Hola MaHigh School Volume 7, issue 3, March 2018
Gauteng, home to Africa’s economic powerhouse, Johannesburg, boasts an exciting mix of urban lifestyle, diverse cultural and natural attractions, as well as advanced infrastructure. Call us and we’ll show you why Gauteng in South Africa is the perfect location to bring your big idea to vibrant, colourful life.
Contents 06 Editors letter 07 Poem 08 We need writers 10 Contributors 11 Holler at us 12 Freedom Day 16 Month of April 18 Food Security 22 Masiziba at University
Contents 24 Empowering our students 26 ‘It is just not cricket!’ 28 Chicken Wars 32 Trump, trade wars and tariffs 32 China Building Islands 34 Goodyear Oxygen: revolution! 38 Science: What’s the matter? 42 Gauteng and Microsoft 46 Next issue
Editor’s Letter
This is going fast now. We managed to get past Easter and now we are starring at the next set of holidays. And then it is mid-term again and mid-winter. So our new readers - grade 10s - must now start to also get into the swing of things. Time is of essence. Well, to soften the blow, we have a collection of nice articles again for you. The chicken war was a fun one to write, and the Trump, trade wars and tariffs was actually rather serious. But that is the name of the game. Science this month? Deep but also trying to widen our horizon a bit. Like get thinking. Masiziba is on with Food Security. This time on feedlot. I learn all the time. I never knew, but now I do. And her tiem at university makes me remember so many things. Of course we had to mention Freedom Day. is it now just a holiday? or more? You to judge! I had to talk cricket. Funny game and it just goes to show: Sometimes it just isn’t cricket. ... and a conspiracy! GOOD READ
Sybil
Time for poems:
Slowly, So slowly The yellow fat sunshine the harbinger of the cold, Oh so cold Mid-term exams looming, It is nearly here Grade 12, so close, grade 11 so far Grade 10, just started. so new and still so very much to do, to learn, to try The dreams of achieve, To be something The road feels so long, looking at others Having arrived and I am starsting, .... But I will also get there. I know!
Sybil
We need writers! Our writers are growing up and getting older That is og course good. BUT.... it means they are leaving us Therefore: would you like towrite for us? What is required? That is easy You have to be in grade 10-12 Impeccable in your preferred language-and that might not be English. We try to be more than just English Passionate about your topic of choice no dull articles here
Do you get anything out of it? Well, not money, sorrry. BUT if we publish your articles you will have: Your bio in a commercial magazine A photo of yourself You can put it all on your CV you can use us as a reference ... and it goes in your portfolio
Is it important? YES it is. Look what Rofhiwa said: My name is Rofhiwa and I love to write. I think I am rather decent writer too. I took my talent and have used it to express my thoughts on international dealings of the world which have been published in Hola MaHigh-School. It has paid off, not only is my work printed for young people in the country to read, but it also contributed to me gettng a bursary from CNBC-Africa to do my post-graduate studies. Would be a lot harder to get by if I didn’t have platform like Hola MaHigh-School.
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n iva n co.za @romele . : nam e scho Cell n ol E-ma umber ... and il addres s we w ill tal k!
Meet our contributors I am Masiziba Hadebe. I study a BSc in Agricultural Economics at the University of the Free State. I am originally from a small rural town in Mpumalanga, Balfour. My hardworking trait proves that anyone, regardless of the background, can make it. I love plants and animals. During leisure, I read anything readable and interesting. Writing is and will always be my passion, I would starve food just to write! Pinky Rapoo is a creative writer by nature and not yet by profession.She lives in Vosloorus and is currently in grade 12 at Vosloorus Comprehensive SecondarySchool. Listening to music is her hobby,writing is her passion. Her motto is “Think twice before speaking,think three times before acting and think thoroughly before writing”.
My name is Marcia Ramodike, a 20 year old young lady from Limpopo at Lenyenye. I am doing my second year law degree at the University of the Free State and I am also an author of a book entitled from an empty pride to a full price which is touch based on issues that affect black families such as black tax. I am very passionate about writing. It is actually my first love. I love chilling indoors while reading books and novels; I am a fun, loving person who always smiles and care about other people. My favourite quote is “when the caterpillar thought it was the end of the world it turned into a butterfly “.
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Freedom Day - a
Are we heading for another history lesson? No, absolutely n
Freedom Day. Is it tangible? Can we taste it? It is a hard que A public holiday is great, but there must be more to it.
Here is a good idea. Instead of forever looking back in time look forward. It is easy to start telling the new generations all of that. But that is history – let us face it. It is good to re member’ anything of this? They were not born yet.
So, conclusion on that is that there is nothing to ‘remembe will be a history lesson.
OK, then. But what can Freedom day then mean to us? It ca non-racial society. That can easily manifest itself in activitie done.
Freedom Day is about democracy (as another one). What is more than going to vote every five years, so a lot of activiti cy’.
It is crucial to be active in the community. What about activ and the ward communities are obvious places to start impr Let us also take one thing into account: Freedom Day must iday. And that is not what Mandela had in mind I think.
a new meaning?
not, although I would be happy to give one.
estion because it is associated with so many things.
e to ’94 or the time before that, we could perhaps start to about when we voted first time and the unrest prior to emember, but how many of the new generation can ‘re-
er’. The next generation was not there. If we do more, it
an mean so much more. It could be a celebration of a es aimed at eradicating racial prejudices. See what can be
s democracy to us all? What does it mean? It is surely ies can be aimed at a deeper understanding of ‘democra-
vities aimed at community involvement? The local ward roving the world and that is a part of democracy. be a living thing, otherwise it will end up as another hol-
Voted in the top 10 of the most strikingly architecturally beautiful museums in the world, Freedom Park is breathtakingly spectacular. A vantage point that offers visitors a spectacular panoramic view of our city and beyond, visitors are guaranteed to stand in awe at the contrasting view, offering the opposites of our world. Lauded for its effortless beauty, Freedom Park is the perfect hidden venue for all events, as people escape the bustle of the city and enjoy the serenity and peace of the surrounding nature. Amidst the enchanting architecture, Freedom Park helps create unforgettable memories. Why not experience it for yourself! www.freedompark.co.za | call: +27 12 336 4000
What is Freedom Park? This is all from their website: Freedom Park celebrates South Africa’s heritage. It is a centre of knowledge aimed at deepening the understanding of the nation. It strives to accommodate all of the country’s experiences and symbols to tell one coherent story. Freedom Park is a national and international site that celebrates the ideals of liberty, diversity and human rights. Freedom Park is a cultural institution housing a museum and a memorial dedicated to chronicling and honouring the many who contributed to South Africa’s liberation. The museum aims to preserve and narrate the story of the African continent, and specifically South Africa, from the dawn of humanity, through pre-colonial, colonial and apartheid history and heritage, to the post-apartheid nation of today. It is a long walk, spanning some 3.6 billion years. Vision To be a leading national and international icon of humanity and freedom. Mission To provide a pioneering and empowering heritage destination in order to mobilise for reconciliation and nation building in our country; To reflect upon our past, improving our present and building our future as a united nation; and To contribute continentally and internationally to the formation of better human understanding among nations and peoples; The Freedom Park cultural precinct: • Advocates for tolerance, inclusivity, transparency, and accountability; • Archives and preserves South Africa’s indigenous knowledge; • Tells the South African story as it unfolds; • Honours those who gave their lives for South Africa’s freedom; • Provides a place where visitors can experience the diversity of our history and remember loved ones who played a role in the country’s history; • Provides a venue where South Africa’s unique heritage and cultures can be remembered, cherished and celebrated; • Fosters a South African community spirit, by being a symbol of unity through diversity; and, • Works with African and other international institutions to tell the story of Africa from an African perspective.
The Month of April April is a wonderful month. Have you seen these Chinese slow movements exercises? Well, look here: World Tai Chi and Qigong Day is an annual event held the last Saturday of April each year to promote the related disciplines of T’ai chi ch’uan and Qigong in nearly eighty countries since 1999. The annual April event is open to the general public, and begins in the earliest time zones of Samoa at 10 am, and then participants across Oceania, Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, and South America take part, with celebrations in eighty nations and several hundred cities, ending with the final events in the last time zones of Hawaii almost an entire day later. What is it? Tai chi is an internal Chinese martial art practiced for both its defense training and its health bene-
fits. The term taiji refers to a philosophy of the forces of yin and yang, related to the moves. Though originally conceived as a martial art, it is also typically practiced for a variety of other personal reasons: competitive wrestling in the format of pushing hands (tui shou), demonstration competitions, and achieving greater longevity. As a result, a multitude of training forms exist, both traditional and modern, which correspond to those aims with differing emphasis. Some training forms of tàijíquán are especially known for being practiced with relatively slow movements. Qigong, literally: “Life Energy Cultivation”) is a holistic system of coordinated body posture and movement, breathing, and meditation used in belief it promotes health, spirituality, and martial arts training. With roots in Chinese medicine, philosophy, and martial arts, qigong is traditionally viewed as a practice to cultivate and balance qi, translated as “life energy”. According to Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucian philosophy, qigong allows access to higher realms of awareness, awakens one’s “true nature”, and helps develop human potential. Qigong practice typically involves moving meditation, coordinating slow flowing movement, deep rhythmic breathing, and calm meditative state of mind. Qigong is now practiced throughout China and worldwide for recreation, exercise and relaxation, preventive medicine and self-healing, alternative medicine, meditation and self-cultivation, and training for martial arts
Food Secu Food security is not only centralized around the food we obtain from planting and sowing seeds amongst many other methods, but how we keep our animals. A feedlot is a type of animal feeding operation (AFO) which is used in intensive animal farming for finishing livestock, notably beef cattle. The main aim of a feedlot is to increase the amount of meat each animal produces as quickly as possible, hence allowing higher quantities of meat, particularly beef in South Africa, to be produced. This does contribute to food security as higher quantities of meat are produced in a shorter period of time compared to conventional methods such as pasture grazing where animals are left to range freely in the veld or pasture. Good quality meat has the potential of reducing food insecurity and poverty. However, this would require making sure it is evenly distributed across the world. This can be challenging as beef is considered expensive for the poor and poor infrastructure and storage facilities and/or technologies in some countries are not available. Moreover, the health benefits thereof are also controversially discussed and investigated frequently worldwide. In addition, animal welfare parties have criticized feedlot operations. They
urity - The animal feedlot claim that cattle are ruminants, wherefore they are suited to eating grass, not grain. Consequently, they believe that cattle may have issues such as bloating, diarrhea and digestive discomfort. Additionally, they claim that there should be concerns with water contamination from feedlot runoff amongst many other issues. Such other issues are many intensive livestock operations releasing odorous gases from stored or land-applied manure. We are talking about Methane gasses. On the other hand, adversaries claim that all these challenges could be overcome with good management, and therefore the benefits of running a feedlot operation should not be overlooked. Moreover, a beef feedlot stands out as a good option in beef cattle farming, because when the adequate management techniques are applied and investments are made at the right time, this rearing system becomes economically viable. All of this said, for systems such as beef feedlots to be viable and to be considered as major contributors to food security, more research needs to be conducted. Likewise, infrastructure and storage technology needs to be constantly improved and made accessible.
Masiziba Hadebe.
What you learn from grou By: Masizib
In university, you rarely receive a chance to choose who your members are for a for a group assignment. This is because of a random system that is used to select group members for a certain assignment mainly because the class is large compared to a classroom in school. Thus, you find yourself working with people you are unfamiliar with. However, this can be a good and bad situation. The marks obtained, just like in school, are for every group member, but in this case, the lecturer can open something we call “work percentage� for each group. This means group members can give each other an allocation of how much each member contributed to the total work, and thereafter, the lecturer decides on the penalties for those who were not making the required contribution. This does differ from university to university. Some group members use the opportunity to give the work to other members and only pitch up a few days before submission. In this way, it seems like the person was making a contribution. However, this has adverse consequences. For instance, let’s say
up assignments in varsity ba Hadebe the group assignment was to observe the growth of spinach under certain environmental conditions, and this required daily recordings of observations, and only a few people in the group did that. Additionally, those people who are making the required contribution are so kind-hearted that they do not visit the lecturer about the incompetence of the other members. Then the lecturer introduces a practical test. This is a test about the nitty-gritties of the group assignment. However, the difference is that it is an individual test. This is where the system filters the ones who were not working or the ones who were not paying attention. On the other hand, if group work is successful, you really learn a lot about yourself and working with others. You also learn why competition can enhance growth and you meet new people and in some cases make new friends. To conclude, group work requires you to play your part, and as much as it is about all the group members, you need to do your part. Never put group assignments on hold because you feel no-one else is making an effort. Do the work.
Thousands of Young People Empowered A programme b
Grade 11 learners from Shakaskraal Secondary School in KwaZulu-Natal have had their financial futures kick-started through Metropolitan’s Kickstarz financial education programme. Having undergone money management training with an entertaining twist, they now form part of the 2,500 plus learners from schools around the country who have been empowered to deal with real-world financial responsibilities when they leave home. The Kickstarz programme saw Shakaskraal Secondary School learners getting the chance to start their own sneaker companies and designing their very own pair of sneakers that they could then market to the rest of the school. In doing so, they learnt financial basics from how to read a bank statement and how to plan and follow a budget, to more advanced issues like how to build up a good credit record and stay out of debt. On the final day of the programme, the kids got to display their sneaker designs and decide which was the best-performing ‘business’ in the programme. All members of the winning team walked away with a real pair of sneakers, made using their very own design. We realised that it was crucial to educate young people on healthy financial habits before they enter adulthood and provide them with financial wellness tools for their futures,” says Metropolitan CSI Manager, Elsie Govender. “Given South Africa’s staggering youth unemployment rate, Kickstarz also offers learners an opportunity to consider
with Financial Education for their Futures by Metropolitan
entrepreneurship as a form of successful employment.” Piloted in 2016 and implemented at six schools last year, Kickstarz has seen 99% of students now being able to create a budget, 56% being able to understand financial terms and phrases very well and 99% being more likely to save money. “The programme not only teaches financial principles, but also other valuable skills such as teamwork and presentation skills, which are not necessarily taught through textbooks. It is a practical programme and was designed with edutainment in mind. She concludes: “The future of our country, our economy and our businesses lie in the hands of the youth. When in grade 11, they are also at a critical juncture to shape their own future successes. We invite other schools to contact us to find out how this programme can be brought to their learners.” The next school to undergo the Kickstarz programme will be Soneike High School in Kuilsriver, Western Cape. For more information, visit https://www.metropolitan. co.za.
It is just no Cricket. So, as we can see, the Australian team got caught cheating and admitted it on live TV. That is as bad as it can get, I should think. But here is the question: why the outrage? Has it never happened before? What is really bad is that cricket is called the ‘gentleman’s sport’. Well, it is not like gentleman-like to cheat. But it goes deeper than that. It was Australia who got caught. Australia has a reputation for ‘in-your-face’ play. As a part of their tactics they try to intimidate the other teams – on and off the pitch. One of the Australians even said that the robust way of playing is just a part of the ‘Aussie way’. That grates a bit on everyone’s nerves I think. Now the question is of course being asked if this is sanctioned right through the Australian team? And it goes deeper: how does school cricket in Australia look like? Is it also influenced by an attitude where cheating is OK? Here is a quote from msn.com: “Look at the Ashes series that we’ve just played. In virtually all of those Test matches, they reverse-swung the ball in, sometimes, conditions that you wouldn’t expect the ball to reverse.” England cricketer Stuart Broad”. Although the Australian
ot cricket! captain, Steve Smith, claims it is the first ever, one can only wonder then. It gets worse: The Australian prime minister is now also all up in arms. And even worse: It comes fresh on the altercation between the South African Quintin de Kock and Warner outside the changing rooms. The horrible truth is probably that it was not just a very young player (18) who decided to see if the team could get an advantage. The captain must have intimidated the youngest player to cheat and to take the flak if it should backfire. The coach was seen as sending a player onto the field and to convey some message to the poor cheat. He immediately tried to hide the evidence. So if the coach is involved as well, it cannot be an isolated occurrence. Are the Australians then the only ones cheating? Probably not. Do we see match-fixing in cricket? Yes indeed. Do we now see all the unsavoury attitudes coming to the surface in cricket? Because they must always have been there. And that is the real tragedy I think. It marks the sport as just another sport. It is just not cricket!
The chicken war - Master I love to watch MasterChef. Amazing talent and a variety of food. But now the judges are in hot water 9or hot soup?) This is also inspired by BBC. Here is a contestant , Malaysian-born, but obviously living in the UK. She cooked her favourite dish – Nasi Lemak – and this one with chicken. Chicken Rendang that is. But is that a problem? Well, the judges might not know food from the entire world and here was their verdict. The skin on the chicken is not crispy! Fail, sorry – out. Quote from BBC: ““I like the rendang flavour, there’s a coconut sweetness. However, the chicken skin isn’t crispy. It can’t be eaten and all the sauce is on the skin so I can’t eat it,” Mr Wallace remarked.” But the thing is: Chicken Rendang is not crispy! So the judges showed ignorance and now the Malaysian society in the UK are up in arms. It has of course also spilled over to Malaysia itself where the dish is like the national dish. At least the Nasi Lemak part of it. OK, what is it all? Nasi Lemak is rice, eggs, peanuts, anchovies and Sambal – good hot chilli paste. For more variety Beef or Chicken Rendang
rChef in hot (soup) water can be added. Rhat is chicked having been simmering in coconut milk (and other good things) for hours until the meat is very very tender. But that does not make the chicken crispy! It gets worse. Here we all need to press a few tears. The contestant (Ms Zaleha) cooked it because it has fond memories of her mother and her childhood. And then the judge said that her dish was a ‘mistake’. And that is why they had to let her go. The Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak tweeted a picture of Chicken Rendang. So now it is a diplomatic crisis. Of course we have a dose of racism as well – ‘colonising us and criticizing our food!‘ and facebook and Twitter explodes. And the aftermath? The judges tweeted a rather snotty comment (look it up) and now the consequences can be fatal for the good relationship with other nations. PS: what if the judges simply had stated. ‘Our fault! We did not know enough, SORRY, and of course the contestant is back again. On top of, we are going to a Malaysian restaurant to see how they do it and to learn’. SIMPLE – but that might be too much faith in humanity.
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Trump, trade w This sounds like a bit far out and will it even impact on us? It is not far away and it will impact on us as well. This is inspired by the BBC articles but nothing is copied. What is happening? The background is claimed to be that if you want to sell technology to China, you have to let them in on the intellectual property (the technology). Not fair, says trump. And a lot of others. The ‘real’ thing is that US has a trade deficit towards China of some $375 bn. That is some R 5,6 trillion = more than what SARS collect in nearly five years! That is a problem for the US. In short. They buy for more than what they sell. Maybe because US products are not competitive? But that is not on Trump’s radar. Solution? slap tariff increases on Chinese imports like steel and so on. So what does China do? Slap new tariffs on US imports like pork, wine and other things. This can continue forever and nobody is going to win at all. It will spill over to European goods exported to US and that is where we are sitting. The case is that US imports the most steel and aluminium from Canada, Europe and South Korea. The other side of the coin is that China is the biggest economy now together with India. US is third in this now. Trump is claiming that steel and aluminium is targeted because these are strategic resources. In case of war (with
wars and tariffs who?) US must ensure raw materials; hence it is now a national security issue. Is this a good reason? Let us take it a bit further. If tariffs worldwide should go up by the 25% US has announced, pricing for all consumers worldwide will be affected. Insofar as the world trade is a complex machine, the consequences cannot even be predicted. Trade wars and tariffs will also mean that international trade will go down. That means that products otherwise available will either not be there anymore (too expensive to import) or they will have to be manufactured locally, which might not be possible. Now what? Trump is claiming that this will also bring jobs back to the US. But why would consumers buy inferior or expensive products because they are manufactured in the US? If the US is not competitive, that is the main problem. And by blaming others, the problem cannot go away. The US steel industry is nearly gone. Why? Maybe too expensive to run? But if steel pricing in general should go up by 25% (imports ) and US steel pricing will be even more expensive, what will happen to all manufactured goods in the US – like cars, TVs, etc? exactly! Nobody can win.
Goodyear Unveils Oxygene, a Concept Tyre Designed to Support Cleaner and More Convenient Urban Mobility This is an article we have been emailed. All errors and opinions are for the issuing party’s account. Geneva, March 6th, 2018 - Goodyear’s latest concept tyre, introduced at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show, quite literally brings the future of mobility to life as a visionary solution for cleaner, more convenient, safer and more sustainable urban mobility. The concept, named Oxygene, has a unique structure that features living moss growing within the sidewall. This open structure and the tyre’s smart tread design absorb and circulate moisture and water from the road surface, allowing photosynthesis to occur and therefore releasing oxygen into the air. “With more than two-thirds of the world population expected to live in cities by 2050, the demands on transport networks in urban environments will increase substantially,” said Chris Delaney, President of Goodyear Europe, Middle East and Africa. “Smarter, greener infrastructure and transport will be crucial in addressing the most pressing challenges of urban mobility and development.” • Cleaning the Air We Breathe: Oxygene absorbs moisture from the road through its unique tread and inhales CO2 from the air to feed the moss in its sidewall and release oxygen via photosynthesis. In a city similar in size to greater Paris with about 2.5 million vehicles, this
would mean generating nearly 3,000 tons of oxygen and absorbing more than 4,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year. • Recycling Worn Tyres: Oxygene features a non-pneumatic construction that is 3D-printed with rubber powder from recycled tyres. • Generating its Own Electricity: Oxygene harvests the energy generated during photosynthesis to power its embedded electronics, including onboard sensors, an artificial intelligence processing unit, and a customizable light strip in the tyre’s sidewall that switches colors, warning both road users and pedestrians of upcoming maneuvers, such as lane changes or braking. • Communicating at the Speed of Light: Oxygene uses a visible light communications system, or LiFi, for high-capacity mobile connectivity at the speed of light. LiFi enables the tyre to connect to the Internet of Things, allowing vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) data exchange, which is critical to smart mobility management systems. “Like the concept designs Goodyear has presented at Geneva in the past, Oxygene is meant to challenge our thinking and help drive the debate around smart, safe and sustainable future mobility,” Delaney said. “By contributing in this way to cleaner air generation, the tyre could help enhance quality of life and health for city-dwellers.”
IT IS ILLEGAL FOR ANYONE
UNDER THE
AGE OF 18
YEARS TO PURCHASE,
POSSESS
AND CONSUME
ALCOHOL
NEGATIVE
EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL
ABUSE ON LEARNERS ALCOHOL ABUSE HAS NO RIGHTFUL PLACE ANYWHERE
IN SOCIETY, ESPECIALLY IN SCHOOL
ENVIRONMENTS WHERE LEARNERS SPEND MOST OF THEIR LIVES.
GAUTENG LIQUOR LICENSING OFFICE
NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ABUSE ON LEARNERS ALCOHOL ABUSE HAS NO RIGHTFUL PLACE ANYWHERE IN SOCIETY, ESPECIALLY IN SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS WHERE LEARNERS SPEND MOST OF THEIR LIVES. CONSEQUENCES OF ALCOHOL ABUSE HIGH-RISK SEX Alcohol abuse in teenagers results in high-risk sex, unprotected sex and sex with multiple partners. SEXUAL ASSAULT Sexual assault including rape occurs most commonly among women due to high consumption of alcohol. ABUSE Harmful use of alcohol is a major contributor to violence both at schools and in the communities. SUICIDE Alcohol use interacts with conditions such as depression and stress which contributes to suicide which is the third leading cause of death among people between the ages of 14 and 25. IT IS ILLEGAL FOR ANYONE UNDER THE AGE OF 18 YEARS TO PURCHASE, POSSESS AND CONSUME ALCOHOL. Remember, you DO NOT NEED drugs or alcohol… it’s OK NOT to drink!
For any Liquor related issues please contact: Matlotlo House 94 Main Street Johannesburg Tel: 011 355 8000
The ghos Space is such a … strange .. and spacious place. We are starting to understand a lot about what holds a galaxy together. And what is necessary for stars to form. Dark matter is the key to this. Dark matter is like ordinary matter, except it cannot be seen. It is like in another dimension. But it can be detected because dark matter has mass and therefore gravity. The trick is that there seems to be five times as much dark matter as ordinary matter. So what we see is like pasted onto dark matter. Dark matter is necessary for stars to form. Dark matter provides the gravitational pull for matter to come together and form stars and galaxies and all those things. So what is the problem with this new galaxy? It is called NGC1052-DF2, which is easy to remember and pronounce. When it got spotted it was nicely bright but also had sort of lumps of stars. Fewer than a ‘normal ’galaxy’ would have. So after counting it was discovered that the entire mass was what
st galaxy could be seen. But that is the trick. Where was the dark matter which we now all thought was necessary for stars to form and for galaxies to be held together? It was nowhere. Dark matter has more mass than ordinary matter. It is this additional gravitational pull which is necessary for holding it all together. But that is suddenly not the case after all. So now we had this great theory of dark matter and its importance and now comes a galaxy without dark matter and is messing with our brains again. Space jus can throw a few curved balls at science. Solution? Nothing yet. Science does not have an explanation yet except that space is a very strange place and we simply do not know. Put it simply: we are only starting to understand. It gets worse: It is accepted wisdom (for now) that dark matter constitutes some 85% of all the mass in the universe. Together with dark energy it constitutes some 95% of the universe. The question is of course: are we a fluke? An anomaly? And the real world is dark matter? Can they see us? Or are we ‘dark matter’ to dark matter? Think and go crazy!
What’s the matter? Dark Matter! OK, so what is dark matter actually? is it ‘dark’ as in cannot be seen or is it dark, like Harry Potter dark? It is ‘dark’ because it does not interact with anything, the entire electro-magnetic spectre leaves it cold. Light is not a factor. It is as though (here comes the first theory) it is made up of new elementary particles (like electrons and those things) which have not yet been discovered. That, My dear Watson, sounds rather lame! New particles not yet discovered? So we go and do a new theory and somehow the solution is to defer to something we have not yet discovered? Lame! But how can we detect it. Here is a trick. Although it cannot be seen it has mass. Mass equals gravity and energy and so on (Einstein!). So if it has mass it will inflict gravitational pull on its surroundings and that is where we can detect it. If there is gravitational pull and nothing else is around, it has to be dark matter. Science is logic after all. So we can determine the mass by its ‘pull’ and that is where the 85% of all matter in the universe comes in. simple really.
But the universe is expanding and it goes faster. Why? Hold on to your hat now. Dark Energy! Calculating how fast it all goes, science determines that dark energy accounts for some 68% of all energy in the universe. If it is evenly spread, it does account for the fact that the universe is expanding at an ever increasing rate. It is called negative pressure or expulsion. In essence, it is like holding two magnets together – North-North and South-South. They don’t like it and will try to get away from each other. THAT is the key to dark energy and that is why the universe is expanding. ‌ or so we think for now. And where will it end? Nobody knows, but there are people who will guess: The crunch: Somehow dark energy will go away and suddenly the universe will contract back again to another big bang. This cycle takes 1 trillion years. The rip: it continues and the dark energy will grow and eventually rip everything apart, even atoms and all the particles. The fizzle: the expanding universe will now be so vast that light emitted from other stars and galaxies are too far away for light to reach us. It will go really dark and it will be a lonely and cold and dark ending. What a choice!
Gauteng Provincial Government and Microsoft partner to empower youth with digital skills This is a press release we have received and used in full. All errors or opinions are for the issuing party’s account. Johannesburg, 4 April 2018 – Microsoft South Africa and the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) have launched Thint’iMillion, an online mass learning system, as part of the Tshepo 1Million Digital Mass learning programme today at Sebokeng Library. Through the wider Tshepo 1Million initiative, GPG aims to provide 1 million young jobseekers with skills to make them more employable, with training to be provided to at least 400 000 of these youths between now and mid-2019. From a digital skills perspective, the training will include Word, Excel and PowerPoint skills. According to a study by IDC and Microsoft entitled, Skill Requirements for Tomorrow’s Best Jobs: Helping Educators Provide Students with Skills and Tools They Need, Microsoft Office is No. 3 most required skill, according the 14.6 million job postings analysed for the study.
The potential payoff for this investment is massive because in South Africa, approximately 30% of South African youth aged 15-24 years are not employed, or enrolled in the education system or receiving training, according to the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey by Statistics South Africa. This equates to more than three million young people who cannot find work, because they are regarded as too unskilled and inexperienced by prospective employers. Microsoft’s Thint’iMillion online mass learning system is being delivered as part of the overarching online mass learning programme being deployed by Tshepo 1Million. GPG is partnering with a broad range of NGOs and private companies like Microsoft to help address this massive skills gap by taking the frontiers of workforce training directly into the underdeveloped and rural areas, where it is needed most. “Skills deficiencies are a big hurdle to youth employment, making initiatives such as these vitally important as effective labour market interventions that will help us improve the employability of South African young people,” says Panyaza Lesufi, MEC for Education, Gauteng Province. “Through initiatives such as these, government wants to make this training available within walking distance of young people within townships and informal settlements across the province,” adds Lesufi. Innovative skills development to upskill the youth wherever, whenever The Thint’iMillion programme will be deployed on Project Sangam, which is a cloud-hosted, mobile-first digital training and employment platform, allowing young people to access content via an on-phone app (Android only) as well as an interactive web portal. Project Sangam is a training platform designed especially for mobile-only users with low digital literacy. It frees up users to upskill themselves at their own pace from anywhere, anytime using rich tutorial content with blended learning modules, videos and student quizzes - all without being physically present at training venues. In order to help ensure that data is not a hurdle to participation or training, GPG will also be rolling out a dedicated Tshepo 1Million Wi-Fi network attached to the Gauteng Broadband Network. This will provide no cost access to Thint’iMillion and the Tshepo mass learning system on any connected mobile device.
Gauteng and Microsoft - continued GPG will also be making the training available at no cost to participants within public libraries across Johannesburg. Youths who kick off their training at these venues and go on to find employment, can then continue upskilling themselves via the app or website at their leisure. There is also the potential to incorporate additional digital skills training such as data analytics and basic programming down the line, when the youth have mastered the introductory Microsoft Office modules. “Through this partnership with GPG, we will be able to better empower the workforce of the future. A workforce that is diverse, boasting a youth culture that MEC for Education: utilises their digital skills to create a Mr. Panyaza Lesufi, thriving city of entrepreneurs and highly skilled workers,” says Zoaib Hoosen, managing director of Microsoft South Africa. Microsoft’s part of the Thint’iMillion online mass learning system fits in alongside a wider distributed blended learning and video enabled learning platform that is self-led and being rolled out as of the start of this Zoaib Hoosen, managing year. The interactive video tutorials, director of Microsoft South associated competency tests and Africa. student quizzes have been produced by Microsoft.
HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR CAREER Knowing yourself and your capabilities
Choo se Subj your ects
Care Plan er ning
eer Car ice o ch
For you to pursue your career choice.
You need to pass your Nationa l Senior Certi ficate!
The Eastern Ca pe Department of Education enco urages learners to choose suitable career path, by collecting inform ation that will he lp them pursue their career / field of study.
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