Africa Issue by HIP 2B2

October 2007/Issue 17

think. what you can be

53 SMART

MOMENTS IN AFRICA Discoveries, inventions and Nobel Prize winners

THE AF RIC AN GEN E IN SPO RT

Or is it something in the water? r smelly feet make people run

Why you successful BRA IN GYM Reading makes you smarter – and more to throw like a pro PR A C TI C E How EU GG HH H

TA R G ET W HA T PL AN ET IS HE FR OM ?

Meet SA’s youngest rocket

scientist

INTELLIGENT ENTERTAINMENT

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9/11/07 11:13:21 AM

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CHAT ROOM ‘There are two things over which you have complete dominion, ur mouth.’ ol: your mind and yo authority and contr This African proverb is just one of many pearls of wisdom arising from our continent. Welcome to the Africa issue, in which we celebrate 53 smart moments in our history. Did you know that our continent has produced 12 Nobel Peace Prize winners, and that it’s believed that Africans are the pioneers of mathematics? Now that should help you get your maths groove on: after all, it’s in your ancestry! What’s even more exciting is that we haven’t exhausted the list of smart moments – and there are destined to be thousands more in years to come. So what will your smart contribution be on this continent? Drawing advice from the proverb, being smart begins with taking control over two powerful forces that are completely under your authority. Take control of your mind: take captive your thoughts and force yourself to question whether they will lead to life-giving behaviours or destructive habits that could ruin your future. Then take authority over your mouth, your words.

Mmm, that one seems even harder. How many times has something ‘just slipped out’ … leaving you with only regret afterwards? Taking control of our mouths would probably come more easily if our thoughts were under control: what you think, your mouth speaks. Ultimately, every great invention or smart moment begins with an idea. Once we take control of our minds and how we communicate our thoughts, great ideas are bound to follow. So he ﬁnally arrived in town: the ﬁrst African in space and the pioneer of Hip2b2. Mark Shuttleworth really inspired our entire team, as well as all the learners who got to meet him. Read all about his visit on page 6, and about the day Eugene Saayman, winner of our Meet Mark Shuttleworth competition, spent with him. Mark’s words of inspiration to the Hip stars? ‘Stay curious.’ I’m sure that curiosity will lead you to your next smart moment. NEVELIA

Editor Nevelia Heilbron Art Director Anton Pietersen Managing Editor Mandy J Watson Editorial Consultant Stefania Johnson Creative Director Crispian Brown Publisher Helena Gavera Production Manager Shirley Quinlan Reproduction New Media Repro Advertising Director Aileen O’ Brien • Tel: 021 417 1228 Advertising Executive Leigh O’Kennedy • Tel: 021 417 1116 New Business Enquiries Martha Dimitriou • Tel: 021 417 1276 Editorial Contributors Nikki Benatar, Kate Carmichael, Dr Fienie Cronje, Mandy Czernowalow, Michelle Minnaar, Anthony Samboer, Mark van Dijk, Michelle Viljoen Editorial Intern Selena Abelse Syndication Manager Glynis Fobb Copy Editor Sally Rutherford Proofreader John Linnegar Distribution Masechaba Mkefa Educational Consultants Wordwise PUBLISHED ON BEHALF OF BSQUARE COMMUNICATIONS Communications Manager Kate Evans

Published by New Media Publishing (Pty) Ltd Tel: 021 417 111 • Fax: 021 417 1112 <www.newmediapub.co.za> Managing Director Bridget McCarney Executive Directors Irna van Zyl, John Psillos All rights reserved. While precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of information, the editor, publisher and New Media Publishing can’t be held liable for any inaccuracies, injury or damages that may arise. Printed by Paarl Print ABC 124 687

PHOTOGRAPH: MICHAEL LE GRANGE

HIP2B2 PIONEERED BY MARK SHUTTLEWORTH <www.hip2b2.com>

From left: Mark • Nevelia • Anton • Mandy • Helena

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LI S

ROSLINE ZIMU

Grade 8, Nomsa Secondary School ‘I’d like to develop an airport close to Soweto because I want to be a pilot. At the expo I enjoyed the “Puzzling Things” exhibition. I also learnt how important it is to plan and think things through before you start an experiment.’ STEPHAN ERASMUS

Grade 10, Hoërskool Parys ‘I’d like to invent a golf ball that ﬂoats on water and comes back to you. My science project for Techno X was about how you can use recycled plastic as a material for houses. We found that it would make a great building material.’ ST

NEO MAHLANGU

Grade 10, Fons Luminis Soweto ‘I’d like to invent a machine that will do chores for me. The expo showed me how art and maths are linked through drawing: you may not realise it, but when you are drawing you’re actually using maths.’

N E.

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At the Sasol Techno X in Gauteng . . .

Grade 10, Hoërskool Parys ‘I’d like to invent a ﬂying luxury car. The expo was very interesting. Science teaches us about the world we live in. I liked the experiments about how to create chemical reactions to make plastics.’

ANDRE PRETORIUS

YOU SAID IT

Universally hailed as the ‘greatest, most inspiring, most courageous leader of our generation’, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, aka Madiba, was SA’s ﬁrst democratically elected (and dancing) president. He also happens to be a global icon of freedom and equality to all. Not bad for an 89-year-old who changed the face of politicians’ formal wear forever. We say respect to the man!

RESPECT

From the discussion by Grade 11s on FET (the new syllabus) … ‘I ﬁnd that the science syllabus is not well thought through at all. It’s huge and they keep chopping and changing what’s in it and what is not.’ – MAHALI

O N T H E W E B S I TE

‘Show me the path that leads to the glorious world. A world in which peace is the soul leader. I see each day the remains of a shattered dream as brother to sister spit in each other’s faces, knowing only the damage they cause outside but not that which they cause inside. For inside the damaged person a heart is being ripped and torn beyond physical repair. [I believe] if only we had the courage, the belief to receive the love of God, we would become a nation that lives in paradise ...’ [excerpt] – CRAIG LAWRENCE

Share your news, views and pictures – and please include your contact details, school and grade. • Write to: Hip2b2, PO Box 440, Green Point 8051 • Email: <talk2us@hip2b2.com> or <win@hip2b2.com>

YOU WROTE ...

Who do you nominate for the Hip2b2 badge of respect, and why?

9/14/07 3:03:44 PM

FORUM

135 031 164

STEPHAN DU TOIT

Grade 10, Hoërskool Parys ‘I’d like to invent a way to get oxygen onto Mars. My science project for Techno X investigated artiﬁcial insemination of the queen bee. We found that artiﬁcial insemination is better than natural insemination by drones.’

E XP L OS I V E M OM E N T

Now you can text us your thoughts or ideas. SMS HIPCOM followed by your comments to 36978. Each SMS costs R2.

B Y

AL N

Grade 10, Emshukantabo High School ‘At the expo I learnt about all the different types of water pumps you can get and how they work. I like science because it is all about the environment you’re living in and what makes up the things you see every day.’

BY MANDY CZERNOWALOW • PHOTOGRAPHS: MANDY CZERNOWALOW, MARC STANES, MANDY J WATSON, iSTOCK PHOTOS

DONALD MSHWENYA

H I P

attended the ESI 2007 Durban Eskom Expo for Young Scientists. ‘ESI 2007 was an unforgettable event. I did a project about pi, questioning whether 22/7 was an accurate value of pi or not. A project that caught my eye was by a guy and a girl from Latvia, who created new solar panels. Other highlights were Durban’s beaches, the sun and the sea. We played touch rugby, met new people, and also learnt a lot about different cultures. I met many new friends from places such as Latvia, Taiwan, Spain, Peru and South Africa! I’d like to thank Eskom and all the other sponsors for giving me the chance to participate in a world-class expo.’

ANDRE HAYWARD

N U M B E R S

EYEWITNESS

is the size of the population in Nigeria – the most populous country of Africa.

October 1969 was the date on which the Concorde supersonic plane broke the sound barrier for the ﬁrst time.

624 km is the height of Olympus Mons on Mars. It is the highest known mountain in the solar system.

14 learners got to sit with Mark Shuttleworth and pick his brains. For more on the questions they asked him, see page 6.

34 women have won a Nobel Prize since the awards were ﬁrst given out in 1901. Two are from Africa: Nadine Gordimer for Literature and Wangari Maathai for Peace. Marie Curie is the only woman to have been awarded two Nobel Prizes.

177 hopefuls auditioned for We visited the Science Club at Seaforth College in Ballito, Durban. The budding scientists had to make their own volcanoes – what an explosive display we received! To make your own volcano (although one not quite as shocking as these), check out the experiment on page 20.

the role of presenter of the Hip2b2 TV show. Don’t miss your weekly ﬁx on Mondays, SABC 2 at 16:30.

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The SHUTTLE has landed He came. We saw. He inspired. Nobody was left unmotivated after Mark Shuttleworth’s recent visit to Cape Town.

Why all the fuss about Mark? Mark Shuttleworth came to fame in 1999 as ‘the guy who gave all his staff members (including the gardener) a bonus of R1 million each’ after he sold his company, Thawte, which was then the fastest-growing Internet certificate authority in the world. • He’s the pioneer of The Shuttleworth Foundation and Hip2b2. • He champions open-source software. • He was the first African in space. • He’s an unashamed geek who’s far from finished with risky ventures.

‘If you do only something you know will

work, you’ll never learn anything.’

e the most impact.’ riest thing that’s going to hav sca g, stin ere int st mo the ‘I just try to do – M A RK SHU T T L E W O R T H

‘I won a day with Mark!’

WINN 6

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Eugene Saayman (16), a Grade 10 learner from Durban High School, got the chance to spend an entire day with Mark Shuttleworth (well, close to him anyway, as Mark was swamped with attention from just about everyone). Why does Mark inspire you? Because of his achievements – he created a company when he was still in his 20s – and also his involvement in the open-source community. What were the highlights of your trip? I got to meet different people I’d never otherwise have met. It was very interesting to see the learners’ projects, and Siyabulela’s work [see page 27] really motivated and inspired me. What career would you like to pursue? I’d like to be a game developer because I love programming. These days, games are advanced, with graphics, so I have to be a part of that.

Read Eugene’s minute-by-minute account of his time with Mark in the Forum section at <www.hip2b2.com>.

INTERVIEWS BY SELENA ABELSE • PHOTOGRAPHS: MICHAEL LE GRANGE, iSTOCK PHOTOS

‘It’s very difﬁcult to be successful when you’re not doing someth ing you love.’

9/13/07 12:20:26 PM

COMMUNITY OF HIP

African scientists The Grade 10 learners of The Settlers High School in Cape Town donned their lab coats and had to conduct various science projects inspired by their favourite magazine, Hip2b2.

Winners of the science fair Budding scientists Julia Losper, Amy Fester, Caryn Paulsen and Simone Daniels took ﬁrst prize for their project on using solar-powered energy to charge a cellphone. Why did you choose to do this project? ‘We wanted to do something different on renewable energy that was also very applicable in our daily lives.’ Thoughts on the day? ‘Just Mark’s presence was very inspiring.’ – Caryn Paulsen, team leader

Under the microscope Fourteen lucky learners got to sit around a table with Mark and ask him some interesting (and personal) questions. What was your first experience after your space journey? Mark: ‘Getting a mouthful of earth – literally.’ How do you deal with failure? Mark: ‘You learn as much from your failures as from your successes. Don’t let failure define you.’ What do you do in your free time? Mark: ‘I snowboard or kitesurf … and I enjoy doing nothing!’ What is your purpose in life? Mark: ‘I’m a bit mercurial so I don’t have one specific purpose in life. I try to understand change in the world and then do anything to be a part of that change.’

For more comments on Mark Shuttleworth’s visit, see <www.hip2b2.com>.

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9/13/07 12:21:54 PM

SMART TECHNOLOGY the science of everyday things

PORT POWE R At ﬁrst, USB ports were used mainly for external devices such as hard drives and digital cameras, but soon inventors realised you could create all sorts of interesting devices using them. Anything that draws power can be adapted to work using a USB port instead of a wall plug. We found this fan-and-light combo device, perfect for late-night studying or during heat waves. Just plug it into a free port and you’re ready to roll. DI D Y OU KNOW ?

A ‘peripheral’ is any additional device that is connected to your computer, such as a keyboard, mouse, speakers or digital camera.

REST FOR TIRED WRISTS Using a keyboard and a mouse a lot can cause pain in your wrists because these devices aren’t usually ergonomically designed. (Ergonomic design involves designing equipment to minimise operator fatigue and discomfort.) It’s why companies now develop weird-looking keyboards that are split into two, raised slightly and at a weird angle. They may look dorky but they are much better for your wrists. If you don’t have one of these keyboards, get a wrist rest to help you with the correct position when you type. They come in cool designs such as this zebra or even glow-in-thedark aliens. The wrist rests are made out of a squishy, rubbery plastic and are very comfortable to use. FAST FACT

The word ‘ergonomics’ comes from two Greek words: ‘ergon’ (work) and ‘nomoi’ (natural laws). It has to do with understanding how an environment (such as your desk and chair) affects how you use your body (such as when you sit badly, for example).

SUCK ON THIS LifeStraw is a simple yet ingenious invention. It is a fancy drinking straw that prevents waterborne diseases from spreading. It has special filters inside so you can use it to drink water from untreated sources, such as rivers. It’s very useful if you don’t have running, purified water near your home. HOW IT WORKS When you start sucking, the straw starts filtering. The first two filters are made from textile – first is a 152 micron mesh and next is a 15 micron mesh. (A micron is one millionth of a metre.) These filter big objects and clusters of bacteria. The killing chamber contains iodine-impregnated beads that allow LifeStraw to kill almost all bacteria and viruses. Next is an empty chamber, in which the iodine gets more time to kill the bacteria. The final two chambers have two more filters that lower the level of iodine in the water (which also removes the unpleasant iodine taste).

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SMART TECHNOLOGY

BY MANDY J WATSON • LIFESTRAW FEATURE: MICHELLE VILJOEN • PHOTOGRAPHS: MANDY J WATSON, GALLO IMAGES/GETTYIMAGES.COM; LIFESTRAW © VESTERGAARD FRANDSEN; USB FAN AND WRIST REST COURTESY OF XUPA XUPA <WWW.XUPA.CO.ZA>

ROCK THIS PHONE To celebrate local stars, South African company AG Cellular has made a slider cellphone featuring Kabelo and Danny K videos and wallpapers. Called the AG Rockstar, it is manufactured in China. The phone has a 1,3 megapixel camera and Bluetooth capabilities, and it is incredibly light. You can also surf the Web and play MP3s with it.

GETTING AROUND Star Wars actor Ewan McGregor and his friend Charley Boorman recently used Nokia’s 6110 Navigator phone as a navigational aid during their Long Way Down journey. The trek took them on their BMW bikes from Scotland all the way down Africa to Cape Agulhas. The phone has GPS capabilities, which enable it to pinpoint where you are on its map software. You can also use it to plan your route. A computer voice tells you where to go, when to turn and how far you are from turn-offs. If you miss a turn-off, the software quickly recalculates the route so you won’t get lost. It will even tell you to make a U-turn if you are really heading in the wrong direction. The battery life is a bit disappointing, though – batteries need recharging after a day of hectic travel. D ID YO U K N O W ?

GPS stands for Global Positioning System. It is a system of 24 satellites that the US military put into orbit and which cover the planet. Devices that use GPS can bounce signals off the satellites to ﬁgure out where they (and therefore you) are on the planet. Don’t confuse GPS with GPRS: General Packet Radio Service is a wireless service that lets you transmit data. If incorporated into a cellphone it allows you to access the Web.

WHOSE IDEA WAS IT ANYWAY? We talk to Anthony Goodman, developer of the AG Rockstar. Where did the idea for the phone come from? I’ve been in the cellphone industry for 13 years and wanted to create my own brand of cellphone for the South African market, something new and exciting. What better way of doing this than with two of South Africa’s superstars? What came first – the phone or the stars? I initially looked for a cellphone that would be suitable for the South African market. Once I had found it, I started discussions with Danny K and Kabelo about coming on board for the launch. How did you get the phone developed and manufactured? Having done extensive business in China, I met with many large manufacturers of mobile phones and chose the factory that had the highest quality and the most efficient service, along with a great range of phones. How much of the phone was based on an original design and how much is a redesign of an existing phone? Research and development at this particular factory are individualised and the company produces a large number of phones for export worldwide. Its designs are based on current designs in the market but are not a copy of any other manufacturer’s products. What kind of testing did you do? Both the phone and the battery undergo extensive testing where they are manufactured. They are approved with the CCC (China Compulsory Certification) mark, which is the equivalent of an SABS approval for South African products. The tests are stringent and only exceptional quality phones are approved. Locally, ICASA (the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa) has specific criteria one must meet, such as those in the Safety and EMC reports, and the RF requirements. We also had to complete a lengthy document consisting of approximately 100 pages.

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we take it apart

DECONSTRUCTION

Extension pipe with hand nut

Hull This is the main structure, which houses the diaphragm. Other components are anchored here. Inner extension pipe Float Provides balance and keeps the pool cleaner upright. Sail Adds rigidity and helps steer around corners and obstacles. The sail creates a ‘down-draught’ effect, helping to supply adhesion and coverage.

Rudder Helps to steer; improves balance and directional stability.

Cassette diaphragm chamber

Fins Allow the pool cleaner to climb over obstacles.

Diaphragm This is the only operational part and is designed to be removed quickly and easily for maintenance.

Directional gills Located underneath, they funnel debris.

Foot ﬂange Connects the ﬂexifoot and hull together.

Finned duo disc Pliable rubber disc scrubs and cleans the surface of the pool as it moves along.

Flexifoot Connects directly to the disc and foot ﬂange.

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THE BARACUDA

Extension pipe with hand nut

Inner extension pipe

Diaphragm

TEXT AND ILLUSTRATIONS: ANTHONY SAMBOER

THE INNER WORKINGS

Essentially a pool cleaner is an underwater vacuum cleaner. It simply connects to your pool’s water-filtration system and vacuums up dirt and leaves from the bottom of the pool, collecting them in the weir basket (this is at the side of the pool and usually has a rectangular flap at its opening), which is easy to empty. The heart of the Baracuda pool cleaner is its patented diaphragm. Made of flexible rubber, it expands and contracts to regulate the water and vacuum flow, and to allow debris to pass freely up the pipe. The diaphragm is connected to a series of pipes, which lead to a long, flexible hose that is plugged directly into the pool’s filtration system via an adjustable weir valve. This valve is situated at the end of the pool-cleaner’s hose and connects to the pool’s suction pipe beneath the weir basket. It regulates the amount of suction, or vacuum, passing through the pool cleaner. As water is sucked up its pipes, the Baracuda advances forward. Its finned duo disc allows it to slide along the bottom of the pool, while the float keeps it upright. The faster the weir valve is set, the greater the suction power, allowing the Baracuda to climb the pool’s walls.

BEST PART Not having to scrub the pool manually! But seriously, the best bit is the weir valve. Although not directly connected to the pool cleaner, this valve gives you control: speed up or slow down the cleaner simply by ﬂipping the switch, or use it to switch off your pool cleaner. (A far cry from the days when you needed to unplug the entire hose or switch off your pool pump to stop it.) WARNING Never mess with the weir valve or pool-cleaner settings. Without vacuum restriction, your cleaner could climb up the pool wall and start munching your lawn.

WHO WOULD HAVE GUESSED? The ﬁrst Kreepy Kraulys, another locally designed pool cleaner brand, were made from wood and rubber tubing. The tubing was melted together in the kitchen. Once prototypes were lent out, clients were very reluctant to part with this labour-saving invention.

Sail

Rudder

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DISCOVERY

1 The Free State town of VREDEFORT – ﬁrst settled in 1876 – is the world’s largest and oldest meteor impact site. About two billion years ago, a 10 km-wide asteroid hit here with a force of 100 million megatons of dynamite (the most powerful nuclear bomb yields only 50 megatons) … leaving a crater 300 km in diameter!

2 On 26 January 1905, Johannesburg miner Frederick Wells found the 3 106,75 carat CULLINAN DIAMOND. It weighed 621,35 g (as much as two cans of Coke), and is the biggest gem-quality diamond ever discovered.

3 In the eighth century, a mysterious group of people living in a 39 000 km² area across central Senegal and Gambia (north of Janjanbureh) created about a thousand small STONE BURIAL CIRCLES. They’re like African Stonehenges … except these stone monuments are smaller (the 10-ton stones are only about 2 m tall) and there are many more of them.

SMART MOMENTS IN

AFR We celebrate ground-breaking

2 500 000 years old

This 40-percent-complete Australopithecus afarensis skeleton was found on 30 November 1974 by palaeontologists in Ethiopia’s Awash Valley.

11 TAUNG CHILD

10 LUCY

4 About 2 000 years ago, a community of hunter-gatherers made a series of rock carvings at TWYFELFONTEIN in Namibia, which help scientists theorise about the rituals of these ancient people.

3 200 000 years old

5 The purply blue gemstone TANZANITE was ﬁrst discovered near Arusha, Tanzania, in 1967 – and it’s never been found anywhere else.

This Australopithecus africanus fossil was discovered in 1924 by a group of quarry workers in Taung, near Kimberley, South Africa.

THE C RAD LE OF H U M AN I T Y A series of key discoveries of hominid fossils across Africa has led palaeontologists and anthropologists to call the continent the Cradle of Humanity.

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SMART AFRICA 6 Egypt’s western desert valley of WADI AL-HITAN (Arabic for ‘Whale Valley’) was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2005. Why? It’s the site of hundreds of fossils of archaeoceti – or ancient whales. The hind limbs of these fossils have helped palaeontologists theorise how whales evolved from land-dwellers to ocean-dwellers.

R ICA

8 Between 12 000 BC and 100 AD, early humans living in the Libyan desert’s TADRART ACACUS made important rock paintings and carvings, which give modern scientists clues about their ancient cultures.

events in our continent’s history.

195 000 years old

In 1998, scientists working in Buya, Eritrea, discovered a 1-million-year-old hominid skull with a cranium that suggests a link between Homo erectus and Homo sapiens.

14 OMO REMAINS

13 THE MISSING LINK?

This fossil – either Homo erectus or Homo ergaster – was found near Kenya’s Lake Turkana in 1984.

1 000 000 years old

1 500 000 years old

9 In December 2006, scientists in the sacred hills of TSODILO in northwestern Botswana’s Kalahari Desert discovered carvings on a snake-shaped rock, along with 70 000-year-old spearheads. This discovery – in a place the San people regard as the resting places of the gods – provides the world’s earliest evidence of religion.

12 TURKANA BOY

7 About 3,6 million years ago, three hominids took a stroll through LAETOLI in Tanzania. Then the nearby Sadiman volcano scattered ash that preserved their footprints until they were discovered in 1978. Anthropologists noted that the footprints didn’t have accompanying knuckle prints … and that meant those hominids walked upright, like modern humans.

This collection of bones discovered near Ethiopia’s Omo River between 1967 and 1974 are the earliest known fossils of Homo sapiens ... the ﬁnal step in mankind’s evolution.

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CONSTRUCTION 15 The completion of the Zambezi River’s hydroelectric KARIBA DAM in 1977 was an incredible feat. The dam is 128 m high and 579 m long, and supplies 1 320 MW of electricity to Zambia and Zimbabwe. 16 One of Africa’s greatest engineering moments was also one of its most important economic moments: the opening of the SUEZ CANAL in 1869. The 163 km-long waterway links the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, allowing seafaring traders to travel between Europe and Asia without circumnavigating the African continent.

18 The Ancient Roman colonial town of TIMGAD was founded in what is now Algeria by Emperor Trajan in 100 AD. The ruins of this ancient city are regarded as one of the best examples of the so-called ‘grid plan’ used by Roman city planners.

20 The moment the Ancient Egyptians ﬁnished building the Giza Necropolis in the 25th century BC, they gave the world THE SPHINX AND THE PYRAMIDS – which made up the last of the original Seven Wonders of the World.

21 About 1 000 years after the Pyramids, the Egyptians built the impressive VALLEY OF THE KINGS on the west bank of the Nile River, near the city of Thebes (now Luxor). This was used as a burial ground for pharaohs and noblemen for about 500 years.

22 It may lie in ruins today, but the ancient stone city of GREAT ZIMBABWE (built between the 11th and 15th centuries) was once home to about 18 000 inhabitants. 23 In the 12th century, a community of Ethiopian Christians built 12 churches in the town of LALIBELA. These churches were literally carved out of the rocky earth, with their ﬂoors being as deep as 30 m below ground level. 24 On 28 August 1996, Tripoli received its ﬁrst drops of water from an underground irrigation project called THE GREAT MAN-MADE RIVER. It’s a network of pipes and wells (most of them more than half-a-kilometre underground) that now supplies 6 500 000 m³ of fresh water every day to parched cities across Libya.

BY MARK VAN DIJK • PHOTOGRAPHS: GALLO IMAGES/GETTYIMAGES.COM, GREATSTOCK/CORBIS, IMAGES24.CO.ZA/RAPPORT/ANTOINE DE RAS, © IMAGES OF AFRICA/CHANAN WEISS, © INPRA, iSTOCK PHOTOS

17 FES EL BALI is the oldest, walled part of the ancient Moroccan city of Fes. Today, with a population of 200 000 people living on its narrow streets, it is the world’s largest car-free urban area.

19 Less of a moment, more of an era … from 1625 to 1900 the town of Abomey in Benin was the capital of the kingdom of Dahomey. The ROYAL PALACES – which still stand today – form one of the most important traditional sites in West Africa.

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9/11/07 4:56:00 PM

SMART AFRICA

MATHEMATICS 25 In 1960, the ISHANGO BONE – a counting tool that dates back to about 20 000 BC – was discovered in the Uganda/Congo border region. The bone (a baboon fibula) is carved with a complex pattern of grooves representing the moon’s phases – and some scientists have suggested that it reflects the menstrual cycle and is proof that the world’s very first mathematicians were women! 26 In 2 700 BC, the Ancient Egyptians started using a CALENDAR made up of 12 months of 30 days each, plus five extra days at the end of each year. It was so accurate that it was still used by European astronomers in the Middle Ages. 27 The Egyptians had incredibly advanced maths systems. The MOSCOW PAPYRUS shows a series of 25 ‘story sums’, all worked out by mathematicians in around 1 850 BC.

DE RAS, © IMAGES OF AFRICA/CHANAN WEISS, © INPRA, iSTOCK PHOTOS

28 The RHIND PAPYRUS presents one of the first known values of π (pi). The papyrus pegs it at 3,16, which isn’t far from the real value of 3,14. 29 You know how some people write 1½ as 3/2? That’s called a VULGAR FRACTION, and the Ancient Egyptians were the first people known to do it … all the way back in 1 000 BC. 30 In about 3 100 BC, the Egyptians devised the earliest known DECIMAL SYSTEM, which uses seven special symbols: a single stroke for 1; a cattle hobble for 10; a coil of rope for 100; a lotus plant for 1 000; a finger for 10 000; a frog for 100 000; and a god with raised arms for 1 000 000.

ECONOMICS 31 Centuries before European explorer/traders such as Marco Polo and Bartolomeu Dias were sailing across the seas, African traders were trekking across the inhospitable sands of the Sahara Desert. TRANS-SAHARAN TRADE peaked between the 8th and 16th centuries, when Islamic traders – using caravans of hundreds of camels – worked the trade routes from northern Africa to the Niger Bend. 32 When Angola’s 27-year civil war ended in 2002, the country was left in economic ruins. But then it started producing OIL, lots of oil. Today the United States imports three times more oil from Angola than it did from Kuwait before the first Gulf War. 33 South African mining tycoon Patrice Motsepe is one of the richest entrepreneurs on the continent. As the biggest single shareholder of the world’s fifth-biggest gold-mining company, African Rainbow Minerals (2003 revenues of $1,2 billion), he’s the first BLACK AFRICAN BILLIONAIRE. 34 After waiting for five hours at a Congolese post office to make a phone call, Gambian entrepreneur 33 ALIEU CONTEH decided to start up a telecommunications business. But when the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s civil war meant no foreign companies would supply him with a cellphone tower, Conteh asked the local people to help him build one out of scrap metal. They did, and the tower’s still standing … and Conteh’s network now services more than threemillion cellphone users – about half of the total in the DRC.

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INNOVATION 35 In 1963, Eric Merriﬁeld, the harbour engineer in East London, South Africa, invented the DOLOS, a strangely shaped 20-ton concrete block that, when linked with other dolosse, creates a stable harbour-wall protector. 36 The Ancient Egyptians were the ﬁrst people to use PAPYRUS – an early precursor to paper – when they made scrolls from the reeds growing along the Nile River.

37 Ghana’s prehistorical Empire of Ashanti spoke a language called Twi, which was so similar to drum beats that they were able to create TALKING DRUMS … which in one moment could beat out a ‘bush-telegraph’ message over distances of up to 300 km. 38 In 1969, a South African invention made it all the way to the moon, when PRATLEY PUTTY – created by Krugersdorp engineer George Pratley as a way to keep his tools from rattling around in his toolbox – was used on Nasa’s Apollo XI lunar mission. 39 In 1974, hydraulics engineer Ferdinand Chauvier, who’d moved to Springs, South Africa, from the Belgian Congo, unveiled

MEDICINE 45 On 3 December 1967, South African surgeon DR CHRISTIAAN BARNARD performed the world’s ﬁrst successful heart transplant at Cape Town’s Groote Schuur Hospital.

the KREEPY KRAULY, a swimming pool vacuum cleaner. (See our deconstruction of another local invention, the Baracuda on page 10.) 40 African astronomy enjoyed another great moment in 2005, when the SALT – the Southern African Large Telescope – was inaugurated near the small Karoo town of Sutherland. The SALT is the biggest optical telescope in the southern hemisphere. (See our astronomy feature on page 28.) 41 Modern biologists can track the movements of desert hunters and nomads thanks to the CYBERTRACKER – an easyto-use handheld tool invented by a South African data-capturing company.

46 In July 2007, a study at the University of Nigeria conﬁrmed exactly what traditional healers had been saying for centuries: that the leaves of ASPILIA AFRICANA – the ‘haemorrhage plant’ used in traditional medicine – can stop bleeding, block infection and help wounds to heal more quickly. A close analysis of the plant identiﬁed several ‘ingredients’ that could be responsible for the plant’s miraculous medicinal properties.

DID YOU KNOW?

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South African-born physicist Allan MacLeod Cormack was one of the pioneers of X-ray computed tomography … or CT scans. These create 3-D images of the insides of objects (such as people’s brains).

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SMART AFRICA

HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT 42 On 28 September 2003, Kenyan athlete PAUL TERGAT broke the world marathon record with an incredible time of 2:04:55, winning the Berlin Marathon with an average speed of 2 minutes 57 seconds per kilometre (20,3 km/h). 43 In 2002 South African software billionaire Mark Shuttleworth became the first African astronaut (or AFRONAUT) when he travelled to the International Space Station. 44 South Africa’s 19th-century Zulu king SHAKA introduced several effective – and in some cases innovative – military techniques, including the ‘buffalo horns’ fighting formation, which saw left and right flanks (‘horns’) surround the enemy before the main army (the ‘chest’ and ‘loins’) moved in for the kill.

47 In 2003, Zimbabwean scientist Dr Valerie Mizrahi made a signiﬁcant breakthrough in discovering how the bacterium that causes TUBERCULOSIS (TB) can become resistant to drugs. TB claims more lives every year than any other disease caused by a single infectious agent, but Mizrahi and her team paved the way to slowing down the disease’s resistance to drugs.

48 In August 2007, a team of researchers at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology in Nairobi found that a nutritious fish, the NILE TILAPIA, can be used as an effective weapon against malaria – the disease that kills more than a million people every year. The fish eat the mosquitoes that transmit malaria … and then people are able to eat the fish!

FAST FACT

The Malaria Atlas project involves mapping areas to see where malaria is most active. With this information and Google Earth, doctors know exactly where to strike to treat and prevent malaria infections, one of the biggest killers in Africa.

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SMART AFRICA

THE ARTS

49 In 1991 Nigerian writer BEN OKRI won the coveted Booker Prize for his novel The Famished Road, a magical-realist tale of a spirit child (or abiku) living in a modern African city. 50 The Islamic University of Sankore, SANKORÉ MADRASAH, was established in 1581 – long before most ‘Western’ universities – in the remote city of Timbuktu in Mali. 51 In 2005 TSOTSI became the ﬁrst South African – and African – ﬁlm to win an Oscar for Best Foreign Film.

52 Around Christmas 2001, scientists working in South Africa’s Blombos Cave discovered two pieces of ochre that had symbols carved into them. The engravings date back about 77 000 years … and offer the earliest evidence of humans using ABSTRACT THOUGHT. Why’s this important? Because without abstract thought (or symbolism) we wouldn’t have art, writing or even maths! TALK TO US

AND NOW FOR NUMBER

Paste photo of yourself here.

(Write your name here):

AFRICAN ACHIEVER

What smart thing have you done that you are really proud of: have you achieved straight-As in your exams, overcome a drug addiction, joined the Neighbourhood Watch in your area, invented an economical form of rocket fuel? Write to tell us about it: Hip2b2 Smart Moment, PO Box 440, Green Point 8051, or post your smart moment on the Forum at <www.hip2b2.com>.

What’s so special about 53?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------THE SMARTEST THING I’VE DONE THUS FAR IN MY LIFE: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Can you ﬁgure out why we chose this number for this story? Of course there were more than 53 smart moments from our continent – some of them are taking place right now. But what makes 53 special is that it is the total number of independent states (including island groups) in Africa. Bet you’d already ﬁgured that out.

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SMART AFRICA 1978 ANWAR SADAT Egypt Peace For cosigning the Camp David peace accords for the Middle East.

AFRICA’S NOBEL LAUREATES 1991 NADINE GORDIMER South Africa Literature

1993 NELSON MANDELA and FW DE KLERK South Africa Peace For their work towards the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa.

1986 WOLE SOYINKA Nigeria Literature

2001 KOFI ANNAN Ghana Peace Together with the United Nations, for their work towards a better organised and more peaceful world. 2003 JM COETZEE South Africa Literature

1960 ALBERT JOHN LUTULI South Africa Peace For his ﬁght against apartheid.

1984 ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU South Africa Peace For his role in the ﬁght against apartheid.

1988 NAGUIB MAHFOUZ Egypt Literature

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2004 WANGARI MAATHAI Kenya Peace For her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace.

1951 MAX THEILER South Africa Medicine For developing a vaccine against yellow fever.

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SCI DIY

Make your own volcano Fascinated by lava? Raid the kitchen and cause a home-made natural phenomenon.

YOU NEED • 6 cups of ﬂour • 2 cups of salt • 4 tablespoons of cooking oil • 3 cups of water • large mixing bowl • 500 ml plastic bottle • baking pan with deep sides • red food colouring • dishwashing liquid • 2 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda • about 1/4 cup of vinegar

LET’S GET STARTED 1 Make the salt dough: place the flour, salt, oil and 2 cups of the water in the mixing bowl. Work the ingredients with your hands until they form a smooth, firm dough. (You may find it easier to divide the ingredients in half and make the dough in two batches.) 2 Build your volcano: stand the plastic bottle in the middle of the baking tray. Mould the dough around the bottle. Don’t cover up the bottle mouth or drop any dough into the bottle. Take as much time as you need to form a cool volcano shape. 3 Now for the lava: pour a cup of warm water into the bottle and add several drops of red food colouring. 4 Pour 4 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid into the bottle. 5 Add 2 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda. 6 Start pouring in the vinegar and watch the volcano erupt. (Don’t worry – it won’t explode!)

WHY DOES IT WORK?

The bicarbonate of soda (sodium hydrogen carbonate) creates a chemical reaction with the acetic acid in the vinegar. The products are sodium acetate, water and the gas carbon dioxide, also found in real volcanoes. The carbon dioxide forms foam with the dishwashing liquid and is pushed out of the bottle by the continuing reaction at the bottom of the bottle.

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ADVERTORIAL

EXPERIMENT ADAPTED FROM <WWW.DST.GOV.ZA> AND <WWW.CBV.NS.CA> • PHOTOGRAPHS: DENVER HENDRICKS, iSTOCK PHOTOS

RE ACHING NEW F RO NTIER S

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Sasol is not just another fuel company. It is innovative beyond belief, going right back to the company’s origins, which grew out of the wacky idea of turning coal into petrol. Sasol uses science to create magic and improve lives, and it is an established market leader in the energy industry.

Choose a great career in science CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

Renowned as an excellent employer, it also offers exceptional opportunities for talented individuals. The Sasol bursary scheme is highly sought-after and aims to attract outstanding individuals to the organisation, speciﬁcally students who are genuinely interested in mathematics and science. The goal, therefore, is to provide students with the curiosity, enthusiasm and zest necessary to appreciate science and mathematics as subjects of learning for everyone, not just scientists. If you feel you have what it takes to work for this dynamic, market-leading company, ﬁnd out if you qualify for its bursary scheme by visiting <www.sasolbursaries.com> or calling 0860 106 235. Bursaries are on offer for full-time university studies in these disciplines: BSc Engineering, BSc and BCom. An equal-opportunity employer, Sasol awards bursaries to deserving students of all population groups.

In this field, chemicals and engineering principles are combined to develop and enhance raw materials. What this means is that chemistry is applied to find solutions to everyday problems. For example, chemical engineers study our water and then create a chemical to make sure we’re getting clean water without removing the vital elements inside it. With the almost infinite possibilities available to chemical engineers, you can work in the fields of medicine (biotechnology), fuels and energy (petroleum), transportation (aerospace) and commodity chemicals (agricultural chemicals, plastics, rubber), food processing, microelectronics and pharmaceutical industries, to name a few.

What do you need to study this? You need at least an E symbol (HG) or a C symbol (SG) in both mathematics and science. If you apply to a university, you’ll take four years to complete your degree, and a minimum of two years to complete a master’s degree. If you apply at a technical university, you’ll take three years to complete your national diploma, and at least one year for a master’s degree.

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What is this guy doing right now? (Check out the panel below for some clues, but remember, more than one answer may be correct. )

IS HE:

A just chilling? B improving his vocabulary? C wishing Mom would hurry back from the shops with the 2-ply? D taking his mind for a walk? E regretting the curry special he chose for lunch? F creating dendrites in his brain? G increasing his chances of becoming the next Bill Gates? H making sure he gets accepted to study radiography at varsity? Still confused? Read the opposite page for all the answers. 22

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BY MICHELLE MINNAAR • PHOTOGRAPHS: GALLO IMAGES/GETTYIMAGES.COM, iSTOCK PHOTOS

SMART READ If you haven’t ﬁgured it out yet, all of the answers are correct. Why? Because reading gives you much more than the information on the page in front of you. (And, unlike extra-strong curry, it has no unpleasant side effects.) Despite the fact that we are moving into a more technology-driven society, the fundamental survival skill today is one you learnt in Grade 1: reading. Research has shown that avid readers concentrate well, write better, process information more quickly, excel in a variety of subjects, work through personal problems more easily and are better communicators. But that’s not all … READING IS BRAIN GYM It gives you a stronger and ﬁtter brain. This is especially true during adolescence, when there is an overproduction of dendrites and connections between neurons in your brain. Every new bit of information creates a dendrite, which is a small, hair-like structure that emerges from neurons (brain cells). The more you read, the more dendrites grow and the stronger the connections become (which means you get a better memory). This peak growth period occurs only in your teenage years, which means you are at a critical time in your life when it comes to building your brain. Your brain is like a muscle: use it or lose it. WANT TO BE EVEN SMARTER? The more you read, the more you understand, and the more you learn. If you can read fast you will be able to study faster

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too, which means you can go over the work many more times. You will be able to ﬁnish assignments faster and have more time to complete your exams. Reading improves your vocabulary and spelling, which makes you a better writer – so you’ll be able to answer exam questions more effectively. Reading improves your memory, and we all know how much that is worth in an exam. It also improves your general knowledge and helps you understand the work presented to you much faster. By doing well at school, you automatically have a greater chance of being accepted into your chosen ﬁeld of study at university or college.

SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE READ MORE Avid reading is a common trait among very successful people. Mark Shuttleworth, for example, feeds his curiosity about the world around him with a daily diet of newspapers and magazines like The Economist and New Scientist. Most great ideas are birthed, directly or indirectly, as a result of reading (sometimes even while on the toilet).

THE ULTIMATE CHILL PILL Reading provides an escape from reality, but in a much safer way than using drugs. Just think, today you could be in the magical world of Harry Potter and tomorrow you could be learning about entrepreneurship from Richard Branson. Reading relaxes you and provides instant stress relief. If you’re feeling anxious because of an upcoming exam, try reading an adventure novel. Or what about when you feel depressed because your best friend has betrayed your trust? You may ﬁnd comic relief – or good advice on how to deal with the situation – in a book. Just think, without the ability to read you’d never be able to enjoy a comic, or check your team’s scores in the newspapers, or unlock the knowledge on the Internet.

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR READING

ARE YOU A GOOD READER? Let’s do a quick test: how much of what you’ve just read can you remember? Close the magazine and write down what you recall from this article – the main topics and also any bits you found particularly interesting. (This is a useful way to study for exams too.) Were you able to remember detail from the article? If not, it might be a good idea to read more slowly. It’s far more important to remember what you have just read than simply to be a super-fast reader.

• Read in a comfortable, quiet environment. You’ll read faster and comprehend more if you have few interruptions, have good lighting, sit in a good chair and aren’t distracted by the TV. • Take a good look at how you read. Do you ‘say’ the words you are reading? Try not to read every single word – read whole phrases at a time instead. Do strange words make you reread sentences? It’s better to skip those words, then, after you have ﬁnished reading that chapter or section, to go back and look them up in a dictionary. This is a great way to improve your vocabulary. • Change your reading speed for different situations. If you are studying you will need to read more slowly than when you are reading a novel for enjoyment.

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• Algeria • Angola • Benin • Botswana • Burkina Faso • Burundi • Cameroon • Cape Verde • Central African Republic • Chad • Congo • Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) • Djibouti • Equatorial Guinea • Egypt • Eritrea • Ethiopia • Gabon • Gambia • Ghana • Guinea • Guinea Bissau • Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire) • Kenya • Lesotho • Liberia • Libya • Madagascar • Malawi • Mali • Mauritania • Mauritius • Morocco • Mozambique • Namibia • Niger • Nigeria • Réunion • Rwanda • South Africa • Senegal • Seychelles • Sierra Leone • São Tomé and Príncipe • Somalia • Sudan • Swaziland • Tanzania • Togo • Tunisia • Uganda • Zambia • Zimbabwe (See answers below.)

CAN YOU MATCH ALL 53 FLAGS TO THEIR COUNTRIES?

AFRIKA • IAFRIKA • L’AFRIQUE

FLAGS OF AFRICA

16 Zambia 17 Gambia 18 Cameroon 19 Central African Republic 20 Botswana 21 Benin 22 Democratic Republic of the Congo 23 Ivory Coast 24 Algeria 25 Madagascar 26 Nigeria

1 Liberia 2 Rwanda 3 São Tomé and Príncipe 4 Mauritania 5 Sierra Leone 6 Tanzania 7 Ghana 8 Angola 9 Chad 10 Congo 11 Uganda 12 Malawi 13 Cape Verde 14 Réunion 15 Niger

Congo

53 48 43 38 33 28 23

40 Libya 41 Burundi 42 Mali 43 Morocco 44 Seychelles 45 Senegal 46 Gabon 47 Kenya 48 Guinea Bissau 49 Djibouti 50 Guinea 51 Egypt 52 Eritrea 53 Lesotho

Republic of the

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27 Ethiopia 28 Zimbabwe 29 Mozambique 30 Togo 31 Burkina Faso 32 Tunisia 33 Namibia 34 Equatorial Guinea 35 Sudan 36 Swaziland 37 Mauritius 38 Somalia 39 South Africa

22 = Democratic

ILLUSTRATIONS: iSTOCK PHOTOS

ACHIEVER

To infinity and beyond BY SELENA ABELSE • PHOTOGRAPHS: MICHAEL LE GRANGE, iSTOCK PHOTOS

Say hello to Siyabulela Xuza, an ordinary teen with extraordinary curiosity.

PROFILE: SIYABULELA XUZA • Developed a safer, more economical form of rocket fuel. • Is a learner at St John’s College, Gauteng. • Has a minor planet named after him, Siyaxuza (23182). • Is only 18 years old.

ROCKET MAN

Read all about Siyabulela’s rocket fuel project at <www.hip2b2.com> and check out <www.sciserv.org/isef> for more on ISEF.

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Wow! You beat 1 500 participants at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to bring home the Grand Award. How did you get there? I entered the Eskom Expo for young scientists in September 2006. I then won the prize to represent South Africa at the ISEF. Why did you choose rocket fuel as a project? It started four years ago when Mark Shuttleworth blasted into space. That inspired me. Rockets are just a hobby of mine but I realised that science becomes realistic when you start applying it. Who helped you? I got support from my teachers, mentor and a company called AeroSpace Research, and asked different companies to help supply me with the necessary equipment. What research did you do? I researched epoxy-based solid rocket propellant, and discovered a way to put together a multiple-thrust profile system. This means you can adjust how long the fuel burns and the force of the thrust. What were the challenges? Being pretty young, I faced a lot. Firstly, finding people to discuss this project with was difficult. Also, the equipment for this scientific experiment is rare in South Africa. Where did you build your first rocket? In the garage. Tell us about your launches? The first one was a mini disaster. The highest launch was about 800 metres. I had a few mishaps but

I still have all my ﬁngers! I made sure of safety before I experimented. Where would you like to see this project going? I’d like to see it inspire other students to experience science. Why is science important? It teaches you to reason, to ask questions, and to think logically and critically. The fun is that it’s practical. What advice do you have for anyone struggling with science and maths? I was in that situation so I understand. If it doesn’t come naturally you must be diligent. What career would you like to pursue? I’m going to study chemical engineering because I want to harness the power of science and technology. How do you relax? Facebooking, reading, watching sports, chilling with mates and all the good things teenagers do.

SIYA’S SUCCESS STRATEGY 1. Get out there. 2. Find inspiration. 3. Get support – don’t wait for it. 4. Do your homework. 5. Recognise your challenges. 6. Work hard. 7. Think beyond the boundaries. 27

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WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT? Discovering what lurks in the dark expanse beyond our atmosphere has been the stuff of fables, dreams, movies … and, more recently, reality.

EYES IN THE SKY Astronomers from all over the world collaborate using a network of powerful telescopes called PLANET. In South Africa,

the 1,5 m Boyden in Bloemfontein and the 1 m SAAO in Sutherland in the Karoo are two important telescopes in the PLANET network. WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT THE KAROO? An astronomical observatory must be positioned as far from man-made radio waves as possible to avoid masking of the faint cosmic radio waves that the telescope picks up. This makes the Karoo the perfect place for a radio telescope, as surrounding mountains act as shields against radiation from distant metropolitan areas. South Africa also has stable ionospheric conditions, which are important for lowfrequency observations. And the southern hemisphere is very well positioned because the centre of the Milky Way passes directly overhead. The Karoo is one of the best sites in the world for optical telescopes because of its low rainfall, altitude and the transparency

of the air. Sutherland in the Karoo is also home to the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) – the largest single optical telescope in Africa. It’s a billion times more powerful than the human eye and is used to locate and document distant stars and galaxies. PROBING OUTER SPACE South Africa is currently on the short list to host the world’s largest radio telescope, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA).This will consist of thousands of antennae, spread over 3 000 kilometres. Probing deep into the cosmos, it will be a powerful tool in understanding the origins of the universe, unravelling the secrets behind dark energy and assisting in the search for extraterrestrial life. A site in the Karoo desert in the Northern Cape has been identiﬁed for the SKA. A test antenna for the Karoo Array Telescope (KAT) – a precursor to the SKA – is currently under construction at Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO). KAT will have about 1% of the receiving capacity of the SKA, but will be a powerful telescope in its own right.

FAST FACT

Astronomers predict a collision between the Andromeda Galaxy and our Milky Way in approximately 5 to 10 billion years’ time. During that collision the two galaxies will merge to form a single elliptical galaxy.

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BY MANDY CZERNOWALOW • PHOTOGRAPHS: MIKE GAYLARD (HARTRAO), GALLO IMAGES/GETTYIMAGES.COM, iSTOCK PHOTOS

South Africa’s climate, clear dark skies and wide-open spaces make for ideal star-gazing conditions, and astronomical observation has taken place here since the 17th century. Researchers at Sutherland’s South African Astronomical Observatory use spectroscopy (‘dissecting’ starlight in detail) and photometry (precise measurements of the brightness of stars through ﬁlters) to explore the structure of the universe, search for and map other galaxies, as well as to study the life cycles of various types of stars.

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ASTRONOMY

BREAKTHROUGHS IN SPACE DISCOVERY 1929: American astronomer Edwin Powell Hubble discovers that galaxies are receding from our galaxy in proportion to their distance, interpreted by other astronomers to mean that the universe is expanding. This implies that all matter in the universe once was compacted together in a very small space and suggests that it all exploded from a deﬁnite point in a ‘big bang’, 10 to 15 billion years ago.

1932: Karl Jansky pioneers radio astronomy and discovers that radio waves are emitted by the centre of the Milky Way (speciﬁcally, the constellation of Sagittarius).

1937: Amateur radio operator Grote Reber of Wheaton, Illinois, the father of the radio telescope, builds a 9,45 m dish antenna in his back yard and uses it to uncover the ﬁrst discrete radio sources beyond Earth. He uses it to map the spread of natural radio signals across the Milky Way.

1990: The Hubble Space Telescope launches to Earth orbit and, after initial problems, transmits views to Earth in 1994.

1965: Cosmic background radiation, which captures a moment in time 390 000 years after the ‘big bang’, when the universe changed from foggy to clear, is discovered by Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson using a radio antenna at Holmdel, New Jersey, USA.

1997: Pathﬁnder, with its rover Sojourner, lands and begins its exploration on Mars and transmits thousands of pictures from the Red Planet.

GALLO IMAGES/GETTYIMAGES.COM, iSTOCK PHOTOS

Y MONTH. OCTOBER IS ASTRONOM FIND OUT WHAT’S ON NEAR YOU

GALACTIC GLOSSARY IONOSPHERE: a region of the Earth’s atmosphere where incoming radiation from the Sun causes ionisation. This affects the transmission of radio waves. ‘Stable ionospheric conditions’ implies that our ionosphere is suitable for the transmission of radio waves. THE MILKY WAY: the name given to the spiral galaxy in which the solar system (and Earth) is situated. The galaxy is estimated to contain about a trillion stars. The term ‘milky’ originates from the hazy band of

white light that is visible from Earth. COSMIC RADIO WAVES: radio waves reaching Earth from interstellar or intergalactic sources. DARK ENERGY: a hypothetical form of energy believed to be responsible for the present acceleration of the expansion of the universe and to account for almost threequarters of the universe’s total mass-energy. EXOPLANET OR EXTRASOLAR PLANET: a planet found outside our solar system. These planets orbit stars other than the Sun.

• The Planetarium, Johannesburg 011 717 1392 • SciBono Discovery Centre, Johannesburg 011 639 8400; <info@sci-bono.co.za> • The Planetarium, Cape Town 021 481 3900 • MTN ScienCentre, Cape Town 021 529 8100; <info@mtnsciencentre.org.za> • Old Mutual Science Centre, Durban 031 566 8040; <sciencecentre@gatewayworld.co.za> • Unizul Science Centre, Richards Bay 035 797 3204/7/8, 082 452 8566; <theﬁsh@iafrica.com> • Vuwani Science Centre, Limpopo 015 962 8135 Check out <www.nasa.org> for the latest updates on space missions and exploration of the galaxy.

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CAREER IN ASTRONOMY

I SEE THE STARS Gigantic fireballs, huge black holes, galaxies colliding – they’re all in a day’s work for astronomers like Sharmila Goedhart, PhD, of Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory. and have a good memory. You must also be prepared to work odd hours and be away from home often. You need to be seriously into physics, maths and computers. Good communication skills help when presenting research and training others.

What do astronomers do? Astronomers use satellites, telescopes and computers to collect and analyse data as they attempt to investigate the universe. What makes your job great? Travelling to unusual places, the freedom to do my own research and the thrill of doing novel things. Have you made any exciting discoveries? I discovered periodic (regular) variations, called masers, in light waves near very large, newly born stars that could provide an important clue to understanding how the biggest stars in our galaxy are formed. What qualities make a good astronomer? Perseverance, patience, initiative and the ability to handle disappointment. You need to be organised, able to read fast, think fast

What are the study requirements? First, matric exemption with physical science and mathematics on the higher grade. Computer science at high-school level is a bonus. At university, study towards a BSc in physics, astronomy, mathematics or engineering. You don’t need to do astronomy courses in your ﬁrst three years, but they will help. To complete your studies you will need a PhD in physics, astronomy or astrophysics. [Sharmila completed a BSc Honours degree, an MSc and a PhD in physics with research topics in astronomy.] And the job opportunities? After my PhD, I went to the Max-Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn, Germany, for six months to build up my skills. You could work as a university lecturer or get a job at one of the national facilities – the South African Astronomical Observatory or the Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO). More opportunities will be available in the near future with the construction of the Karoo Array Telescope (KAT).

BIG BANG In October 2006, local astronomer Dr David Block and his PhD student, Robert Groess, uncovered thrilling new evidence regarding the Andromeda Galaxy, the closest large spiral to the Milky Way. According to their research this galaxy was involved in a massive, head-on collision with its neighbouring dwarf galaxy, Messier 32, over 200 million years ago. The effects of this intergalactic crash can still be observed today!

PLANET HUNTING The search for new planets focuses largely on ﬁnding Earthlike planets capable of supporting life. To do this, planetary temperature must permit the presence of water in liquid form. In April 2007, astronomers discovered a planet called Gliese 581c. It is the most Earthlike extrasolar planet discovered so far and represents a landmark discovery in the search for extraterrestrial life. The mean temperature of this ‘superEarth’ is estimated at between 0 ˚C and 40 ˚C. It has a radius 1,5 times and a mass 5 times that of Earth, making it the smallest planet of this type found to date. Two other Earthlike planets have been discovered recently, but one, OGLE-2005BLG-390Lb, is too cold (-220 ˚C) and the other, near a star called Glies 876, is too hot to support liquid water. Recently, astronomers discovered a new extrasolar planet (TrES-4) in the constellation of Hercules; about 70% bigger than Jupiter, it’s the largest known exoplanet to date.

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9/13/07 2:18:02 PM

THE

MAGIC

MATHEMATICS

CIRCLE GEOMETRY vs SPHERICAL GEOMETRY IMAGINE GEOMETRY IN WHICH: • parallel lines intersect, and • the angles of a triangle add up to more than 180°.

Impossible! That was how mathematicians reasoned for more than 2 000 years while Euclidean geometry (circle geometry) ruled the world of human thinking. Only in the 19th century did mathematicians discover that Euclid’s theorems are true only for a plane or ﬂat surface, while we actually live on a sphere. The development of mathematics slowed down as nobody was brave enough to declare that parallel lines do intersect. But of course today we’re a lot braver than that.

MATHS elps us to map h y tr e m o e g l Spherica our world and explore our galaxy.

TRIANGLES

In the diagram on the left, consider the triangle NAB with the baseline the equator and the vertex at the North Pole. Since the equator is perpendicular to the longitudes, the two base angles add up to 180°. Therefore the sum of the angles of this spherical triangle is more than 180°.

SPHERICAL GEOMETRY

BY DR FIENIE CRONJE • PHOTOGRAPHS: iSTOCK PHOTOS

Without thorough knowledge of circle geometry you can’t explore other geometries, such as spherical geometry, the geometry on the surface of a sphere. LONGITUDES

GREAT CIRCLES

On a sphere, lines are called great circles. Examples are the equator and A the longitudes. Any two longitudes (for example, A and B on the diagram) are perpendicular to the equator, thus parallel in a Euclidean sense; but, as you can see, they also intersect at both the North Pole and the South Pole.

EQUATOR

FAST FACT

Euclid (300 BC) organised his geometry axioms [an established rule, principle, truth or law] and theorems in a system that remained unquestioned and unchallenged for more than two millennia. The inscription above Plato’s academy was: ‘Let no one ignorant of Geometry enter this door.’ To learn circle geometry is to be part of the history and the development of mathematics.

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GEOMETRY ... IN SPACE

As the Earth’s shape is roughly that of a sphere, the properties of spherical geometry assisted explorers in charting out the globe and astronomers in plotting the course of planets and stars. Present-day applications of these properties include planning ﬂights, cruises and satellite orbits around the world.

9/12/07 11:30:17 AM

CIRCLE GEOMETRY CRACK THESE 5 TIPS TO HELP YOU PROBLEMS (BEFORE THEY CRACK YOU) 1 Know your rules and definitions forwards and backwards; recite them off by heart. 2 When asked to prove a theorem in the first part of a question, realise that you will be expected to use this theorem in the next part – if you can’t prove it, just assume it when working out the next part. 3 Parallel lines are clues: whenever you see them make sure you explore all the alternate, corresponding and co-interior angles. 4 Look for bowties. If you see a bowtie shape (often angles subtended by the same arc), remember that you can apply the subtended-angles theorem to the top part of the bowtie as well as the bottom. 5 If you can’t find an angle or nothing is popping out of the problem, then try the oldest trick in the book: turn the picture 90°, then do this three more times; seeing the problem from a different perspective sometimes makes all the difference. QUESTION 1 Prove that angle ABC = 90° – x. (BC is the diameter of the circle.) A

WORDS TO REMEMBER

ARC: a curved line that is part of the circumference of a circle. CHORD: a line segment within a circle that touches two points on the circle. CIRCUMFERENCE: the distance around the circle. DIAMETER: the length of a straight line segment that starts on the circumference, passes through the centre of a circle and ends on the opposite side of the circumference. RADIUS: the distance from the centre of a circle to any point on it. SECTOR: this is like a slice of pie (a circle wedge). TANGENT OF CIRCLE: a line perpendicular to the radius that touches only one point on the circle. FASCINATING FACT

B O C

Did you know that when you look at the stars, you are actually looking back in time? But how is it possible to look back in time? The simple version goes like this: a star that is 10 000 light years away from Earth is so far away that light (travelling at its greatest speed) will take 10 years to reach us. So if the star dies today, we’ll only know about it in 10 000 years’ time. How far would the star be from Earth? If the speed of light is approximately 300 000 km/s then 300 000 x 60 s x 60 mins x 24 hours x 365,25 days x 10 000 = 9 467 280 000 000 000 km (now this is very far away!).

x D

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9/11/07 11:52:42 AM

9/13/07 10:22:32 AM

BY LIVING MATHS

QUESTION 1 (i) ACB = x (circumference s subtended from chord AB) (ii) BAC = 90° ( in semi-circle) (iii) ABC = 180° – 90° – x (3 s of triangle are supplementary) ABC = 90° – x QUESTION 2 (i) ACB = AED = 65° (ext. of cyclic quad.) (ii) ABC = 180° – 2 x 65° ( sum of triangle) = 50° (iii) AOC = 50° x 2 ( at centre = 2 at circumference) = 100° OAC = (180° – 100°) (OA = OC, radii) 2 (3 s Δ suppl.) = 40° (iv) AEC = 180° – 2 x 70° (AE = EC) = 40° (3 s Δ suppl.) ADC = 40° (circumf. s on chord AC)

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Visit <wwww.livingmaths.com>. QUESTION 3 (i) BEC is an isos. triangle BEC = 180° – 2 x 28° (CE = EB, tangents from same point) = 124° (3 s of Δ are supplementary) (ii) CAO = CBE = 28° (chord BC, tangent BD) (iii) ΔACB is a right-angled Δ ( in semi-circle) and AB = 10 cm (radius = 5) sin 28° = BC/10 BC = 10 sin 28° = 4.69 cm (iv) COB = 28° x 2 ( at centre = 2 at circum.) = 56° OBD = 90° (tangent radius) CDE = 180° – 56° – 90° (3 s of Δ are suppl.) = 34° SOLUTIONS

D 650

B OO 700

QUESTION 2 In the diagram, the points A, B, C, D and E lie on the circumference of the two circles such that AEDC forms a cyclic quadrilateral and BCD is a straight line. The centre of the smaller circle is marked as O. Given that AB = BC, AE = CE, AED = 65° and ACE = 70°, ﬁnd B (i) ACB (ii) ABC (iii) OAC O A (iv) ADC

E C

QUESTION 3 In the diagram, AB is the diameter of the circle with centre O. CE and BE are tangents to the circle. The tangent to the circle at point B meets OC produced at D. Given that CBE = 28° and that the radius of the circle is 5 cm, ﬁnd D (i) BEC (ii) CAO (iii) length of BC (iv) CDE SMART MATHS

IS THERE AN

IN SPORT? Kenyan athletes are masters at marathon running. Have you ever wondered why? these medals were awarded for a variety of events including boxing, swimming and cycling. You get the idea. East African athletes are machines when it comes to long-distance athletics. And this achievement has been the source of much curiosity over the years. Is there something in the water? No, but perhaps if you look to the skies … ? The Rift Valley Province of Kenya (which holds only a quarter of the Kenyan population) is home to 81% of the winning athletes – and this region (at about 2 000 metres above sea level) is higher in altitude than many of the surrounding regions. Training at high altitudes is beneficial to athletes because the low levels of oxygen in the air at that height cause the body to find efficient ways of transporting oxygen in the blood to the muscles. Red blood cells are like little oxygen transporters that carry this crucial gas to the muscles so that they can do work. DID YOU KNOW?

The ofﬁcial distance of the modern marathon was set at 26 miles 385 yards (42,195 kilometres) in 1924. It was ﬁrst used in the 1908 Olympics in London so that the race would end in front of King Edward VII’s royal box.

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BY KATE CARMICHAEL • PHOTOGRAPHS: GALLO IMAGES/GETTYIMAGES.COM, iSTOCK PHOTOS

id you know that the last time a Kenyan wasn’t on the podium in the men’s 3 000-metre steeplechase in the Olympics was in 1980? In the 2004 Olympic Games, the gold, silver and bronze medals in this category were awarded to Kenyan men. Kenyan women also feature frequently on the podium in medium- to long-distance running events. Catherine Ndereba has won the Boston women’s marathon four times, was a gold medallist in the 2003 World Championships and a silver medallist in the 2004 Olympics. Kenyans have won over 61 medals at the Summer Olympics – most of which were awarded to long-distance runners (54 out of 61!). While South Africa, with a haul of 69 medals, is the only African country ahead of Kenya,

9/11/07 1:06:19 PM

SPORT SCIENCE

People who live at high altitudes have less oxygen available to them so their bodies compensate by increasing the number of red blood cells and blood capillaries. The size of their lungs also increases to improve the intake of oxygen. Is it the way they’re raised? A large proportion of the star athletes from Kenya are from rural areas. Many of them would run long distances to school as children (some ran as many as 20 kilometres a day). Perhaps you should tell your folks to ditch the car-pool idea and let you run to school and back – that should guarantee you a place in the ﬁrst team. As we know, success in sport has much to do with mind-set and determination (try running the Comrades without the right attitude). The ﬁnancial gain from winning an international event is said to play a major role in motivation. Just consider receiving 20 000 US dollars for winning an international marathon – it’s certainly not an amount to be sneezed at. There’s also a lot to be said for going into a race with the psychological advantage of coming from a country that has cleaned up the medals for the past decade.

The difficulty with these altitudes, so they’ll never realise their talent. questions is that isolating Others may have all the physical ‘machinery’ the genes is very complex, to be a champ but lack the mental strength and finding the relationship to train and race at a competitive level. between a gene and a specific In other words, it’s possible that star characteristic is far trickier athletes are born with a certain advantage than you would imagine. but that their lifestyle and attitude to Study groups have tried to training tip the scales to further this find specific genes shared only advantage. Maybe it’s not a case of nature by these athletes in the hope or nurture, but both. of explaining their advantage, So if you have dreams of standing although nobody has yet been on top of an Olympic marathon podium successful. In all probability, one day, we suggest you take some tips there isn’t just one gene that from Kenya: move to the mountains and makes an amazing athlete; it’s more run to school! likely the result of lots of genes working together. FAST FACT Many people around the world Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie (say Hi-Lee may have the genetic capabilities Geb-reh-seh-lah-see) is generally considered to be of a star athlete but they don’t the greatest distance runner in history. He has broken run over 20 kilometres a day from over 24 world records in his 12-year career! childhood, nor do they live at high

What about the genes? Were these elite athletes born to succeed? Or were they trained to become so successful?

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9/11/07 1:06:35 PM

SPORT

EXPERT EYE: Baseball player Brett Willemburg

STRIKE ON TARGET • Aim for inside the strike zone. This is between the batter’s navel and his knee.

STRIKE ZONE

• Turn your body sideways, almost parallel to the target. • Point and look at the target. • Lean forward so your weight is on your front leg. • Communication is important. The catcher and the pitcher must signal to each other the type of throw (see right) that will be delivered. • Practise your movements regularly to improve your skill.

DIFFERENT THROWS • Fast ball: grip the ball around the seam with your index and middle fingers at the top and thumb at the bottom, then throw as hard as you can. A fast ball spins backwards, so it will go straight for the target. • Curved ball: grip the ball with your three middle fingers at the top and thumb at the bottom and throw as hard as you can. This makes the ball spin forward and move downwards so it won’t go straight at the target. • Knuckle ball: grip the ball with your knuckles and throw as hard as you can. This throw floats the ball straight at the target; it doesn’t go as fast as the curved ball. • Change-up ball: grip the ball with your fingertips and throw as hard as you can – this ball moves more slowly towards the target.

EXPERT EYE: Western Province dartsman Devon Petersen

AIM FOR BULL’S EYE • Stand up straight: most of your body weight must be on your front foot. • Keep your front foot and the tip of your nose in line with the bull’s eye. • Lean towards the target, and focus on it. • Bring the dart up to the side of your head, just next to your eye. • Grip the dart with your thumb and index ﬁnger and spread out the rest of your ﬁngers to help keep the dart steady. • Your arm must be steady when you prepare to throw. • The position of your arm determines the destination of the dart so don’t tilt your wrist to the left or right while throwing. • Know when to release the dart, and don’t hesitate. Some people count one, two and three before they throw. • Point the tip of the dart towards the target and throw.

BY SELENA ABELSE • PHOTOGRAPHS: DENVER HENDRICKS, iSTOCK PHOTOS

Throw like a pro

There’s a science to throwing on target: two eagle-eyed athletes share their tips.

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9/13/07 2:19:43 PM

BODY SMART

Feet are strange things if you really think about it. We all know what they are for, but how do they work and how much do they vary from person to person? tightly in cloth to stunt their growth. This painful practice often led to disﬁgurement. High heels may be fashionable but wearing them too often can cause leg, hip and back problems. Stiletto heels transmit a large amount of force in a small area – greater than that exerted by an elephant standing on one foot. Big foot is no myth The 2007 Guinness World Records book credits Robert Wadlow with the largest feet ever at a whopping 47 cm. Who let the dogs out? Why is it that your smelly feet can clear out the school hall the second you remove your shoes? It’s because the bacteria that feed off sweat release a foul-smelling odour. This is more noticeable on feet than on other parts of the body (which also sweat) because they’re cramped up in

socks and shoes – a place where bacteria thrive. Air your feet as often as you can, dry them properly after you’ve washed, and use foot powder to prevent nasty odours. Even geeks get Athlete’s foot Mom’s right when she tells you to wear slops in the changing rooms at school. Athlete’s foot happens not only to athletes; it’s that scaly itch that grows between the toes, and is caused by a fungus called Tinea pedis. This fungus lurks in damp places, such as on the ﬂoors of public showers.

FAST FACT

The longest toenails ever recorded are proudly worn by a woman who keeps her 15 cm talons intact by never wearing closed shoes. It takes an average of two days to ﬁle and paint her appendages.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Which is worse, toe jam or hairy toes? Share your views with us in the Forum in the Chat section at <www.hip2b2.com>.

BY KATE CARMICHAEL • PHOTOGRAPHS: iSTOCK PHOTOS

How do feet work? Your foot is needed for balance, propulsion and to sustain major pressure. Just think, during a two-kilometre run your foot is subjected to several tons of pressure. Feet contain a quarter of the total number of bones in your whole body. The foot has three parts: the forefoot holds up half of your body weight – mostly on the ball of your foot. The midfoot is the arched part that absorbs shock, and your hindfoot lifts the foot up and down and acts like a hinge. Toes act as the last ‘lever’ to push your feet off the ground when you walk or run. Feet stop growing when you’re a teen – the actual age varies from person to person. Growth (and your adult shoe size) is determined by diet, genes, climate and even the shoes you wear as a kid. Because tiny feet were highly prized in 10th-century China, parents would bind the feet of baby girls

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9/13/07 10:43:00 AM

INTELLIGENT ENTERTAINMENT

THE MONTH October is Astronomy Month. Stay up late to ﬁnd your favourite constellations in the night sky. (Tell your parents it’s in the name of science.) • Celebrate Space Week from 4 to 10 October. THE MOVIES The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back. Strange things are brewin’ in New York and the Turtles investigate. It opens on 5 October. Cowabunga, dude! • Georgia Rule stars Lindsay Lohan as a rebellious teenager whose mother sends her to reha … er … grandma – a strict disciplinarian. It opens on 12 October. • In School for Scoundrels, opening 12 October, shy Roger enrols in conﬁdence-building classes so he can ask out the girl of his dreams. But he soon realises that his teacher, Dr P, has the same plan. THE TV SHOW High School Musical 2 premieres on the Disney Channel SA on 5 October at 19:00. Tune in to the fun. THE CONCERTS Set your inner rocker free with The Parlotones, Wonderboom, Perez, Evolver, 16 Stitch, Bloodmoney and more local bands on the Powerzone Rocktober music tour, starting 1 October. Check out <www.powerzone.co.za>. • For one live act only, the Black Eyed Peas will be back in South Africa for the Pepsi Dorito’s

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Black, Blue and You tour. See the group at the Expo Centre, Nasrec, Johannesburg, on 12 October. Book through Computicket. THE FESTIVALS Run, mountain bike, play paintball and more at the Breedekloof Outdoor Festival in Rawsonville from 12 to 14 October. Phone 023 349 1791 for info. • Catch the tail end of the ﬁfth TRI Continental Film Festival, featuring African, Asian and Latin movies, at the Gateway Mall, Durban (until 4 October) and Brooklyn Mall, Pretoria (5 to 11 October). Phone 021 788 5462 for more info. THE EVENTS Poetry is in motion at the 11th Poetry Africa Festival in Durban from 1 to 6 October, with readings, performances, music and more. Venues are the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, University of KZN, and the BAT Centre. Visit <www.cca.ukzn.ac.za> for info. • Join kite lovers from around the world at the Cape Town International Kite Festival, from 20 to 21 October, Zandvlei, Muizenberg. See <www.capementalhealth.co.za/kite.htm> for details. • Living Inside the Cosmic Egg is on until 25 November at the Planetarium, Cape Town. Phone 021 481 3900 for details. • The Energade Junior Triathlon Series takes place in Worcester on 7 October and at Midmar Dam, KZN, on 28 October. Phone 011 707 2800 or visit <www.juniorseries.co.za>.

BY MICHELLE VILJOEN • PHOTOGRAPH: UNIVERSAL

PRESS

PLAY

9/13/07 10:36:23 AM

OPINION: MUSIC Multitalented

Tasha Baxter reviews the CDs of her international counterparts. SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR

TASHA BAXTER Singer-songwriter, DJ, record producer

BY NIKKI BENATAR • PHOTOGRAPHS: GALLO IMAGES/GETTYIMAGES.COM, SONY BMG

BY MICHELLE VILJOEN PHOTOGRAPH: UNIVERSAL

My music is a conglomeration of soul, reggae, trip-hop, funk and drum ‘n’ bass. The result is tasteful pop music that’s easy to listen to. On my iPod, I’m listening to Core by Stone Temple Pilots; Howl Howl Gaff Gaff by The Shout Out Louds; and The Cosmic Game by Thievery Corporation. Next big things in SA? Fly Paper Jets and an indie rock band called Desmond and The Tutus. The frontman is a great performer. He has this deep, powerful voice that belies his skinny frame. It’s hard to believe he’s a deeply religious guy. My inﬂuences? Gwen Stefani during her No Doubt days, Portishead, Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, the Bee Gees. Latest collaboration? The title track on Loyiso’s brand-new Blow Your Mind album.

KELLY CLARKSON

My December I like the fact that this former American Idol has repositioned herself as a bad-ass rock chick on her third album, but it’s still too tame to scream about. I like the driving drums on ‘One Minute’ and the solid, grunge-tinged chorus on ‘Hole’. Vocally, she’s brilliant and this album showcases her incredible range.

Trip The Light Fantastic When I heard ‘Catch You’ on 5FM, I obsessively tried to track down the album. I wasn’t blown away, although the production is excellent and I like the edgier, more dance-oriented direction this Brit-pop queen’s going in. ‘Catch You’ is my favourite – I love how she layers vocal melodies and harmonies to create a euphoric vibe. The beats are choppy and the lyrics catchy and clever. Like this? Try Goldfrapp or Kylie and, locally, ahem, Tasha Baxter. TEGAN AND SARA

The Con The ﬁfth album from these Canadian singersongwriter twins is the ﬁrst I’ve heard. I was transported back to my teenage years, when I felt sad, excited and naive. The arrangements are innovative, the lyrics intelligent and the overall sound harks back to singers such as Cyndi Lauper and Blondie. ‘Hop A Plane’ and ‘The Con’ epitomise their unique sound – a much-needed breath of fresh air in the music industry. A gem! Like this? Try Yeah Yeah Yeahs and, locally, Desmond and The Tutus and Lark.

Like this? Try Evanescence and, locally, Love Jones.

Download ‘Fade To Black’ off Tasha’s debut album, Colour of Me (2006), at <www.hip2b2.com>.

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9/13/07 10:36:57 AM

Writer, codirector and actor Brendan Jack explains the science of

BRENDAN JACK What’s so smart about footskating? Please provide a mathematical formula. It doesn’t discriminate – anyone can do it. Also, you don’t need equipment, so there’s no excuse not to do it.

How many skates are there in a foot? Twelve. How many feet are there in a skate? It depends … in America, it’s 1,4, but here it’s two and a half. Don’t ask me why – that’s the way science is.

How does footskating make you smarter? It puts you in tune with the elements – you’re aware of how the air moves, you’re more aware of the terrain. You start to look at things differently and to appreciate the small things in life.

Do you need rough or smooth heels? That’s interesting. If you start with rough heels, they end up smooth. So not only does footskating make you ﬁt, it also beautiﬁes you.

What training do you need? It depends on the level you choose. I did social science (in psychology and English) at university which gave me a lot of free time to perfect the art.

Why is it not an Olympic sport? Mostly because the Olympic committee members are snobs! Why’s there no double or quadruple jump? Also, the big corporations are keeping us out because they have nothing to market or sell.

FORMULA

Footskating = no excuses + air (unlimited time)2

Footskating 101.

Which maths formulae could Brendan Jack not live without?

1. 2.

H + (0)2

Na + P + H20 = ﬁre (But don’t try this at home!)

In your opinion, who are the smartest people alive? Margaret Thatcher – she’d be great at footskating because she’s a no-nonsense type. In a man’s world, she took charge and changed the face of Western politics.

And Mark Shuttleworth, because he went into space. The zero-gravity footskating you get to do in space must be amazing. If you’re good at footskating, you’ll be good at … life and being kind to others. Compassion is essential to being human. Three things not to do while footskating? There’s nothing you can’t do. You can be on your phone, describing your moves to a friend. You can be sipping a cooldrink. Just don’t do it barefoot. I have, but I’m trained.

INTERVIEW BY NIKKI BENATAR • PHOTOGRAPHS: IMAGES24.CO.ZA/DIE BURGER/HALDEN KROG, iSTOCK PHOTOS, STER-KINEKOR

OPINION: MOVIES

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9/11/07 1:14:14 PM

HIP-O-RATER

BEHIND THE SCENES Most memorable day while ﬁlming? Thomas Ferreira (codirector): The rain scene was incredibly hard to shoot, choreograph and survive. Rob [van Vuuren, who plays Vince], the DOP [director of photography] and I were in a rain machine, freezing. BJ: It was –2 0C and we’d run late so it was 3 am. And Rob, who is extremely ﬁt, started cramping up. His body went into spasm and he started throwing up. TF: So we had to make the decision to

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stop shooting. But we managed to get the footage we needed in the one take. Smartest person on set? BJ: The guy who brought us food on time, ’cause if he hadn’t there’d have been mutiny. Technically, there was a smarter guy, but he didn’t bring us lunch so he doesn’t count. Which gadget could you not live without? BJ: The obvious answer is a camera, but there’s so much other important stuff. TF: A coffee machine. BJ: Deﬁnitely. And a bakkie, ’cause there’s so much equipment to carry around.

Plot synopsis: Vince (Rob van Vuuren) is a poor miner’s son who invents footskating (skateboarding for those who can’t afford a board) in order to enter a skateboarding competition with a prize of R100 000 in an attempt to save his small town, his family home and his granny’s lungs. Big up: to Brendan Jack, Thomas Ferreira (directors) and Ronnie Apteker (who cowrote the script with Brendan) for making a movie! Hip2b2 gives you 5 out of 5 for effort. Oscar contender? Maybe next time. The cinematography, editing and script (though funny in parts) aren’t as slick and professional as they could be. Eye candy: Loads! Rob van Vuuren for the girls, Lisa-Marie Schneider for the guys and Andrew Buckland for your parents.

9/13/07 10:49:06 AM

OPINION: GAMES

PlayStation 2 game

Ratatouille reviewed by Grade 11, St Henry’s Marist Brothers’ College, Durban.

Ratatouille is a platform action-adventure game based on the movie. You play Remy the rat, who dreams of becoming a great chef in Paris. You can make him run, jump, climb objects, roll around on balls and smack enemies with a small wooden spoon. He also has a superscent ability that helps him to ﬁnd pick-ups. The game is packed with fun mini games and cooking challenges, and you can play multiplayer challenges as well.

1. BYRON DUNWOODY

2. ASHEEN BHAGWANDIN

3. CHARLENE CHARLS

4. WARREN GOVENDER

The animation is good, although the cut scenes are awkward and the graphics are below average for a game made in 2007. If I had developed the game I would have made it reﬂect more closely the life of a rat, going in the gutters and scrounging for food.

The graphics and animation are okay, but they could have been more realistic, with not so much matt colour. The background music became quite annoying for all of us. It was difﬁcult to manoeuvre and learn all the special features.

The graphics are okay, but nothing special – you can see that the game is more for young children. I would have made it more fast-paced and not so strict (you have to follow the developers’ game plan). The controls were nice because you didn’t have to be precise.

The graphics are good and the animation is almost cinematic. The voices are a bit sketchy and you can’t always hear what they’re saying. The game play is easy to follow, with helpful hints and tips. If I were younger I would have loved the game.

5. LEE BEARD

6. SONWABINE NTLAHLA

7. JASON REINEKE

8. SHOMALAN REDDY

I thought the graphics are really, really good and it’s a pretty cool game. The sound and music are very different. It’s easy to understand how to play the game. I’m much more interested in seeing the movie now that I’ve played the game.

I think the graphics are amazing. This game is better for kids in primary school as it will help them to develop their English, although it also appeals to teenagers, especially secondlanguage English speakers. The music and sound are superb.

The game explained a lot so it was easy to control, and it looks just like the movie. I think overall the game is a bit childish for me, but I enjoyed trying it out at the Game Lab.

The graphics and animation suit the game and are like the movie. The sound is ﬁne but you can’t really hear the characters properly. The music sets the scene and the mood. I found it easy to control the game and they put on screen what button to press, so that makes it easier.

BY MANDY J WATSON • PHOTOGRAPHS: VAL ADAMSON • GAME SUPPLIED BY STER-KINEKOR GAMES <WWW.PLAYSTATION.CO.ZA>

Would you or your class like to be part of our Game Lab? Send your contact details to: Hip2b2 Game Lab, PO Box 440, Green Point 8051 or email <talk2us@hip2b2.com>.

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9/13/07 2:23:35 PM

OPINION: GAMES

Pixel Project’s Rahle Dusheiko and Preston Thomas, developers of

Keep it Legal – Lost in

WHAT IS LOST IN PROGRAMMEVILLE?

ADOBE – Keep it Legal – Lost In Programmeville is a Web-browserbased game that was developed in Flash and Director by local multimedia company Pixel Project <www.pixelproject.co.za> for Adobe (which makes software products such as Photoshop and Acrobat Reader). The purpose of the game is to teach gamers about software piracy, which is a huge problem in many countries. Software piracy is the act of copying a program that you haven’t paid for so that you can use it on your own computer illegally. Play the game online by going to: <www.programmeville.co.za>.

How do you work out the ﬂow? We use rough storyboards to try to create one main path from the start to the ﬁnish. Then we create the side quests and branches for the game. We develop the story for how the game will play out without any wording. Next, we add what the client wants to communicate in the game and, in the case of the Adobe game, the tools from the

different programs. (For example, collecting a lasso tool from Photoshop to reach the paint bucket tool.) How do you create the animated content? We research lots of different character designs, toys and other video games. Thinking about the personality of the characters helps us to define how they will look and move. Our hero was inspired by knots in our wooden ceiling. We make final sketches on paper from all the rotation directions. This means figuring out, and drawing, how they will look and move from every angle that will be used in the game. This information is scanned in and traced on the computer in red (which makes mistakes easier to see than black). We then add the colour, lighting and shadows. Next, the characters are broken up into moving parts that can be animated. Some of the animations also use cell or 3-D animation techniques. We used the 2-D method for the Adobe game but we do try to make the 2-D animation appear more like 3-D.

DID YOU KNOW?

In cell animation (which was how animators used to work before computers) a character is painted onto a clear sheet of plastic. The sheet is placed over a painted background and photographed. Then a new sheet of plastic, with a slightly tweaked version of the character, is placed on the background and photographed. This process is repeated until the character reaches its final position. When all the photos are played back quickly the character looks as if it is moving. How do you test a game? There are three types of testing: 1. Technical testing for software bugs, errors and performance. 2. Usability testing for the feel and smoothness of the game. That is how natural the game feels. 3. The final step is to check the flow of the game and test the levels to check that players understand what to do and that the balance for the game is correct – not too hard or too easy. We try to get other people involved to test the game and are always in need of testers.

BY MANDY J WATSON • PHOTOGRAPH AND IMAGES: PIXEL PROJECT

What’s the first step in developing a game? First we work out all the messages and ideas that the client [in this case, Adobe] wants to get across. After all, we are building games that sell ideas rather than just entertain. It’s easy to get sidetracked with a game and lose the message. Thinking about the world or space the characters will live in is important – this helps us define the rules and feeling the world will have. We then consider the problems and issues, in that world, which the ‘hero’ will need to fix. Only then can we begin working out a storyboard and thumbnails and resolving the story.

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9/11/07 1:09:53 PM

Programmeville, tell us about creating games. WANT TO BECOME A GAME DEVELOPER?

Rahle and Preston tell us how they got into the business. What did you study? We studied advertising and grew into game development. The important things are having a great idea and learning enough tools and programs to solve the details. What’s the best way to get into the business? We can only answer this question from our experience, as the game industry is very large and has many facets. There are many platforms to develop on and for. We chose to specialise and develop for Adobe Flash. It allows us to develop games much faster than regular game platforms. Our market is not people buying video games but rather corporations that are looking for ways to make their products and messages exciting and fresh. So either work for a company that designs the kind of games you are interested in or start your own business that offers this service. There are many job roles in game development – from production to technical to programming to design, to name but a few. All require a broad range of skills and interests. The best start, though, is to draw up your game ideas and present them. The next best is to try to create a prototype. And, of course, it helps to play lots of games too.

WHAT SOFTWARE DID PIXEL PROJECT USE?

• Adobe Photoshop for scanning and conceptual storyboards, adverts and banners. • Adobe Fireworks for the user interface: all the things you click on and all the items in the game. • Adobe Illustrator for the environments and detailed artwork. • Adobe Flash for the programming, animation, tracing the characters and general development. • Adobe Director for the world builder and quest builder application. • Adobe Dreamweaver for the PHP back-end coding and HTML so that the game will run on a website. • Adobe Soundbooth for the voices and sound effects. • Logic and Ableton Live for the music.

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9/13/07 10:47:28 AM

THINK TANK

BRAIN BUSTERS BOXED IN NUMBER SEQUENCE

What is the next number in the sequence? 16 27 36 43 48 __

WHICH WORDS

WORD SCRAMBLE

The following nine letters make one word, but many shorter words can be created using these letters. Can you ﬁgure out the nine-letter word? How many eight-, seven-, six-, ﬁve- and four-letter words can you make? D F E E T R A E D

2 2

1 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 2

0 1 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 2

0 1 1 3 1 1 2 2 2 1

2 2 2 2 0 1 2 1 2 3

3 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 2

1 1 0 2 2 3 1 1 1 3

0 0 1 2 1 2 3 3 3 2

0 0 1 2 2 1 1 0 1 0

ADD IT UP 5 100. (Go back and count again – it’s not 6 000!) DELIGHTFUL DIGITS 35 as 3 + 5 = 8 and 3 x 5 = 15. NUMBER SEQUENCE 51. The difference between consecutive terms follows the pattern 11, 9, 7, 5 (decreasing odd numbers), hence 3 must be added to 48 to ﬁnd the missing term. Dwarf, dwell, dwindle. Nine-letter word: federated. WORD SCRAMBLE WHICH WORDS

If you add the two digits of a certain two-digit number below 50, you’ll get 8. If you multiply the two digits, you’ll get 15. What is the two-digit number?

DELIGHTFUL DIGITS

Add the following list of numbers together mentally (don’t use a calculator or a piece of paper!): 1 000 30 1 000 10 1 000 20 1 000 40 1 000

ANSWERS 0

ADD IT UP

In the English language, there are only a few words that start with the letters ‘dw’. Name three present-tense verbs that start with ‘dw’.

BY ELLEN CAMERON

Each number in the grid tells you how many sides of that square may be outlined. Only vertical or horizontal lines may be used, and they may never cross or branch, so that you end up with a continuous line that encloses a singular shape. We’ve completed three blocks to give you a head start.

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