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All South African households
in large centres to separate household waste by 2016
A recent CSIR study revealed that only 3.3% of the
country’s urban population regularly recycled
household waste in 2010. This finding is underscored
by another study, also conducted by the CSIR, which
shows that, of the estimated 19 million tons of municipal
waste generated in South Africa in 2011, about 25%
were mainline recyclables such as glass, paper, tins
and plastics. |
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Practical and reader-friendly guide on air quality for environmental managers
Air quality officers and environmental health practitioners
now have access to a simple but comprehensive guide
to help them how to consider health in air quality
management. Published by the CSIR, the Quick Best
Practices Guide to consider air-related human health
in South Africa fills a significant gap in air
quality management in South Africa. |
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CSIR publishes guidelines for social facility planning
The CSIR has published guidelines for the provision
of social facilities in South African settlements. These
are for use in the planning and development of social
facilities locally in towns, cities and provinces. The
guidelines apply to a wide range of facilities across
many sectors, including health, education, sports, recreation
and the public service. |
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CSIR taking the lead in trailing
future wireless communication technology based on TV
white space
With broadband having been identified as a key social
and economic driver, initiatives to expand broadband
access in rural areas have been in the spotlight recently.
A new method for enabling such access is called TV white
space technology. This refers to the use of unused spectrum
in the TV spectrum bands. CSIR Meraka Institute has
been allocated a test licence by the Independent Communications
Authority of South Africa (ICASA) for the first TV white
space technology trial in South Africa in January 2013,
in partnership with Google, TENET, WAPA and eSchools. |
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Digital Doorway installed Down
Under
A local innovation that is promoting computer literacy
in South Africa and Africa by providing rural communities
with ICT access is set to impact on the lives of indigenous
communities of Australia. The Digital DoorwayTM, a joint
initiative of the Department of Science and Technology
and the CSIR Meraka Institute, is expanding its influence
beyond Africa's borders to promote formal and informal
learning in high-needs communities in Australia. |
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Technology for rural innovation
and education in the Eastern Cape
After 11 years, the CSIR has returned to the area where
some of its first technology interventions for development
were tested in the Eastern Cape. During October 2012,
the CSIR accompanied a delegation from the Department
of Science and Technology to Cofimvaba in the rural
Eastern Cape to acquaint themselves with the latest
developments in a range of activities on technology
for rural innovation and education. |
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National meeting on high performance
computing to highlight successes
The annual meeting of South Africa’s Centre for
High Performance Computing will this year focus on high
performance computing and data applications for increased
impact on research. |
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One ion trapped for CSIR physicist;
a quantum leap for computing
Nobel Prize season is always exciting to physicists,
and this year was no exception when the prize was awarded
to Drs David J Wineland and Serge Haroche for “ground-breaking
experimental methods that enable measuring and manipulation
of individual quantum systems". At the CSIR, the
prize had special significance for physicist Dr Hermann
Uys, who formerly worked in Wineland’s group at
the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
physics laboratory in Boulder, Colorado in the United
States. |
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Local succulent yields natural, calmative agent
A South African medicinal plant, Sceletium tortuosum,
or Kougoed, has long been traditionally used as a natural
anti-depressant to elevate moods and decrease anxiety,
stress and tension. A team of CSIR natural product chemists
and experts in enterprise creation for development is
investigating the required cultivation practices for
the species to relieve pressure on wild populations,
as well as for use in the product development process. |
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Think you can code? CSIR's Jaco
Cronje cracks 'ultimate artificial intelligence' game
programming challenge
Jaco Cronje, an image processing researcher at the CSIR
was named winner in a nation-wide programming contest.
The Entelect 100k Challenge required contestants
to create an artificial intelligence program to compete
against an opponent in the classic light-cycle game,
as seen in the popular sci-fi film, Tron. |
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Winning recipes on innovation
for poverty alleviation
During a side event held at the SA-EU Summit in Brussels,
Belgium during September 2012, two CSIR staff members,
Kobus Roux and Lizande Kellerman, gave presentations
to a high-ranking audience consisting of the Head of
State of South Africa, President Jacob Zuma, and European
Union (EU) ambassadors. The Conference on Innovation
and Poverty Alleviation was organised by science and
technology officials from the Department of Science
and Technology (DST) and the EU. |
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South Africa represented at world
astronautical event
The picturesque city of Naples in Italy was the venue
for the 63rd International Astronautical Congress (IAC)
themed ‘Space science and technology for the needs
of all,’ held from 1 to 5 October 2012. |
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First African team participates
in space law moot court competition
A team of law students from Nigeria (winners of the
first Africa round) took part in the world finals of
the Manfred Space Law Moot Court Competition for the
first time. The finals took place in Naples, Italy in
October 2012. |
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Active participation of industries
and universities in emerging nonwoven field
A recent training programme in nonwoven materials has
drawn favourable response from the nonwoven industry
sector. The CSIR and the Department of Trade and Industry
(the dti) offered an elementary nonwoven
training programme to members of the Nonwoven Association
of South Africa, universities and technical textile
industry sectors. |
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First SA-GEO symposium hailed
a success
Over 100 Earth observations (EO) professionals from
government, academia, science councils, secondary education
and industry came together for the first annual SA-GEO
Symposium held in Cape Town. The event was organised
by the National Earth Observations and Space Secretariat
(NEOSS), an initiative of the Department of Science
and Technology (DST) and hosted by the CSIR. |
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Aerospace SMME participants at AAD take the floor
Twenty-four South African small, medium and micro enterprises
(SMMEs) took the opportunity to engage with local and
overseas players in the aerospace industry at the Africa
Aerospace and Defence (AAD) 2012 event held from 19
to 23 September 2012 at the Air Force Base, Waterkloof
in Centurion. Their participation was funded by the
Aerospace Industry Support Initiative (AISI), an initiative
of the Department of Trade and Industry (the
dti), hosted and managed by the CSIR. |
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Kevin Wall wins esteemed 2012 JD Roberts Award
In the spirit of recognising talent and research at
the CSIR, the coveted 2012 JD Roberts Award recently
went to the CSIR’s Dr Kevin Wall, for his leading
role in developing innovative solutions for alternative
housing, infrastructure asset management and the maintenance
of sanitation systems. |
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The adventures of Shahdi: Mapping
one continent at a time
Dr Ali Shahdi learnt the meaning of the word ‘independence’
early in life when he decided to travel from Iran to
Canada – two continents apart with a land distance
measuring close to 10 000 kms. He was young and just
like the technical challenge in the robotics field that
he is specialising in, he had to map his way in foreign
territory. But he was determined and set his sight on
obtaining his postgraduate degree in robotics. He absorbed
the knowledge like a sponge and acquired the necessary
skills and experience before hitting the road again;
this time opting for South Africa. |
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