Young scientists from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) have called on their peers to be more careful and responsible when sharing information regarding COVID-19 on social media, in order to combat the rise of misinformation (fake news), which may be harmful to the society.

They were speaking at a media briefing in Pretoria on Tuesday, 23 June 2020, organised as part of Youth Month celebrations, to showcase the significant role played by young scientists in the fight to curb the spread of COVID-19. The young researchers shared their research in cybercrime activities and the spread of misinformation during the pandemic.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an increased focus on the socio-economic benefits of broadband, including providing channels to distribute education services; enable e-governance services, including health data analytics; and provide entertainment during a period when at least a third of the world is under different levels of lockdown. 

The most notable development in the local telecommunications sector is the temporary licensing of available International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) spectrum and the authorisation to use Television White Spaces (TVWS) during the state of disaster. The authorisation of TVWS also came with the request, by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to make its Secondary Geo-Location Spectrum Database (S-GLSD) platform available to the licensed operators. 

A preliminary analysis of satellite data on air pollution shows a decrease in the concentrations of pollutants over South Africa during the national lockdown caused by the outbreak of the Coronavirus in the country.

This is according to a team of researchers at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) who are working in collaboration with Dr Eloise Marais from the University of Leicester, in the United Kingdom, to understand the impact of the lockdown on air quality in South Africa. These air quality experts say some parts of the country have been showing a decrease in the concentration of pollutants during this period.

Using satellites data, the team can explore the impacts of the lockdown on the concentrations of the pollutants in the atmosphere.

The CSIR will work with 3Sixty Global Solutions Group (3Sixty GSG) a subsidiary of NUMSA Investment Company (NIC), and Tautomer to fast-track the commercialisation of CSIR technologies.

The organisations entered into a tripartite agreement through NIC’s subsidiary 3Sixty GSG and their partner company, Tautomer, to explore any investment and collaboration opportunities at the CSIR.

The agreement was signed by CSIR Chief Executive Officer, Dr Thulani Dlamini, 3Sixty GSG Chief Executive Officer, Mr Khandani Msibi and Tautomer Managing Director, Mr Martin Magwaza, in Pretoria, on Wednesday, 15 January 2020.

The Centre for High Performance Computing (CHPC) National Conference, held from 1 to 5 December 2019 at Birchwood Conference Centre, Boksburg, hosted three student competitions that ran in parallel with the programme of the conference. The conference exhibition floor was a battleground for university students from within South Africa and the Southern African Development Community. Over 120 of these students where split between the Student Cluster Competition, the Cybersecurity Challenge and the Student Datathon Challenge.

National Integrated Cyber Infrastructure System (NICIS) Centre Manager, Dr Happy Sithole, is impressed by the amount of effort that the students put into the competitions.

The Mandela Mining Precinct has unveiled two new rock drill prototypes developed by local innovators to enhance drilling operations, a significant move to advance the mining sector in the country.

The two high-tech prototype rock drills are set to reduce the exposure of operators to dangerous conditions and contribute to the aim of zero harm in mines. The prototypes are the culmination of an open innovation challenge launched in 2018 to develop a new rock drill for the South African mining industry.

CSIR will be hosting the Polymer Processing Society (PPS) Europe-Africa 2019 Regional Conference (PPS2019) in Pretoria on 18 - 21 November 2019.

The PPS meeting is a leading conference on polymer processing and it attracts internationally renowned scientists, engineers and designers in the field of polymer research and development. The goals of the society, as embodied in its constitution, are to foster scientific understanding and technical innovation in polymer processing by providing a discussion forum for the worldwide community of engineers and scientists in the field.

South Africans have been urged to protect themselves against the effects of climate change. This comes in the wake of the high temperatures that the country has been experiencing.

Most parts of the country have been experiencing heatwaves, as a result of changes in temperatures. Although there will be some relief in days to come, as evidenced by the rainfall that has been forecast, climate change experts from the CSIR have given warnings of increased temperatures and extreme heat events throughout the summer season.

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The community of Stinkwater has no access to piped water distributions and rely on water delivered by the municipal trucks. Often, this is not enough. Le Roux explains that the community has found its own solution to accessing water through hand dug wells. This untreated water is then used by the community, exposing them to various health risks.

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