SCIENCE NEWS

MAKING HEADLINES

See a sea squid

National Geographic reported that the first photos of the very elusive giant squid were taken in 2004. Prior to this, scientists would only have access to the beached carcasses of the squid that lices 300-1000m beneath the ocean’s surface.

That is, until an injured one was spotted on a Cape Town beach on 30 April this year. According to beachgoers, the giant squid was just over 2m long!

April flood’s day

The recent flooding in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape devastated the areas, resulting in damage of property and the tragic death of a few residents. Now, scientists have confirmed that the heavy floods were largely due to the effects of global warming.

“If we do not reduce emissions and keep global temperatures below 1.5C, many extreme weather events will become increasingly destructive,” said Dr Izidine Pinto, at the University of Cape Town, to Theguardian.com.

Job joy

With the recent unemployment statistics at a shocking low, it helps to focus on the opportunities that are currently available and those that will soon become available. A May article by Businesstech.co.za shows that the sectors with a recent increase in demand since 2020 include IT (113%), science and technology (115%), legal (120%) and medical and health (130%). So if you’re still deciding what to study, these sectors may be worth looking into!

Solar (girl) power!

With a project ficused on solar power, 14-year-old Chaylin Myburgh from Kimberly was chosen to partake in an international programme through the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists. Myburgh represented South Africa in the US at the Broadcom Masters International Programme that tok place in May. We’re so proud!