skeptic.za.org Blogroll

[Timbuktu Chronicles] Glass Blowing Industries

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Established in 1952 Glass Blowing Industries products include pharmaceutical containers, optical windows and sandblasted trophies.

[Thought Leader] What is the purpose of our education?

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:17:00 GMT

By Mario Meyer Tony Blair once said: “Ask me my three main priorities for government, and I tell you: education, education and education.” It is well documented that the South African education system at large, and its primary and secondary public schooling system in particular, is in a state of chronic crises. A large majority...

[Thought Leader] Measuring consumer confidence

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:06:00 GMT

Last week’s post explained how to interpret economic indicators using gross domestic product as an example. This week, we’ll examine consumer confidence measures. Who are the biggest spenders in South Africa? Want to guess government? You’d be wrong. How about business? Wrong again. The correct answer is us. It’s not even close. South African household...

[Timbuktu Chronicles] Given Gugulethu Nkuna-Designer

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Africa Creative features Given Nkuna whose:

Image courtesy of africacreative

...Le2 designs originates from the word gugulethu which is the middle name of the founder, given nkuna (28). lethu (le2) means 'ours' and gugu means 'pride.' given founded le2 designs in 2007...le2 designs specialises in felt making and creates colourful, quirky products such as handbags, hats, scarves and jewelry. given is also involved with artist proof studio, where he facilitates outreach programmes to young artists. he also did a programme in 2007 to train 25 people in felting skills and he manages the monthly zasekhaya craft market in newtown, johannesburg.

[Timbuktu Chronicles] PocketMoni - A Cashless Alternative

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 11:00:00 GMT

In oteKBits:

PocketMoni is the brand name of eTranzact Mobile Money service and is being proclaimed to be the first truly operational mobile commerce application that is multi-network capable with the ability to interface seamlessly with third party payment schemes.

The service in line with international standards is secured utilizing 3DES encryption technology. In addition a PIN is required for every transaction. PocketMoni customers can securely, conveniently and cost-effectively send money to family and friends.

[Thought Leader] Zuma’s vanity legislation casts an ANC birthday pall

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 07:02:00 GMT

The African National Congress’s centenary has not been the unalloyed propaganda opportunity it hoped for. The 100th birthday has mostly served to sear in the public mind the contrast between the ANC’s glorious past and its grubby present, as well as a rather grim-looking future. Its leaders had assumed a year-long drumming upon the ANC’s...

[Timbuktu Chronicles] Embroidery by MAM

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:01:00 GMT

A Design Africa profile of MAM Production,Senegal:

MAM, specializes in producing luxurious hand embroidered household linens for bed and table. Creator Marie-Amy Mbow, a trained archeologist working from Dakar, Senegal, takes inspiration from the rich African archeological and cultural heritage she shares with her collaborators...[more]

[Timbuktu Chronicles] Maker Updates contd...

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Continuing our focus on the burgeoning world of makers and making,firstly the inimitable Phil Torrone on "Why the Arduino Won and Why It's Here to Stay ":

The Arduino is simple, but not too simple. It’s built around the idea that students will be using these to “do” something: get sensor data in, have a bit of code, do something with that. Maybe they didn’t even write the code, they cut and pasted it to get started. It’s hot glue, not precision welding. No one is going to cut a hand off or burn down the studio experimenting. One of the Arduino team members teaches designers and artists — everyday, the platform is being built and improved for step-by-learning, building on lessons and sharing code — these designers and artists are using Macs and tinkering in Processing (Arduino’s older sibling)...The barrier to entry isn’t a monetary one, it’s a philosophical one. This requires boldness and getting out of committee-think. A chip company needs to show off chips — they don’t care about Mac support, or writing tons of software, libraries, and IDEs. Chip companies are (historically) the ones who usually make the platforms. We’ll see some of the big players flood the market with subsidized hardware to beat the $30 price point of the Arduino, but that doesn’t matter if the Arduino support and quality stay high.

Arduino board

Why else is it here to stay? The community. How can you get 100,000+ people to jump ship? You can’t. To get close, you’ll need to develop something just like the Arduino, support its shields and accessories, and write a lot of code (something chip companies hate to do.) Great software for multiple systems, lots of libraries, drivers that work, simple, low cost, and open source. And you know what? I think that’s what the Arduino team really wants. They’re techno-hippies — they want to see other platforms with the same ideals — that’s the game they’re actually playing. And I think it’s what we all want, whether it’s called an Arduino or not...[continue reading]

For those seeking a primer they may want to take a peek at The Open Source Way Creating and nurturing communities of contributors If however you are looking for Arduino tutorials covering a wide array of concepts and techniques go no further than John Boxall's treasure trove of tutorials For more college hackerspace news take a look at the MIT MITERS crew

For your micro milling workshop you might want to assemble an MTM Snap: A snap-together Arduino-powered desktop CNC milling machine.

MTM Snap milling machine

We are increasingly aware of how digital fabrication is democratizing product design consequently this is prompting vertical integration and moore’s law for atoms

Bryan Denton for The New York Times

Furthermore we marveled at the hidden Workshops of the former Libyan rebels wondering what the future holds for their tinkerers.The OScar Project hopes to develop a car according to open source principles.
Adafruit's Limor Fried discussed D.I.Y. Revolution with Bloomberg. Over at P2P they bring to our attention the Free Technology Community Portal.

Meanwhile Emily Smith speaks to the importance of Crafters, Hackers, and Hackerspaces:

Where visions of crafting often conjure up images of glue guns, popsicle sticks, fabric and looms, hacking evokes soldering irons, microprocessors, and software. Truth is, there’s a lot of similarities between hacking and crafting, and even more to be gained from a dialogue between both groups of makers. Both hackers and crafters feel the same need to create things and manipulate materials, and have very similar basic requirements: access to equipment, space to work, and a supportive community within which to grow and share projects and ideas.

Image courtesy of Make magazine

As an avid crafter, when I first visited a hackerspace, I immediately felt inspired to bring my projects there. There were some hints of crafting in the space the first time I set foot there, but it was hugely dominated by hardware and software hacking. Some may have felt alienated by that, but I felt like it was a wonderful opportunity to learn and engage with a medium that I’d never worked with before – and to also bring in the softer side of hacking — and yarn bomb some of those cold-looking surfaces!

In relation to this Openwear founders Zoe Romano + Bertram Niessen discuss DIY Craft and Fashion Microproductions with Massimo Menichinelli:

Image courtesy of Open Wear

Massimo Menichinelli: The phenomena of Open Hardware, DIY and Makers have reached a remarkable level of development, fame and reputation. Perhaps less famous but equally important is the phenomenon of DIY craft and craft / fashion micro enterprises that are often visible on platforms such as Etsy. What are the differences and similarities between these phenomena and how do they relate to each other?
Zoe Romano and Bertram Niessen: All these new scenes have in common a desire to empower understanding what they have in their hands, how it was made and improved. This desire blurs the distinction between producers and consumers, not in the sense that everyone will make everything they need, but that everyone more and more often will able to produce or design something and make it available in a flux of exchange out of which everyone could benefit. Both phenomena are related with crucial changes that are undergoing in our social and economical environment. The Peak Oil calls to 0 Km chains of production. The rise of 2.0 social networks, mixed with the spreading of p2p communities, encourages new forms of global/local communities of producers and consumers. New technologies in communication and material production foster distributed manufacturing. The difference is that DIY crafters sometimes have the tendency to perceive themselves more far away from technology because of their handmade pledge. It’s more a problem of cultural background. But as long as they envision the possibilities of new on-demand machines, they realize how craftsmanship could be revolutionized without loosing its soul.

Image credit: The Urban Farming Guys

Furthermore Treehugger profiled the methods for 'DIY Aquaponics: And building a Vortex Filter'(see image above). And lastly Fabaloo highlights a story of 3dprinting in South Africa:

Courtesy of Design Indaba Campaign 2009

There's a great story in Design Magazine describing how Kenneth van Rensburg came to create a 3D printing business (Protoform) in South Africa. After seeing the technology by accident during a Jaguar factory tour in the UK, van Rensburg created Protoform in 2008 to "bridge the gap between design and manufacture", initially focusing on boat design. Later, Protoform would reach out to other markets and now produces 3D models for a variety of industries, including medical models and artistic works.

More to come...

[Thought Leader] The dilemma of race

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:31:00 GMT

By Guy Chennells This article is in continuation of a debate that I must admit I’ve only partly followed. It’s about race and being South African. If you know what you’re going to say in response already, this is not for you. If you feel a gnawing hunger for an unsure offering, like it’s a...

[Thought Leader] If Nonhle Thema was Jesus

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:14:00 GMT

“Im your JESUS … just Deal with it .. and keep it moving … ha ha ha IM TOOOO POWERFUL” – @NonhleThema “The conflation of herself with Jesus; a witty gibe at the fanatical nature of celebritydom, and at the inevitable martyrdom it entails.” – Chris Roper __ She overheard them approach her disciples and...

[Thought Leader] One continent, two African Unions

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:09:00 GMT

By Takura Zhangazha The failure of the African Union (AU) to elect a new chairperson for its commission on January 30 points to a seriously divided continental body. Had this been an election based merely on the popularity or campaign skills of the two candidates Jean Ping and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, it would not warrant analysis...

[Timbuktu Chronicles] FabFi Kits

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Fabfi debuts its development kits:

The itelite enclosure with integrated 18dBi dual-polarization patch took some modifications to mount the RouterStation, but was very robust and had a solid rubber gasket and grooved interface around the edges to keep water out. The built-in ethernet extension plug was also a nice touch. 19" pigtails for the external antennas exit through an optional port on the itelite enclosure and screw directly into the 2.4Ghz antennas.

[Thought Leader] 1994 to now: How did we get here?

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 07:47:00 GMT

By Balt Verhagen In Who am I? Kopano Matlwa Mabaso chronicles her hopes and bitter disappointments since 1998 when she started high school. This prompted me, a person three times her age, to recount some of my own experiences during the same period when “we were well settled into our new democracy”. Around 1998 I...

[Timbuktu Chronicles] In Sierra Leone - Biodynamic SPIN Farming

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 02:04:00 GMT

An indiegogo supported project:

SPIN-Farming, now established in Matindi Town, Sierra Leone, will extend its roots to Samuel Town, Temini Town, Pueh Town and Torbgeh Town. These are five communities that will experience changes from now on. The people will be educated in small plot commercial farming. They will experience the benefit of their labors. They will learn how to produce fresh and healthy food for their families and communities. The project will help to identify technologies that might be used to sustain the living conditions of people in the rural areas. It will improve their farming skills, information sharing and cooperation at local, national and international levels...[continue reading]

[The Skeptic Detective] Quantum-Mind-Power-System will not help you

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:03:00 GMT

Seems promising doesn’t it? Like, how cool would it be if my brainwaves were all concentric? I could take over the WORLD! All I have to do is give you my name and email address and you will tell me … Continue reading →

[01 and the universe] The 22seven Thing: A short, one-act play in lolcat

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:21:00 GMT

22seven: "Hay guise. We maed u a PFM tool, and we did not eated it!"

Me: "Yay1"

Banks: "Noes! 22seven is ebil! They will nom ur cookeez!"

Me: "STFU Banks! I like them because u say they're bad! Oso becos ur dumb, and they is smart."

Me & 22seven: *does happydance*

[Timbuktu Chronicles] JARDS Bamboo Products

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:00:00 GMT

A D&F Fellowship project in Malawi:

JARDS Products has been established in Malawi with the aim to produce unique bamboo furniture and handicrafts of high quality for the national and international market. Using only eco-friendly material and offering employment to underprivileged youths are some of the cornerstones of the business concept...JARDS thereby provides young people an opportunity to gain employment and learn weaving skills, while offering affordable bamboo products to Malawi’s citizens.

[Freethought Kampala] Two Years of the Freethought Kampala Blog

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:55:00 GMT

Yesterday marked two years since launching the Freethought Kampala blog! The very first blog post was published on January 30th 2010. Since then, there have been 222 posts published (not including this one). As of this writing, the blog has attracted 97,953 hits. The following were the most read posts over the last 12 months: [...]

[Timbuktu Chronicles] Fabricating an Interactive Wedding Gown

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:40:00 GMT

Hacking fashion and electronics,from the folks at Electricfoxy:

Image courtesy of Electricfoxy

For the past few months, I’ve been working with high school senior girls, Meron Shiferaw and Tsedey Tadesse, at Roosevelt High School in Seattle on a collaborative, cross-disciplinary project. The project introduces the young women to both technology and fashion and how to merge them into a new experience in the shape of an interactive wedding gown. Throughout the months, they’ve been learning basic electronics, programming, fashion design and fashion construction. And these girls are rockstars! They are not afraid to get their hands into wiring, sewing and building what could be a fairly complicated electronic design and garment integration.

More here

[The Indelible Stamp] Why Secular Values Require Constant Defence

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 02:41:00 GMT

In her book Freethinkers, Susan Jacoby constantly highlights how often great thinkers are neglected from the American historical canon due to their criticism of religious authority or social norms. This may seem odd to anyone who knows even a little … Continue reading →

[Timbuktu Chronicles] The William Okpo Fashion Line

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 11:00:00 GMT

via Style Like You:

The concept behind the William Okpo line is inspired by the parents of the Okpo sisters. Daughters of Nigerian immigrants, Darlene and Lizzy were motivated by the interplay of their parent’s personal style with the American culture.

With William Okpo, the Okpo sisters wish to illustrate the unique aesthetic that results from the juxtaposition of the immigrant’s sense of style against American cultural sensibilities, offering the modern feminine designs with touches of masculine elements. William Okpo is for women who celebrate their cultivated sense of style.

[Lenny Says] Abaya urrrrgghhh!

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:23:00 GMT

It was pretty hot today. The climate control in my car was at full tilt. It was therefore a little disconcerting, gazing in my rear-view mirror at two women in those black tent-like outfits, riding in an older-model car that … Continue reading →

[Botswana Skeptic] Weekend Post - How well do you know your science?

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:22:00 GMT

How well do you think you know basic science? Do you think you can answer the sort of questions your kids will ask you about the world?

A survey done recently in the UK by The Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair found that two-thirds of British parents are stumped when their kids ask them scientific questions. A quarter of them find it embarrassing that they can’t answer them. That’s particularly bad because one third of parents say their kids ask them science questions every day.

The good news is that the kids are clearly curious about science and want answers. The bad news is that most British parents can’t answer them.

So what are the questions British kids are asking their parents that are proving so difficult to answer? Here’s a sample of the most commonly asked, and least commonly answered questions. See how you do.

1. Why is the moon sometimes out in the day?
2. Why is the Sky Blue?
3. Will we ever discover aliens?
4. How much does the earth weigh?
5. How do aeroplanes stay in the air?
6. Why is water wet?
7. How do I do long division?
8. Where to birds / bees go in winter?
9. What makes a rainbow?
10. Why are there different times on earth?

Of course some of them are more difficult than others. Whether we’ll ever discover aliens is up for debate. They’re probably out there but they’re so staggeringly far away that our current understanding of physics suggests we’ll probably not make proper contact with them any day soon. And why they’d want to travel all this way to see us is arguable.

Some of the others, like why the moon is sometimes visible during the day, are fairly simple to answer and I’d be surprised if anyone had much difficulty. However some, although they are perfectly reasonable questions to ask, might challenge a lot of us a bit more. Why IS the sky blue? How DO rainbows form? Why do aeroplanes stay up in the air? With a little luck, and assuming you were paying attention that day, you might remember a few things from your school science lessons. You’ll remember forming rainbows with glass prisms in the science lab, studying the migration of birds and perhaps even a few things from geography.

One thing I found pleasing in the study was that a third of all the parents questioned said that if they didn’t know the answer to one of these questions they do some research and find it out. Particularly in these days of easy internet access it’s not difficult to find the answers for yourself. For instance if you do a Google search for “Why is the sky blue?” you’ll get 81 million hits. Of course some of them will be nonsense but the first ten were all correct and all mentioned how the different colors in white light are scattered by air molecules to different degrees, and how blue light scatters the most. The most scattered light hits our eyes from the most scattered area, leaving the other colors to travel more directly from the sun. Not only is that why the sky is blue, it’s why the sun is yellow.

If you can figure that one out, the rainbow question follows on quite nicely although this time with water droplets refracting the colors within sunlight to different degrees. Incidentally, despite what a rather aggressively religious acquaintance once told me, knowing how a rainbow is formed does NOT make it any less beautiful and impressive. In fact, I think it makes it more wonderful.

What about some bad news? Over 20% of the parents sampled said that if they didn’t know the answer to one of these questions they would either make one up or claim that nobody knew the answer.

One of the suggestions of this study is delightful. Their spokesman, Professor Brian Cox, who you may have seen presenting science programs on DSTV, said:

“the best thing parents can do is work with their children to find the answers – not only can it be fun, but you’ll both learn something new along the way.”

I can’t think of anything better than finding out scientific, absolute truth with your children.

Sources

The web site of the The Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair can be seen here. You can download their press release (it's a 193k Microsoft Word document) here.

Some answers to the questions can be seen here at the following links:

Photo c/o Wing-Chi Poon

1. Why is the moon sometimes out in the day? Ask NASA. They should know.
2. Why is the Sky Blue? No, it's not because God is a boy. It's because of differential scattering.
3. Will we ever discover aliens? A Russian astronomer thinks so.
4. How much does the earth weigh? A lot.
5. How do aeroplanes stay in the air? My lesson for today. I thought it was just Bernoulli's principle but it's more complicated than that.
6. Why is water wet? It's not. "Wet" is just a word we use to describe the feeling of water. Call a philosopher.
7. How do I do long division? I honestly don't know, I was sick that day at school. Honest. Answer here.
8. Where to birds / bees go in winter? Bees hibernate, with birds it's more complicated.
9. What makes a rainbow? Water droplets make rainbows.
10. Why are there different times on earth? The Earth is a sphere and it can't all point in the same direction at once.

[The Skeptic Detective] Can shrimp and vitamin C kill you?

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:29:00 GMT

No. Well, that’s the short answer anyway. Today I received an email from a reader which claimed (in broken English – not the reader’s) that eating shrimp or prawns while taking a vitamin C supplement can cause the shrimp to … Continue reading →

[Freethought Kampala] Freethought Kampala in La Raison

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:31:00 GMT

La Raison is a monthly magazine published by the Fédération Nationale de la Libre Pensée (National Federation of Freethought) in France. We were interviewed for the January 2012 edition.