19 January 2012

A secret human colony on Mars? We knew it (February 2012)

A few weeks ago, I complained to a friend about the bizarre priorities of our popular media, lamenting the fact that a weird UFO conference late last year (you know, alien abductions, secret human bases on Mars, ET visitations, etc) had attracted more press attention than the 63rd International Astronautical... 

15 December 2011

INVENT 2011 is over. Now will someone please turn off the lights (January 2012)

It was excruciating. The laser equipment was in place, the audience was primed and expectant, and the violinist lurked just off-stage, waiting for her cue. As a machine-generated haze spread through the auditorium, I signalled to the man in the control booth to turn off the lights, then settled back in my chair and... 

18 November 2011

More things in heaven and earth...? Definitely (December 2011)

A couple of months ago, Cape Town was awash with astronomers, aeronautical engineers, astrophysicists, chemists, philosophers and other interesting people, all of them eager to share their knowledge – and in some cases, way-out theories – on everything from space elevators to the existence of extraterrestrial... 

21 October 2011

Of delicious curves and industrial chic (November 2011 issue)

This month’s cover story, “Build your own plane”, celebrates some of the most interesting ideas and innovations in DIY flight... 

16 September 2011

Invent something, score serious cash, become famous. Do it now (October 2011 issue)

Have you invented something? Perhaps a new and improved nose-hair clipper, an astrological chart for sceptics, or a device for the humane disposal of politicians? Or more seriously, something that the world really needs? If so, you could be in the running for large cash prizes (R130 000 in total) plus the... 

16 August 2011

It‘s our ‘green’ issue. So what? (September 2011 issue)

Okay, so what have you done to help save our planet? Is your contribution mainly in the form of moral support for campaigners and a vague conviction that “somebody should do something”, or have you actually stuck your neck out when it counts? 

25 July 2011

World-changing inventions: what about South Africa’s Hall of Fame? (August 2011 issue)

We expect this month’s cover story to trigger a flood of e-mails, most of them expressing outrage at the absence of world-changing South African inventions in our US-sourced list of “101 gadgets that changed the world”.  

21 June 2011

Let’s find South Africa’s Inventor of the Year! (July 2011 issue)

Most of you will remember the PM Inventors Conference, an annual event that brings together some of the country’s most fertile minds for one-and-a-half days of practical advice, thought-provoking presentations, hands-on demonstrations and valuable networking opportunities – all aimed at inspiring inventors and... 

20 May 2011

Tick, tock. From industrial chic to horological abuse. (June 2011 issue)

Some people regard clocks – you know, those things you mount on the wall or place on your bedside table – as quaint relics of our analogue heritage. Fair enough. But clocks are not just about displaying and recording the inexorable passage of time. Whereas the vast majority emanate from impersonal production... 

18 April 2011

Know yourself. It's all in the genes. (May 2011 issue)

If you have never tuned in to that fascinating BBC television series, “Who do you think you are?”, you’ve been missing a treat. It follows all manner of celebrities as they explore their ancestral history, uncovering amazing (and occasionally sad or disturbing) stories, adding new branches to their family tree...