.com>. or the mysterious Northern Lights.

SPORT IN SPACE

Sport in space is a whole new ball game. Space Quidditch, à la Harry Potter, will soon be an astronaut’s sport of choice – NASA plans to establish a permanent lunar base by 2024 and it predicts that this game will be the ideal way to stay fit. Zero-gravity water sports offer exciting new options. Imagine a ‘water-room’ with big blobs of liquid you can throw or even dive through. But be warned – at zero-G you won’t just float to the ‘top’. In 2006, cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin shattered all golfing records when he hit a golf ball from the International Space Station. It orbited Earth for two to three days before falling through the Earth’s atmosphere. Now that’s what we call a birdie.

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3/24/09 2:33:58 PM

DEATH

This is how the universe is planning to kill you. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

FROM THE SKIES For most of recorded history, Earth looke d like a nice, comfy pla ce to raise a human race. Not too cold, no t too hot, just what Goldilocks ordered. And barring the wrat h of angry gods, it loo ked like nothing co uld ever destroy it – or us. We know better now. The universe is a scary place, and our tiny Earth is constantly on the verge of a nasty (and potentially fat al) encounter.

ASTEROID IMPACT

There are millions, ma ybe billions, of asteroids zipping aro und, and occasiona lly one reaches Earth. Sm all ones burn up in our atmosphere, for ming shooting stars. But once in a while a larger one makes it to the surface, touchin g off a mini-explosio n. And sometimes, rea lly big asteroids hit Ea rth – like the one that kil led the dinosaurs. << HOW IT GOES DO WN >> A suburb-sized rock comes screaming in from space and smas hes into Earth. If it crashes on land, the shock wave demolis hes everything within a few thousand kilometres. Dust an d debris block out the sun, killing plant life and disrupting food webs. If it meet s a watery end, massive tidal waves demolish our coasts and reach hundreds of kilometres inland, while earthquakes en d most oceanic life. Whichever way, we’re not happy.

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EARTH VS UNIVERSE

<< WHAT ARE THE CHANCES? >> Pretty good in the long run, but only about 1 in 700 000 in your lifetime. << WHAT CAN WE DO? >> There are several plans for dealing with asteroids, besides sending Bruce Willis up there to Die Hard them to destruction. Rockets could possibly push them off course, nukes could blow them up, or directed, focused solar energy could change their momentum.

1 in 14 000 000 during any person’s particular lifetime. << WHAT CAN WE DO? >> Not a thing. But we won’t know about a gamma-ray burst until it hits, so there’s no point in worrying about it. GAMMAS ON CAMERA

Can’t quite imagine a gamma-ray burst? Click to <http://tinyurl.com/GRBursts>.

BY NICKLAUS KRUGER • PHOTOGRAPHS: GALLO/GETTYIMAGES.COM

Extremely high-energy gamma-ray bursts have occurred in other galaxies, lasting from a few milliseconds up to several minutes, followed by a longer, less energetic ‘afterglow’ (caused by ultraviolet radiation, X-rays and so on). Most of these bursts appear to be caused by hypernovae – exploding stars thousands of times bigger than our Sun, which collapse to form black holes with two rays of radiation projecting out of them, like massive laser beams.

<< WHAT ARE THE CHANCES? >> Honestly? We just don’t know. Our best estimate, however, is somewhere around

<< WHAT ARE THE CHANCES? >> Inevitable. But it’s about ﬁve billion years away, so don’t panic. << WHAT CAN WE DO? >> Not be here when it happens.

GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

<< HOW IT GOES DOWN >> You’re playing a gruelling game of touch rugby. Suddenly you feel a searing pain that lasts a fraction of a second. Then it’s all over. The ozone layer has been blasted away, Earth’s crust is on ﬁre and everyone on this side of the planet is dead. The rest of the world has to deal with a reduced atmosphere, lots of UV radiation and X-rays, and generally a painful, brief existence.

<< HOW IT GOES DOWN >> Either the Sun consumes the Earth (and us) or it engulfs Mercury and Venus and stops short of us. If that happens, massive amounts of solar radiation strip away the Earth’s atmosphere and fry the planet, boiling away the oceans and crisping all life.

ALIEN INVASION Most scientists believe extraterrestrial life is likely. But don’t expect little green men to attack – if life is out there, it’s probably in the form of bacteria-like cells or viruses. And they’ll be wanting something to infect when they get here … << HOW IT GOES DOWN >> A meteor lands in your garden. Two days later you start vomiting. Treatments are ineffective and doctors are bafﬂed. A few more cases are reported, and suddenly it’s everywhere.

THE DEATH OF THE SUN The Sun is a big nuclear-fusion reactor: when the hydrogen in its core fuses into helium, it loses some mass as energy, lighting up our solar system. In a few billion years, the hydrogen will run out and the Sun will start fusing helium into carbon and nitrogen. This will heat the core and cause the Sun to expand into a red giant, over 200 times its current size.

<< WHAT ARE THE CHANCES? >> The Drake equation lists many probabilities to help us determine whether life is out there. Unfortunately, we don’t know the actual numbers – like how many planets there are – so the equation can’t be solved. << WHAT CAN WE DO? >> We can’t tell whether a meteor carries life before it gets here. But once it arrives, we can ﬁght it with the full force of modern medicine. Sadly, that might not be enough.

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TINKER TINKER LITTLE STAR Learn maths. Study science. Get top marks and you may become an astronaut. Then you can use these gadgets.

M OON B U G G Y

The Lunar Roving Vehicle – used in the Apollo 15, 16 and 17 missions – was more than just a zippy little buggy. It had full four-wheel-drive capabilities and was powered by two 36-volt batteries (a petrol motor wouldn’t work without air). The chassis was made of hard-wearing aluminium alloy and the tyres had woven steel mesh and zinc plating to protect them from punctures. I- S U IT

S P A C E G UN

S A F ER

Of course, the Space Gun was never going to last (it was way too much fun). Modern spacewalks are done using a selfcontained backpack called the Simpliﬁed Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER – with EVA standing for Extra-Vehicular Activity). The backpack uses small nitrogen thrusters, which are controlled by hand and moderated by computer. And, no, you can’t have one for Christmas.

Designed for spacewalks, the I-Suit is made of soft material (previous spacesuits used fibreglass) and weighs 29 kg (compared to the old EMU spacesuit’s 49 kg) without its life-support backpack attached. The suit includes a display that provides read-outs on the inside of its visor, GPS capability and speech-recognition software to let the user ask for and receive information. No, it’s not one of those hand-held lasers from Star Trek. Used by American astronaut Ed White on the first spacewalk in 1965, the Space Gun was a pressurised oxygen jet that enabled White to steer himself around in space. But he had to be careful: according to the law of the conservation of linear momentum, if he’d zoomed in one direction without applying a counterforce, he’d still flying today!

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WATCH THIS SPACE Travel technology of the (very near) future … THE SPACE ELEVATOR

This is a proposed project for the transport of material (and people!) into space. The contraption will run up and down a cable stretching from a point near the Equator to just outside Earth’s geosynchronous orbit*. With a counterweight attached to the upper end, the cable will remain taut thanks to gravity, inertia and centrifugal force (to understand how this works, tie a string around a stone and then spin it around). ‘This is no longer science ﬁction!’ said NASA scientist Dave Smitherman when the project was unveiled in 2000. Now, all we need is a several-

thousand-kilometre-long, superstrong, carbon-nanoﬁbre cable … *A geosynchronous orbit is any orbit that takes the same amount of time as Earth to complete one full rotation, and spins in the same direction.

TECHNOLOGY

ROBONAUTS

These handy humanoids could soon replace astronauts and cosmonauts. A new NASA project is working on robots (a combination of WALL·E and the Star Wars robot C-3PO) that would be able to safely and cheaply perform space walks and other extravehicular activities.

THE ALTAIR

This is the proposed lander spacecraft that NASA plans to use in Project Constellation – the programme that will put man on the moon and on Mars, starting in 2018. The Altair will have an airlock chamber so that astronauts can take off their spacesuits without traipsing moon dust into the main cabin.

AIR-BREATHING ROCKETS

While the existing rocket engines run on liquid oxygen (which is heavy to transport), air-breathing rockets would extract oxygen from the air to burn the fuel required to blast beyond the atmosphere. They may soon replace NASA’s current spacecraft engines.

BY MARK VAN DIJK • PHOTOGRAPHS: NASA • ILLUSTRATIONS: SIMON CRUNDWELL

LIVING SPACE Six things in this modern home are affected by space in some way. Can you spot them?

<< Answers on next page >>

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TECHNOLOGY

LIVING SPACE ANSWERS CELLPHONE

You know how your cellphone suddenly cuts off during a call? Blame space. More speciﬁcally, blame the Sun. Cellphones get their signal from towers that communicate with other nearby towers. But sometimes the Sun emits bursts of energy, which – if they happen at sunrise or sunset – interfere with cellphone towers’ signals. So next time your cellphone ‘dies’ during a MXit chat, blame it on the sunshine.

SKIN

Got strong bones and healthy skin? Then you have the Sun to thank: its UV rays help your body produce vitamin D, which builds calcium in your bones and provides nutrients for your skin. The Earth’s atmosphere blocks about 98,7% of the Sun’s UV radiation – but the small percentage that sneaks through is all your body needs. Be careful, though: overexposure causes sunburn, DNA damage and, in some cases, cancer!

SILVER

So what do Mom’s silver tea set and Dad’s gold wedding ring have in common? Both have their origins in outer space – more precisely, in supernovae. The heavier elements on the Periodic Table – like silver (Ag), gold (Au), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), platinum (Pt) and uranium (U) – were all forged during enormous stellar explosions, and later landed on Earth. WATER

SATELLITE TV

If it weren’t for space, you wouldn’t have DStv. If the Earth were ﬂat (which, by the way, it isn’t), you could pick up a terrestrial TV signal from a broadcast centre thousands of kilometres away. But the Earth is round, and the curved horizon causes the signal to fade. With satellite TV, the signal is beamed from the broadcast centre to the satellite, and then back down to your satellite dish.

PORTABLE CORDLESS VACUUM CLEANER

This little sucker comes to us courtesy of the Apollo and Gemini space missions. NASA needed a portable drill to extract samples from beneath the moon’s surface, so Black & Decker (power-tool developers) created a computer program to help optimise the drill’s performance. Back on Earth, this program led to the development of the household Dustbuster.

And you thought water came from the sea? Scientists believe that when Earth was formed, the planet was hot and completely dry – so all the water we have must have arrived after our Earth cooled down. But where did it come from? One likely candidate is asteroids, which – like comets – contain large amounts of ice. When these asteroids hit Earth’s surface, the ice melted and created our oceans.

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3/25/09 11:30:41 AM

BODY SMART

GAS GIANTS BY LINDA PRETORIUS • PHOTOGRAPHS: GALLO/GETTYIMAGES.COM, iSTOCK PHOTOS

Uranus is a gassy place. But we’re not talking about the planet … All this gas has to come out somewhere and it’s no use trying to send it back up. Chemical analysis of a fart (yes, scientists have actually checked!) shows that it consists of ﬁve main gases: nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2), carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen (H2) and methane (CH4). You normally produce 500 to 2 500 ml gas per day, depending on what you eat. And letting go – about 100 ml a shot, 15 times a day – is good. Dr Estelle Wilken, gastroenterologist at Tygerberg Hospital It all begins when you eat. Food contains says: ‘Gas is a normal by-product of healthy air, which you gulp down along with every digestion and passing a little bit every now bite. Chemical action in your stomach adds and then during the day shows that your more gas, namely oxygen and nitrogen. digestive system is functioning properly.’ Some of this stays in your stomach and Venting discreetly, though, is not is later burped out, while the so easy. The combination of gas rest passes into your gut. volume and tension down there During digestion in generates a repertoire of quite the small intestine, DID YOU KNOW? surprising sounds. Highdigestive acid reacts Astronauts may experience volume/high-tension combos with bicarbonate to increased gassiness because make for Big Bangs, while produce yet another pressure conditions can make passing small volumes through gas: carbon dioxide. CO2 diffuse from the blood a more relaxed rear is fairly When the small intestine into the gut. uneventful. Smelly farts, on the has done its work, the other hand, are a lot like dark matter: leftovers (and the growing invisible, but easily detected because of gas cloud) are shoved to the the effect on nearby bodies. Trace amounts colon, where gazillions of bacteria feast of volatile sulphur compounds like hydrogen on partially digested starch and ﬁbre, sulphide (H2S) and methanethiols* are making hydrogen, methane and even more carbon dioxide. usually the culprits. In fact, hydrogen

sulphide concentrations as low as three parts per millilitre are enough to, uhm, blow your cover. Your best strategy? Squeeze, run or shoot a very disapproving look at your neighbour … ’cause there’s no escaping Mother Nature. *Methanethiol (noun) A smelly, volatile sulphur compound naturally found in nuts, some cheeses and skunks’ spray. FOOD FOR FARTS

You get out what you put in. Deciduous fruit, yeastcontaining stuff like bread and beer, and dairy products (if you’re lactose intolerant) can lead to excess gas – all because of incomplete digestion of ﬁbre and starch. But beans are especially notorious. Humans don’t have the enzyme that converts complex bean sugars into absorbable single sugars. Colon bacteria, however, digest them chop-chop to produce copious amounts of hydrogen. Add a bit of cabbage or cauliﬂower for a really nasty gas cloud. FART FACT

A Frenchman, Joseph Pujol, could consciously relax his rear end. He drew large audiences at the Moulin Rouge by farting various tunes.

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St George’s College, G11 Why I became a Brand Ambassador: I wanted to become a part of a prestigious and funky programme. Plans for 2009: I want to inspire young people to reach for their dreams. Subjects: Physical Sciences; Biology; Accounting; Mathematics; English; Afrikaans. Extramural activities: community service work. Interests: I enjoy contemporary dancing, hockey, listening to music and shopping. Dream job: becoming a surgeon. Role models: everyone important in my life – my parents, Grade One teacher, dance teacher … Three words to describe myself: cool-nerd, cute, outgoing.

CHELSEA TUCKER

St Andrews School for Girls, G10 Why I became a Brand Ambassador: to meet amazing individuals who have completely different ideas to me. Plans for 2009: I’m really looking forward to organising community events! Subjects: English; Mathematics; Afrikaans; Life Orientation; History; Geography; Physical Sciences. Extramural activities: Debating, dancing. Interests: I’m an obsessive baker! Cookies, cupcakes, cheesecake, anything and everything! It’s great to love something that, even if you fail, there’s still cookie dough to enjoy! Dream job: environmental engineering and part-time nursery school teacher/baker/lawyer … okay, so I’m not very decisive. Role models: my friends and weird animals like sheep. Three words to describe myself: magic …

CLAIRE FOLEY

St Andrews Schools for Girls, G11 Why I became a Brand Ambassador: I’m concerned about the future, and I’d like to make a difference in my community. Plans for 2009: I would like the youth of this country to become more aware of science and inventions. Subjects: Physical Sciences; Biology; Computers; Mathematics; English; Afrikaans; Life Orientation. Extramural activities: tennis, hockey and water polo. Interests: like any other girl – fashion, friends and fun. Postmatric plans: sport, sport and more sport! Dream job: a neonatalist. Role model: my mom. Three words to describe myself: loving, ambitious, fun!

PHOTOGRAPHS: JACQUES STANDER

THANDOKAZI NGCELWANE

THABANG MODIBA

Seagotle Secondary School, G11 Why I became a Brand Ambassador: I would like to inspire learners in my area (and the country) about science, maths and technology. Plans for 2009: this year, I aim to complete my Science project, and I would like to see my Science group winning and participating in events. Subjects: Mathematics; Physical Sciences; Life Sciences; Agricultural Sciences; English; Sepedi; Life Orientation. Extramural activity: soccer. Interests: I like to play soccer, watch TV and chill with friends. Postmatric plans: I want to study medicine. Role models: my sisters. Three words to describe myself: ambitious, diligent, smart.

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BRAND AMBASSADORS AMEERA CONRAD

Wynberg Girls’ High, G10 Why I became a Brand Ambassador: I thought it would be a great way to learn from many different people. Plans for 2009: I want to learn and teach, and inspire young people to take an interest in science and technology. Subjects: English; Afrikaans; History; Life Sciences; Physical Sciences; Mathematics; Life Orientation. Extramural activities: cricket, drama, badminton and Afritwin (<www.afritwin.net>). Interests: reading, writing and singing. Dream job: architecture, mechatronics, structural engineering or being a recording artist. Role model: I have many … Three words to describe myself: funny, wacky, innovative.

MMABATHO MOLOISI

Taxila Combined School, G10 Why I became a Brand Ambassador: to change young people’s minds about maths, science and invention. Plans for 2009: I’d like to help influence change in the Limpopo Province – one of the poorest provinces in the country. Subjects: Sepedi; English; Mathematics; Physical Sciences; Business Science; Accounting; Life Orientation. Extramural activities: I’d love to take piano or guitar lessons. Interests: playing scrabble, word puzzles and sudoku, singing (though I’m really bad) and dancing (which I’m also not good at). Postmatric plans: either Actuarial Science or Business Science. Role model: Patrice Motsepe – he is a really terrific businessman. Three words to describe myself: outgoing, competitive, selfish (when it comes to schoolwork).

TENIELLE SALIK

Heather Secondary School, G10 Why I became a Brand Ambassador: to motivate the youth of this country to get involved in subjects that are said to be boring. Physics and Maths are amazing subjects that are fun to learn. Plans for 2009: I hope to form a Science Club at school and get as many learners as possible involved in Science and Maths. Subjects: English; Afrikaans; Life Sciences; Life Orientation; Accounting; Mathematics; Physical Sciences. Interests: singing, dancing (Bharatanatyam) and reading. Postmatric plans: to study medicine and publish my poetry. Dream job: cardiologist. Role models: my parents and Nelson Mandela. Me in three words: motivated, committed, encouraging.

REGHARDT PRETORIUS

St Alban’s College, G10 Why I became a Brand Ambassador: to lead and inspire the youth who will lead the country in a few years. Plans for 2009: I want to have a great project and a successful year, inspiring and leading people in the right direction. Subjects: Afrikaans; English; Mathematics; Physical Science; Biology; Information Applied Mathematics; Technology; Accounting; Life Orientation. Extramural activities: acting, rock climbing, nature, library club. Interests: reading, outdoor activities, PS3, writing screenplays. Postmatric plans: study engineering or something in entertainment Dream job: nanotech robotics or cinematography. Role models: my dad and Lance Armstrong. Three words to describe myself: wacky, positive, fun.

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3/24/09 1:55:45 PM

TIMOTHY PIENAAR

Kuils River Technical School, G11 Why I became a Brand Ambassador: I have the potential and zeal for science and technology. Plans for 2009: I want to encourage every boy and girl to bring out their potential, and show them how interesting science and technology can be. Subjects: English; Afrikaans; Life Orientation; Information Technology; Electrical Engineering; Physical Sciences; Mathematics. Extramural activities: I attend extra Maths classes in the evenings. Interests: I love reading and taking things apart. Dream job: to become the world’s best digital forensic expert. Role model: Albert Einstein. Three words to describe myself: ambitious, vibrant, smart.

JANSIE SMART

St Andrews School for Girls, G11 Why I became a Brand Ambassador: I want to make a difference in other people’s lives and I felt that this was a good place to start. Plans for 2009: I would like to increase the awareness of HIP2B2 in the country and encourage education in a fun way. Subjects: Mathematics; Physical Sciences; Biology; Information Technology; Life Orientation; English; Afrikaans. Extramural activities: swimming, hockey and music. Interests: photography and swimming lessons. Role models: I am inspired by people who try to make others’ lives easier, and people who are motivated, driven and brave enough to dream big. Me in three words: motivated, hard-working and caring.

FUAAD COOVADIA

GIA IRELAND

Marist Brothers Linmeyer College, G11 Why I became a Brand Ambassador: I felt that it was an amazing opportunity to make a difference. Plans for 2009: this year, I would like to break the stereotype that goes with being ‘clever’. Subjects: Biology; Physical Sciences; Design; Computers; Mathematics; Applied Mathematics; English; Afrikaans. Extramural activities: dancing, public speaking and poetry. Interests: cars, dancing, music, fashion (shopping), biking. Postmatric plans: I would like to design cars (become an automotive designer). Dream job: to be a supermodel! Role model: Charlize Theron. Three words to describe myself: perfectionist, caring, funny.

Waterstone College, G9 Why I became a Brand Ambassador: I applied to be a Brand Ambassador because I wanted to gain experience and exposure. I will also have the opportunity to learn a lot this year with HIP2B2. Plans for 2009: this year, I would like to publish a book. Subjects: I haven’t chosen my subjects yet, but so far, I plan on taking Accounting, History and Business Studies. Extramural activities: I enjoy playing tennis and debating. Interests: public speaking. Dream job: President. Role model: my father – he is a very hard worker. Three words to describe myself: awesome, quick and legendary.

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3/25/09 10:05:27 AM

BRAND AMBASSADORS SINENHLANHLA KHOZA

Potchefstroom High School for Girls, G9 Why I became a Brand Ambassador: it will give me the chance to express my leadership abilities and provide me with opportunities to expand my project. Plans for 2009: I want to inspire and motivate the youth to get involved with the community. I also want them to realise how important STeM subjects are and how these subjects can beneﬁt them. Subjects: Accounting; Business Studies; Consumer Studies. Extramural activities: tennis, debating, community work. Interests: reading, politics, chess and helping the less fortunate. Postmatric plans: I’d like to be an investment banker. Dream job: astronaut. Role models: Sol Kerzner and Sir Richard Branson. Me in three words: ambitious, outgoing, outspoken.

CHANTEL SCHOEMAN

Merensky High School, G10 Why I became a Brand Ambassador: to inspire the youth of South Africa in different ways – like protecting nature for future generations. Plans for 2009: I want to encourage the youth of this country to save nature. If we stand together, we can make a difference. Subjects: Biology; Computer Application Technology ; Agricultural Sciences; Physical Sciences. Extramural activities: ballet, drama and maths. Interests: drama, ballet, debating, photography, reading, talking to children, writing, catching butterﬂies and insects. Dream job: entymology, having a nature show, editing a magazine. Role model: my grandpa, Pieter van Niekerk. Me in three words: passionate, hard-working, adventurous.

JUAN MENTZ

Marais Viljoen High School, G12 Why I became a Brand Ambassador: to inspire learners and get the chance to develop interactive software for people with special needs. Plans for 2009: I aim to promote science and maths to the youth of South Africa. Subjects: Afrikaans; English; Mathematics; Physical Sciences; Life Orientation; Accounting; Information Technology, Computer Application Technology (CAT). Extramural activities: revue and debating. Interests: computers, chemistry and the human neurosystem. Dream job: being a world-famous neurologist or neurosurgeon. Role models: God inspires me, but I’d like to be as successful as Richard Branson. Three words to describe myself: extrovert, caring, people-loving.

15 + 11 = 26 BRAND AMBASSADORS FOR 2009 Just because there are 15 new guys, that doesn’t mean you can forget about your 2008 Ambassadors. While they’ve survived their ﬁrst year in the spotlight, their work is far from over. Watch this space for more news about all 26 Brand Ambassadors.

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3/24/09 1:57:20 PM

BRAINY BAKING:

SCI DIY

YOU’LL NEED

• 300 g cornﬂour (Maizena) • 250 ml water • a medium-sized metal bowl or pot • a spoon • a hammer • food colouring (optional) WHAT TO DO

1 Mix the cornﬂour and water together until it gets too hard to move the spoon. 2 Stop stirring and tilt the bowl or pot. 3 Stir again vigorously. 4 Add food colouring for decoration. 5 Run your hands through the mixture, play with it, hit it with a hammer. Have fun! WHAT HAPPENS

When you stop stirring and tilt the bowl, the sludgy mixture becomes ﬂuid again.

hit them or the more pressure you apply, Stir it, and it thickens immediately. the more solid (or resistant to deformation, Basically, if you leave it alone it’s a liquid, to use the technical jargon) they but when you run your hands through become. (Contrast this it, it becomes a solid – you can MORE to water, which has even roll it into a putty-like CORNY FUN a consistent, fairly ball. Stop rolling, and it Had enough of your low viscosity.) turns back into a liquid solid liquid? Just heat it Under normal (so be careful, or you’ll in a saucepan and add a bit conditions, the end up a bit of a mess). more water and it transforms long starch Hit it with the hammer into a thixotropic liquid, which molecules in just right and you gets more runny under pressure. the mixture are can even shatter it! Tomato sauce is another loosely arranged, Weird stuff. example of a thixotropic but the shock of liquid. impact or pressure alters WHAT’S THE DEAL? their alignment, locking You’ve just created a dilatant material, them in place. In the absence of also called a shear-thickening ﬂuid (STF). stress, the material relaxes again – kind In these materials, viscosity (resistance of like how you ooze back onto your to ﬂow) increases as the force on them is couch after reaching for the potato chips. increased. In other words, the harder you

BY NICKLAUS KRUGER • PHOTOGRAPHS: DENVER HENDRICKS

MAKE A SOLID LIQUID

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3/24/09 2:00:12 PM

ONE GIANT PUTTING THE POLE INTO POLE VAULTING Energy is the big word in pole vaulting, and an athlete uses two kinds: potential energy, which is waiting to be converted into power – like the food in your stomach or the petrol in your car; and kinetic energy, which is created by movement. The more an object weighs and the faster it’s moving, the more kinetic energy it has. A pole-vaulter creates kinetic energy in his run-up to the bar. As he plants the pole into the ground, the pole sucks in that kinetic energy and stores it as potential energy, like a coiled spring. A good pole is essential. Today, they’re made of carbon-ﬁbre composite, which is much lighter than the original aluminium type, so the jumper can move faster in the run-up and lose less kinetic energy to the ground on impact. Muscle length also plays an important role. High jumpers are usually tall and thin, to gain as much height as possible. Polevaulters tend to be heavier and stronger, so they can run faster towards the bar and transfer more energy into the pole.

WHAT A FLOP! In 1968, Dick Fosbury decided that instead of clearing the high-jump crossbar legs first, he’d twist himself 180 degrees and ‘flop’ over backwards. Many people laughed, but boy, did he show them – he added over five centimetres to the world record, and the ‘Fosbury Flop’ became the next big thing in high jumping. So how does it work? During the curved run-up, the jumper leans away from the poles, creating a centrifugal force that pulls him into a vertical position for the jump. The athlete overcomes gravity by pushing hard against the floor as he jumps. The tendons in his foot store kinetic energy from the push downward and use it to push the body back upwards. It works like a spring or a pogo stick. High jumpers mainly use their gluteals (bum muscles), hamstrings (back of the legs), quadriceps (thighs) and gastrocnemius muscles (calves), as well as the muscles in their feet and the Achilles tendons.

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3/24/09 2:01:18 PM

SPORTS SCIENCE

We find out what gives professional jumping athletes a spring in their step.

JUMPING ON THE MOON We can jump much higher on the moon than on Earth, thanks to the moon’s weaker gravitational force. ‘A jumper has to generate enough power to overcome gravity,’ says Professor Mike Lambert at the MRC/UCT Research Unit for Exercise and Sports Science. ‘On the moon, gravity is about one-sixth that of gravity on Earth. So if you produce the same power that you’d use to jump one metre on Earth, you’ll end up jumping six metres on the moon.’ Olympics on the moon would be fun, but pole vaulters would have to be careful – or they may go into orbit.

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN JUMP?

BY JACQUI LUND; PHOTOGRAPHS: GALLO/GETTYIMAGES.COM, iSTOCK PHOTOS

To see champion high jumper, Javier Sotomayor, in action, click to <www.tinyurl.com/hijump>.

THE SPINNING AXEL Ice skating is a graceful sport. But consider how tricky it is to glide into a triple-axel jump (where the skater spins three times in the air) and then land without losing your balance and coming down splat on the cold, hard ice. Projectile motion plays a big role here. A projectile is a moving object that’s acted upon by only one force: in this case, big old Mr G. Jumping is a constant ﬁght against gravity, and the height and distance of a skater’s jump is greatly inﬂuenced by take-off velocity (speed). A skater has both vertical and horizontal velocity. Vertical velocity is the up and down of the jump, while horizontal velocity is the movement parallel to the ground. These work together so that the skater goes up and forward enough to spin many times before landing.

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3/25/09 11:35:22 AM

SMART MATHS

SHAPES IN SPACE It’s hip to be square, but not if you’re a planet. The universe may be mostly empty, but it also contains some amazing shapes. Take the ellipse, for example, a two-dimensional structure commonly known as an ‘oval’. In the 17th century, German scientist Johannes Kepler published three laws of planetary motion. The ﬁrst states:

1 Place a piece of paper over a sheet of thick card. 2 Push two pins through the paper into the card. Each pin will be a focus of your ellipse. 3 Tie the ends of a piece of string together and loop this around the pins. 4 Use a pencil to pull the loop tight and then outline a shape around the pins. 5 The shape you draw is an ellipse. You can change its dimensions by moving the pins or adjusting the size of the loop of string.

And here’s where things get interesting. If you cut the Earth in two, the circumference of each cross-section would be an ellipse! The Earth’s radius is 6 378 km at the equator and 6 356 km at each pole. This difference is caused by the rotation of the Earth, which makes it ‘bulge’ around the equator. Many other objects in space are oblate spheroids, including our Sun.

Using this information, see if you can answer the following questions. 1 What is the difference between Earth’s circumference around its poles and around the equator? 2 Calculate the ﬂattening of Saturn, if it has an equator radius of 60 268 km and a polar radius of 54 364 km? Smart Maths sponsored by

So keep an eye out for ellipses in the shapes around you – they’re more common than you think. And, thanks to Kepler, we have the maths we need to describe them! SUM IT UP

We can measure the ‘ﬂattening’ of an oblate spheroid using the formula: ﬂattening = equator radius – polar radius equator radius

BY PAUL CARTER • PHOTOGRAPHS: GALLO/GETTYIMAGES.COM, iSTOCK PHOTOS,

HOW TO DRAW AN ELLIPSE

So for Earth: ﬂattening = 6 378 – 6 356 6 378 = 0,0034

ANSWERS

So what is the ‘focus’ of an ellipse? Draw your own to ﬁnd out.

Interesting shapes also exist closer to home. In fact, our home is an interesting shape. We often think of Earth as a sphere, but in fact it’s an oblate spheroid – a slightly ﬂattened sphere, like a soccer ball when you sit on it.

1 C = 2πr = 2 × π × 6 378 = 40 074 km C = 2πr = 2 × π × 6 356 = 39 936 km Difference = 40 074 – 39 936 = 138 km 2 ﬂattening = 60 268 – 54 364 60 268 = 0,098

‘The orbit of every planet is an ellipse with the Sun at the focus.’

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3/25/09 11:36:33 AM

INTELLIGENT ENTERTAINMENT

BY ERIN DRAYTON • PHOTOGRAPH: iSTOCK PHOTOS

BE THERE –

GOTTA RUN! Heading into its 40th year, the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon invites thou sands of running enthusiasts to make their way along the scenic 56 km route around the Cape Peninsula. • When? 11 April. • <ww w.twooceansmarathon.org.za>

w is set to ﬁll the

Wesbank Rand Airsho IS IT A BIRD? The s May. Boasting food,

Rand Airport thi skies above Johannesburg’s you ﬂying stunts, it’s one show erb sup e a ﬂeamarket and som o.za> rt.c rpo dai .ran ww <w 17 May. • don’t want to miss. • When?

promises a rg Easter Festival

hannesbu XPO The Jo expo, a kids’ EASTER E gadgets, a sports

po with loads of e world, no planes digital lifestyle ex that’ll show you th lay sp za> di ism ur to a rgeasterfestival.co. carnival and April. • <www.jobu 13 to 3 n? he W required. •

TEACHER’S PET You either love them or loathe them, but everybody has one special teacher who deserves recognition. Nominate yours for the MTN Sciencentre Best Teacher Award and you could win a trip to the Sciencentre for you and your class. • When? Nominate by 30 April. • <www.mtnsciencentre.org.za>

Craving a regular ﬁx of SCIENCE ON SCREEN

gadgets and info? science and technology-related news, B2 TV show. HIP2 the for week y Tune in to SABC 2 ever p2b2.com> • When? Mondays at 16:30 • <www.hi

B2 DIARY • April Fools’ Day 01/04 • Easter weekend 10–13/04 • Freedom Day 27/04

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3/25/09 11:37:54 AM

MUSIC

Jeremy de Tolly, The Dirty Skirts singer, reviews two bands he’ll meet on the Zero Fest stage.

BY NIKKI BENATAR • PHOTOGRAPHS:UNIVERSAL MUSIC, SONY MUSIC, CANDICE HEYNS

ON SONGS, SMS-SPEAK AND SAVING PLANET EARTH

Daddy Don’t Disco is the name of our album, but it started as the name of one of the tracks. It’s a song about the Earth and the title’s a subtle reference to our male-dominated world. We carry on living – and plundering this rather gorgeous planet – because we don’t feel the destruction we’re doing. The best part about being a musician is being able to create things and put them out into the world. It’s vastly different from making songs in your bedroom and wondering, ‘What if?’ My name wasn’t the most convenient one to have at school – it got turned into things like ‘de toilets’, which got boring, but that’s school for you! If I could visit another planet, I’d choose Venus. She’s the brightest star and it excites me to think that there

are light beams zooting all the way from the sun, travelling across space, bouncing off the surface of Venus and then coming all the way to my eyeball in a long, uninterrupted stream. I have an Economics degree from UCT. It helped me to get by in the musically lean times, but I’m very happy to be doing what I do now. I really like good spelling and I don’t shorten words in SMSes. I like seeing the full words – they look pretty. ‘Cld’ instead of ‘could’ looks ugly. The three words that best describe me are enjoying, grateful and normal. TICKETS TO ZERO FEST!

Want to see Oasis, Snow Patrol and The Dirty Skirts at the Coca-Cola Zero Fest? To win two Golden Circle tickets, email the word ‘Z-Fest’, and your name, school and grade to <win@hip2b2.com>.

JEREMY REVIEWS ...

Dig Out Your Soul I enjoyed the album thoroughly. Liam [Gallaghar] has a great voice, the melodies are beautiful and the chord shapes and songwriting are exceptional. Tonally, you can hear Liam’s a Lennon fan. My best song is ‘The Shock Of The Lightening’, and my only reservation is the rather lacklustre instrumentation, apart from the drummer. OASIS:

Like this? Try Coldplay and, locally, aKing. SNOW PATROL: A Hundred Million Suns Though I have a lot of respect for this band, I wasn’t blown away by this album. ‘Chasing Cars’, off the previous album, was a monstrously huge hit, but I didn’t hear anything like that here. The songs I like most are ‘The Golden Floor’ and ‘Please Just Take These Photos From My Hands’ – they’re slightly more experimental than the rest of the album.

Like this? Try Razorlight and The Parlotones.

Listen to The Dirty Skirts’ title track, ‘Daddy Don’t Disco’ at <www.hip2b2.co.za>.

B2 tip • sat on gum? Freeze the dirty skirt for six hours, then chip the chappie off.

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3/26/09 9:44:03 AM

Simulating space: How do filmmakers fake it?

You can’t shoot a blockbuster movie in space. But somehow, many popular ﬁlms have been set there. So, if producers can’t use the real locations, how do they fake the experience? LOW GRAVITY LIFE

Many movies feature visits to Mars or the moon. But Mars has only one-third of Earth’s gravity and the moon has half of that. Actors have to learn to move slowly and to do the space bounce that astronauts do. For example, the actors in Mission to Mars had an astronaut coach to explain what it’s like. But even that’s not enough. One solution is to put actors on wires that can pull them up and make their jumps really high. Another solution is to shoot scenes underwater, where buoyancy can counteract gravity. The better – but rather more expensive – way is to take a ride in a Vomit Comet. These are planes designed to simulate

zero gravity conditions for brief periods and they are used to help train astronauts. The plane ﬂies in a long parabolic arc, climbing up and then falling into a powered dive, shooting groundwards at a speed close to that of gravitational acceleration. Depending on the speed of the fall, the plane can simulate a range of low-gravity conditions for several seconds or minutes. SPACE STATION SIMULATION

Movies like Armageddon and Apollo 13 involve a stopover at a space station or a space-shuttle journey. The simple way to simulate zero gravity in these scenes is to attach actors and objects to wires and coordinate their movements so they look realistic. In zerogravity conditions, objects don’t just stop moving, so if Tom Hanks pushes off a wall, for example, he should keep going until something stops him.

However, the best (but again more difﬁcult) way is to invite the whole team aboard a Vomit Comet, but one that’s capable of falling at the same rate of acceleration as gravity. This gives 25 to 90 seconds of weightlessness – enough to shoot part of a scene – before the plane pulls up and saves the A-list actors from a tragic (but spectacular) end.

BY NICKLAUS KRUGER • PHOTOGRAPHS: ©INPRA/REX

MOVIES

GO ZERO-G

If you have a few thousand bucks lying around, you too can experience zero gravity. Click to <www.gozerog.com> for more info. LOONY CONSPIRACIES?

There are those who believe that Apollo 11’s moon landing was a hoax, ﬁlmed right here on Earth. Most scientists and historians disagree, though. What do you think? Write to <talk2us@hip2b2.com> and you could win a Bass on Tap!

B2 fact • for a funny take on space, don’t miss monsters and aliens, starting 03/04.

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3/24/09 2:09:05 PM

GAMES

Ready for an out-of-this-world experience? Get spaced out with EVE Online. MUD (Multi-User Dungeon). With the slogan ‘You haven’t lived until you’ve died in MUD’, this text-only game was designed by two UK science students in 1978.

BY AMBRE NICOLSON • PHOTOGRAPHS: iSTOCK PHOTOS

Today, games like Final Fantasy, EverQuest and World of Warcraft offer entire universes to explore, all in sumptuous 3-D colour. And if you’re thinking MMORPGs are just for geeks who stare at a screen all day and don’t have a life, think again. At last count, over 12 million people around the world were registered players of an MMORPG.

You’re cruising in your Minmatur frigate ship, having just completed a proﬁtable transaction with a Jove Empire Corporation. All is well in outer space – if you’re playing EVE Online, that is. Set 21 000 years in the future, EVE Online is a virtual world ﬁlled with asteroids and intergalactic pirates. It’s also one of the most successful Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) ever made. WHAT IS AN MMORPG? MMORPGs are online computer games in which a large number of players interact in a virtual world. They are ‘persistent world’ games, meaning that the virtual world

continues to exist and evolve even when you’re away. Many MMORPGs have a fantasy theme and all of them allow you to choose your own character within the game. ALL ABOUT EVE EVE Online takes place in outer space. As a player, you can choose your race, career and skills. After that, you get to pilot your very own custom-designed spaceship between any of over 5 000 star systems. Along the way you can add to your skills, trade with other players, join in combat or pledge allegiance to a corporation (a large team that plays together). THE MUDDY BEGINNING OF MMORPGS EVE Online was launched in 2003, but MMORPGs have been around a lot longer. One of the ﬁrst such games was called

Some experts even believe that playing such games in moderation can make you smarter. According to Professor Paul Gee, computer games can help develop problem-solving skills. But all that’s just a bonus … mostly, they’re just heaps of fun to play. BEST OF THE MMORPGS

• World of Warcraft is the most famous game in the genre for good reason. It boasts a player base of over 10 million people around the world, as well as a great interface and superb graphics. • Many people ﬁrst learnt about MMORPGs through EverQuest. The latest instalment lives up to its reputation for exciting gameplay and great voice-overs. • Always wanted to be an elf? Here’s your chance. Lord of the Rings Online brings the world of Tolkien’s Middle Earth to your screen, complete with your very own fellowship of the ring. LEARN MORE

To join the millions of MMORPG players, go to <www.eve-online.com> or <www.worldofwarcraft.com>.

B2 game • think you know everything about space? click to «www.prongo.com/space». 43

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3/24/09 2:11:27 PM

BOOKS

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams JUAN MENTZ

Grade 12, Marais Viljoen High School, Johannesburg

This book was absolutely awesome. It has an exceptional style of writing and breathtaking descriptions, and I will deﬁnitely read the other books in the series.

NADINE HUGO

Grade 9, Aurora Private School, Johannesburg

I enjoyed the part where after seven-and-ahalf million years of thinking, Deep Thought revealed that the answer to life is 42. If I were to create my own planet, it would be called Cybernay 8. Money wouldn’t exist, as everyone would be mature enough not to be greedy. There would be liquorice bushes, macaroni and cheese trees and of course, pizza vines. Endorphins would ﬂow perpetually through your body, and poverty and disease wouldn’t exist. If the Earth was going to be destroyed tomorrow, I’d buy a jet and ﬂy to Paris where I’d shop, shop, shop! I’d confess my love to the guy I have a crush on and then race with my family to a tropical island.

THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY

Published by Pan Books 1979

Arthur Dent wakes up with a hangover and a house that’s about to be demolished to make way for a trafﬁc bypass. And that’s just the beginning; the Vogons are also preparing to destroy planet Earth to make way for a hyperspace bypass! Luckily, Arthur’s friend, Ford Prefect, happens to be an alien from Betelgeuse. Together, they escape the end of the world and embark on a quest to ﬁnd the question to the ultimate answer …

If I could design my own planet, I would want it to be exactly like planet Earth, but with peace and love all around. I would sign my name over the south pole. If the Earth was going to be destroyed tomorrow, I’d make peace with everyone that I’ve fought with or hated throughout my life. I would spend my last day with my two best friends (they know who they are) and would treat it like any normal day. There would be no point in trying to stop the destruction, as it is not in my hands. If you was to take a year off and go hitchhiking, I’d go to the United States of America – it’s a wonderful and extraordinary country with its own unique character.

IF YOU LIKED THIS, CHECK OUT ...

The Meaning of Liff (London: Pan Books 1983) – The English language is a wonderful thing, but sometimes it’s sadly lacking. For example, there’s no single word for that feeling you get on a Sunday when you just don’t know what do with yourself. Until this book came along, that is.

REVIEWS COMPILED BY NICKLAUS KRUGER • COVER IMAGE SUPPLIED BY EXCLUSIVE BOOKS

My favourite character is Arthur Dent – he has a lot of courage, and as the story goes on, he becomes more of his own person and has more conviction about what he’s doing.

This book showed me that you can’t put a cap on creativity – I don’t know how the author came up with some of the concepts!

DON’T PANIC!

Life, the universe, and everything can be pretty confusing stuff. Luckily, there’s a guide to help you ﬁgure out what’s going on – click to the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy website at <www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2>.

Would you like to review a book for us? Write to HIP2B2 Book Reviews, PO Box 440, Green Point 8051 or email <talk2us@hip2b2.com>. Please include your name, contact details, address, school and grade.

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3/25/09 11:40:18 AM

BRAIN BUSTERS GREATER THAN, SMALLER THAN

Fill the numbers one to seven in on the grid so every row and column contains each of the seven numbers. Four numbers have been provided to start you off, but otherwise your clues are the greater than and smaller than signs between the boxes. HINT The bottom right-hand corner is a good place to start! 2

CELESTIAL HARMONIES

Join the words in the box below with one of the heavenly bodies ‘sun’, ‘moon’ and ‘star’, to form a brand-new composite word. For example, using ‘sun’ and ‘bathe’, you can form ‘sunbathe’. Each of the heavenly bodies must be matched with four words, and each word in the box must be used once. • SUN • STAR • MOON

5 3

ﬁsh glasses

beam rise

board burn

dress stone

struck dust

light down

CRYPTIC CODE

BY ELLEN CAMERON-WILLIGER • ILLUSTRATIONS: ANTON PIETERSEN

PLANET TRIVIA 3 1 6 4 7 2 5

2 7 1 5 4 3 6

1 2 5 7 6 4 3

4 3 2 1 5 6 7

5 6 7 2

CELESTIAL HARMONIES

3 1 4

GREATER THAN, SMALLER THAN

1 Which is the only planet in the solar system that spins in a clockwise direction? 2 Which is the only planet in the solar system that is named after a Greek god (not a Roman god)? 3 Which planet has the most moons? 4 Which is the fastest-rotating planet in the solar system (that is, which has the shortest ‘day’)? 5 The planet most likely to receive human visitors in the coming decades is … ? 6 Which planet is currently the outermost planet in the solar system, now that Pluto (yes, we know Pluto’s status as a planet is being challenged!) has moved closer to Earth and will remain there until later this year?

1 Venus. 2 Uranus. 3 Saturn. 4 Jupiter. 5 Mars. 6 Neptune.

URANUS • MARS • NEPTUNE • SATURN • JUPITER • VENUS

SUN: sundress, sunburn, sunglasses, sundown. STAR: starﬁsh, starstruck, stardust, starboard. MOON: moonlight, moonbeam, moonstone, moonrise. (You may have found other combinations, but just make sure that the words you created are real words!)

See if you can ﬁgure out what’s what in the solar system. Each planet may be used only once.

ANSWERS

CRYPTIC CODE

PLANET TRIVIA

International Space Station

Unscramble the letters in the following sentence to ﬁnd the name of an important research facility that is still under construction … in space! ‘It is not a planet, or as ancient!’ ANSWER _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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3/24/09 2:16:04 PM

SIMPLY SCIENCE

WHAT REALLY HAPPENS WHEN YOU FEEL ...

Symptoms usually last only until you escape the situation, but if a full-blown panic attack has already been triggered, they could last for several minutes – or even hours – after that. Plus, the symptoms themselves may interfere with your ability to get out of the style-cramping situation. If you think you may be claustrophobic, you should probably avoid cofﬁns, chimneys, mine shafts and prison. But don’t think you’re missing out – most nonclaustrophobes have other reasons for avoiding those places anyway … Look around for a minute. Does it feel as though the walls are closing in on you? Are you ﬁnding it hard to breathe? Is your heart pounding and your blood racing? Are you feeling the urge to scream? Either you’ve been buried alive with a copy of HIP2B2 … or you’re suffering from claustrophobia. WHAT IS CLAUSTROPHOBIA?

Claustrophobia, as you’ve probably heard, is the fear of conﬁned places (from the Latin claustrum, for ‘shut-in place’).

Of course, nobody’s a huge fan of being trapped in a tiny place forever, but claustrophobes have an irrational fear of the restriction and/or suffocation that may come with being in a conﬁned space. When they’re in small or locked rooms, tunnels, elevators, caves or even just crowded spaces, they may experience anxiety symptoms or full-blown panic attacks. WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE?

If you’re a conﬁned claustrophobe, you may experience tightness or pain in the chest, faintness, breathlessness, heart

BY NICKLAUS KRUGER • PHOTOGRAPHS: iSTOCK PHOTOS

palpitations and ﬂashing vision. You might also become nauseous, start trembling and sweating, and even feel light-headed or dizzy. All this could make you panic, which could worsen the symptoms, which in turn heightens your panic, and so the cycle goes.

Keen to come out of the (not too cramped) closet and learn to live with claustrophobia? Click to <www.how todothings.com/health-and-ﬁtness/a4708how-to-overcome-claustrophobia.html>. SCARED OF OPEN SPACES?

There isn’t really a technical name for the opposite of claustrophobia. The closest thing is agoraphobia, the fear of strange places. Literally meaning ‘a fear of the marketplace’, some agoraphobia sufferers never even dare to leave home!

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3/24/09 2:17:49 PM