CATEGORIES

Can America's Fastest Super-Computer Defeat Covid for Good?

Marti Head, PhD, had a bad feeling. It was mid-February of 2020. She'd just returned to her home in Tennessee from a work trip. Somewhere, probably in an airport, she'd picked up what she thought was just a cold.

Humans can develop a sixth sense, study proves

AS ANIMALS GO, HUMANS HAVE RELAtively limited senses. We can't smell as well as dogs, see as many colours as mantis shrimp, or find our way home using the Earth's magnetic poles as sea turtles do. But there's one animal sense we can learn: bat-like echolocation.

The hidden binary of knitting could create the toughest gear you've ever worn

THE UNRULY STITCH OF A DRAGON FIRST attracted Sabetta Matsumoto to the mathematics of knitting. Unlike the regimented stitches of a sweater that march two-by-two across a textile, the whiskers of this dragon stretched daringly across a lace shawl in a way Matsumoto had never seen before and she was determined to understand the maths behind it.

Craft brewers have broken the IPA

INDIA PALE ALES DOMINATE TODAY'S CRAFT beer landscape, with 10 or so styles laying claim to the name. Now there's one more: the 'clear hazy' IPA. San Diego's Ballast Point Brewing Co pioneered the category, which upset plenty of beer nerds and confused others, with the February 2021 release of Big Gus.

Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8 Hybrid

GLOBALLY, IT'S ONE of the most widely known car model names. Hear the word "Toyota' in South Africa, and you'll probably think 'Corolla'or ... Hilux, of course, or both.

The US Army's new goggles let soldiers see right through walls

THE US ARMY IS DEVELOPING INTEGRATED Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) goggles for close-combat forces, including mounted and dismounted troops, particularly infantry. The goggles can help soldiers see in the dark, check around corners, and even project digital maps and other data on to the lenses.

Jaguar I-Pace AWD (Electric)

WE’RE AT A significant point in the evolution of the automobile. We’re in the middle of the transition phase, moving from the dominion of the internal combustion engine over to battery – or electric – power. In many ways, it’s uncomfortable; those of us who’ve only really ever known internal combustion engines are having to come to terms with new technology. And this technology is changing quickly, ever-advancing and improving. In ten years’ time, electric cars will be very different to the ones we’re driving now. Motoring is changing.

Winds of Change

Local start-up Brayfoil Technologies is fast becoming an established name in the sustainable energy sector, with their pioneering work creating shape-altering biomimetic blades for wind turbines.

Uh-oh... New research on extinctions shows life doesn't always find a way

The Late Cretaceous's grand finale: an asteroid, a 1 500 m tsunami, and global wildfires.

Which Rust-removing Product Works Best?

If you enjoy restoring old cars, tools or antiques, there's a good chance you've used a rust-removing product at some point, and you might be wondering which formula works best... Let's take a look at the chemistry, before we talk about product options and their performance differences.

Outclass Its Competition

How America's new fighter will

Some of the Trendiest Craft Beers Are Exploding. Huh?!

When brewers add fruit purees or extracts just before canning, they're feeding active yeast a ticking time bomb.

Getting a Grip on Grinders

A grinder can be an intimidating power tool. To be more confident and safer while using one, here are some of the most common angle-grinder mistakes, and how best to prevent them.

After You Die, You Could Be Resurrected as a Chatbot. That's a Problem

No one knows where we go when we die. Or for that matter, what happens to our most intimate thoughts, dreams, and desires when the nerve cells in our brains fire for the very last time. But it looks as though Microsoft may have some ideas.

A Grill-top Pizza Oven

What are you building?

A Cabinet for My Fishing Tackle

What are you building?

A 1934 Ford Coupé

I stripped it to the frame, then built my dream car.

THE WORLD'S FIRST TACTICAL CHAIR

How a chair designed to survive torpedoes became a timeless icon of industrial design.

The truth about the Black Knight conspiracy theory

NASA captured this image during the STS-88 Space Shuttle mission while 396 km above the coast of Namibia and looking north.

The US Air Force is putting death rays on fighter jets. Yes, death rays

Laser systems will take up a station on a jet normally reserved for bombs and missiles.

The smart bulb that gave light a new purpose

YIANNI AND HIS TEAM REALISED THEY WERE ON TO SOMETHING WHEN MANY TESTERS REFUSED TO GIVE THE BULBS BACK. ONE HAD SET THE HUE TO BLINK PINK WHENEVER SHE RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM FACEBOOK.

Keep on Grinding

A grinder is one of the most versatile power tools you can own. Go cordless, and it becomes even more useful. But should you buy a brushed, or a brushless model? We compared two Makita cordless grinders, to help you with your decision.

Guy Bluford Has Flown Cessnas, U-2 Spy Planes and the Challenger Space Shuttle

Here's what he's learned..

Power Ranger

After a triumphant decade in its current guise, an all-new Ford Ranger will soon be hitting our roads. It’s enhanced and improved in every way, but what does that mean for fans of this highly anticipated bakkie?

Land Rover

Discovery D300 R-Dynamic SE

The US Army's Super Cannon Is Coming. Could It Bring Back Battleships?

The US Army is working on a new, long range cannon it claims can reach out and strike targets at up to 1 850 km – about 1 820 km further than existing guns. But the Strategic Long Range Cannon (SLRC) also has the potential to bring back a dormant class of biggun warships once thought gone for good: the mighty battleship. The

How to Make a Camper in a Weekend

Six years ago this autumn, I unceremoniously drove across the country, running away from a mid-20s crisis. Using my 2003 Subaru Forester as an escape pod, I topped out at nearly 150 km/h on the salt flats outside Salt Lake, saddling the underpowered four- cylinder with everything I owned while redlining from California to my parents’ home in Minnesota.

This Camera Was the Best of Both Worlds

For decades, the professional and prosumer photography market had been dominated by SLR and DSLR cameras.

Want a 20 Metre Robot to Walk? Bend the Laws of Physics

At Japan’s Yamashita Pier, about 40 Km south of Tokyo, the world’s largest humanoid robot has taken shape. Modelled on the RX-78-2 Gundam – a fictional robot that has been the subject of some 50 namesake TV series and manga since 1979 – the giant towers nearly 20 m tall and features 24° of freedom, meaning that it can move in as many directions.

A Firefighter's Guide to Getting Keys Out of a Locked Car

As firefighters, we’re taught to solve a given problem while causing the least collateral damage. ‘Try before you pry’ is one of the first lessons in any forcible entry class. The same principle applies to getting your keys out of a locked car. First consider these options.