Popular Mechanics South Africa - January/February 2022

In this issue

Launched locally in 2002, Popular Mechanics is the acknowledged voice of science and technology in South Africa. Underpinning its rich sci-tech content is an ever-changing mix of articles covering a broad range of interests, from automotive news and outdoor adventures to DIY projects and exploration of the universe.

As a truly multi-platform brand, it engages its audience through a vibrant monthly magazine, a fresh and exciting website, an industry-leading weekly electronic newsletter, regular reader events, shows, mobile promotions and competitions. The ongoing success of the brand is echoed in its content vision: ‘our imagination knows no bounds

Elon Musk says settlers will likely die on Mars. He's right.

When Elon Musk said there’s a ‘good chance’ the first settlers on the Red Planet will die there, at an August 2020 conference, the outcome was easy to imagine. It’s a dangerous place, after all. But that obscures the ultimate goal of any colony: to have people comfortably die on Mars after a long life of work and play that, we hope, looks at least a little like life on Earth.

3 mins

The US Air Force secretly designed, built, and flew a new fighter jet – in just one year

IN SEPTEMBER 2020, THE US AIR FORCE REVEALED IT HAD produced a full-scale prototype jet in a staggeringly short period of time. While this process traditionally takes as long as a decade, the service appears to have created and tested the plane in the span of a year. Will Roper, the Air Force’s head of acquisition, told Defense News the branch ‘broke records’ flying the fighter, and said it’s ready to build the aircraft ‘in a way that has never happened before.’ The surprise reveal of the plane’s rapid development is shrouded in mystery. But we can parse the clues.

4 mins

So you think you know 2+2? Try again.

ON PAPER, IT’S ONE OF THE SIMPLEST maths problems in the world: 2+2. If you’re counting something, such as screws at the hardware store, it’s pretty straightforward. But the lines blur in other contexts. If you add two cups of vinegar to two cups of baking soda, and the reaction produces five cups of a fizzy mess, does that mean 2+2=5?

4 mins

The dawn of wireless electricity is finally upon us. This is how New Zealand will do it.

Picture the street outside your home. Now erase the power lines. Imagine national highways without the unsightly cable towers that dot the expansive landscape. This could be the wireless future of energy if a partnership between New Zealand’s government and a start-up called Emrod works out – and it all dates back to the wildest dreams of Nikola Tesla.

3 mins

Antarctic legacy

Arduous expeditions, impossible odds, unspeakable conditions… Delve into the life of British explorer Ernest Shackleton, as told by another accomplished polar adventurer.

2 mins

Can Science Cure Death?

It sure looks like it.

10+ mins

While serving time, this inmate became a maths whizz

This inmate used his solitary confinement to learn maths. Now he’s solving the world’s hardest equations.

10+ mins

Sky's the Limit

"The list of industries in which aviation drones are crucial tools is ever expanding. Drones are the now, and the future, and the ability to operate one is key. We spoke to drone pilot Oliver Lane from Darkwing Aerials, to gain an insider’s perspective of this burgeoning occupation."

6 mins

Volkswagen Golf 8 GTI

"Biltong, boerewors, Golf GTI. These are words South Africans learn, from a really young age."

3 mins

Toyota Land Cruiser 300

FEW OFF-ROAD contenders withstand reputational scrutiny quite like the Toyota Land Cruiser. Its reputation has been hard-earned over several decades, and literally millions upon millions of kilometres on the most arduous terrain imaginable.

2 mins

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Popular Mechanics South Africa Magazine Description:

The acknowledged voice of science and technology in South Africa

The South African edition of Popular Mechanics was launched in 2002 and has fast become the acknowledged voice of science and technology in South Africa. Underpinning its rich sci-tech content is an ever-changing mix of articles covering everything from automotive news and outdoor adventures to DIY projects. In essence, it explains how our world works.