Faculty of Applied & Computer Sciences

Cloning
Monkeying around with cloning
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Monkeying around with cloning

2018-06-25T14:32:38+02:00

Cloning

Monkeying around with cloning

When it comes to successful cloning, the first and therefore most infamous example to come to mind is Dolly the sheep, who made headlines in 1997. Dolly was born on the 5th of July at the Roslin Institute in Scotland. She was a genetic copy or clone, of a six-year old Finn Dorset ewe. Dolly’s existence was kept a secret for almost a year until February 1997 due to the restrictions put in place because of the patent application process behind her cloning. The cloning process that resulted in Dolly sparked a mass ethical debate across all sectors due to its inherent implications and intimations towards the possibility of human cloning. The […]

Monkeying around with cloning2018-06-25T14:32:38+02:00
cockroach milk
Got Milk?
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Got Milk?

2018-06-25T14:24:25+02:00

cockroach milk

Got Milk?

With an ever growing demand for dairy-free milk alternatives and substitutes, scientists have widened their net of sources for such a substance. These include the popular nut, legume and plant based alternatives such as soy and almond milk as well as rice, flax, oatmeal, peanut, pea, quinoa, cashew and coconut milk to name a few. As of 2017, almond milk has gained the title of “America’s favourite plant based milk” (Huffington Post, 2017). It is estimated to be a $738 million business, with it far superseding the previously popular soy milk alternative. Although vegan and vegetarian consumers make up a small percentage of the overall consumer market, more and more people are seeking […]

Got Milk?2018-06-25T14:24:25+02:00
South African Inventions
Superb South African Inventions
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Superb South African Inventions

2018-06-25T14:16:46+02:00

South African Inventions

Superb South African Inventions

South Africa is known for many things such as its wildlife, diverse and scenic landscapes, its eleven official languages, and its diverse cuisines and cultures. However, it’s also home to the little-known inventors of some of the most innovative inventions that are utilised and recognised internationally. One of the most famous examples is, of course, the world’s first ever heart transplant which was performed by Dr. Christian Barnard in Cape Town in 1967, a revolutionary surgical procedure that transformed the cardio-thoracic landscape. He later went on to perform another 10 heart transplants, drastically improving the quality of life of his patients.

Another medical marvel that is on the list of South […]

Superb South African Inventions2018-06-25T14:16:46+02:00
Neurocinematics: The emerging science behind the scare-factor
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Neurocinematics: The emerging science behind the scare-factor

2018-06-25T13:56:12+02:00

Neurocinematics: The emerging science behind the scare-factor

With a rise in the popularity of the horror movie genre, and scores of scary movies making a comeback and flooding the screens – it’s time to take a look into the science behind the scare, and why some people love it and others hate it. For some people, the adrenaline rush experienced from watching a tension filled thriller or nail-biting horror is a highly sought after sensation. Whereas for others, the very idea of watching a horror movie and waiting for that scare factor to kick in is a nightmare in itself. Neuroscientists have recently started studying audience reactions and experiences while they watch horror movies in […]

Neurocinematics: The emerging science behind the scare-factor2018-06-25T13:56:12+02:00
The Axolotls’ Amazing Regenerative Capabilities
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The Axolotls’ Amazing Regenerative Capabilities

2018-06-25T12:56:19+02:00

The Axolotls’ Amazing Regenerative Capabilities

The axolotl (pronounced “ACK-suh-LAH-tuhl”) salamander is a carnivorous amphibian that is found exclusively in the lake complex of Xochimilco outside of Mexico City. At the moment it is classified by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a critically endangered species with a decreasing population trend despite its popularity as a pet, particularly in Japan. The fact that the axolotl is a common pet and is also widely distributed in laboratories worldwide is still problematic with regard to assisting its rapidly decreasing population. This is due to the fact that the gene pool represented in these ‘domesticated’ axolotls is restricted owed to the amount of inbreeding that occurs. […]

The Axolotls’ Amazing Regenerative Capabilities2018-06-25T12:56:19+02:00
The suns going down on harmful sunscreens in Hawaii
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The suns going down on harmful sunscreens in Hawaii

2018-06-25T12:53:38+02:00

The suns going down on harmful sunscreens in Hawaii

On the first of May 2018, Hawaii became the first state to officially pass a bill the prohibits the sale or distribution of sunscreens and sun protection products that scientists have determined contain chemicals that have been identified as damaging to the oceans’ coral ecosystems. This new legislation is aimed specifically at prohibiting the distribution of products that contain octinoxate (an organic compound that filters UVB rays) and oxybenzone (a soluble chemical compound that is used to filter UV/A rays) which have been associated with coral bleaching when it is washed off in the ocean.  However, despite the bill having been passed now, it still requires the […]

The suns going down on harmful sunscreens in Hawaii2018-06-25T12:53:38+02:00
Beware of the dog: South Africa’s latest Rabies outbreak
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Beware of the dog: South Africa’s latest Rabies outbreak

2018-06-25T12:54:22+02:00

Beware of the dog: South Africa’s latest Rabies outbreak

The rabies virus is defined as a ‘zoonotic’ disease which means that it is transmitted from animals to humans and is most commonly associated with dogs. This is largely due to the fact that in approximately 99% of all logged human rabies cases, the disease is “transmitted via dogs” which the sufferer has come into contact with through living in areas that are considered particularly high risk as they are exposed to the ‘canine-rabies endemic’ (WHO, 2018). It is estimated that “on average, 60 000 people die from rabies annually, and more than 15 million people receive post-exposure prophylaxis every year” (WHO, 2018).

Generally, the rabies virus is contracted through […]

Beware of the dog: South Africa’s latest Rabies outbreak2018-06-25T12:54:22+02:00
The Advancement of Artificial Intelligence
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The Advancement of Artificial Intelligence

2018-06-25T12:54:29+02:00

The Advancement of Artificial Intelligence

The robot revolution is here in the form of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Once a futuristic concept, AI related technology is being embedded unknowingly in most of the technology that we utilise on a daily basis. Mark Zuckerberg’s brain-child, Facebook has been one of the largest testing platforms for the development of artificial intelligence; with Zuckerberg being a major advocate for the advancement of AI technology including robots. In 2017, a team of researchers at the Facebook Artificial Intelligence Research facility built a ‘Chatbot’ that was designed to ‘learn’ how to negotiate by imitating the human trading and the bartering system. However, after the two programs (affectionately nicknamed Alice and Bob) were paired together […]

The Advancement of Artificial Intelligence2018-06-25T12:54:29+02:00
Plastic-Eating Enzyme
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Plastic-Eating Enzyme

2018-05-02T13:09:17+02:00

Plastic-Eating Enzyme: A Promising and Powerful Pollution Problem Solver

Plastic is one of the largest pollutants in the world, with over a billion tonnes of plastic products subsisting in all environments including large parts of the ocean. Through the rise in the popularity of disposable plastic products, scientists estimate that over 8.3 billion metric tonnes of plastic based products have been created in the past six decades. As plastic takes more than 400 years to degrade, the vast majority of all plastic products ever produced, still exist in some form or another. The prediction that has been quoted time and time again that in the next half-century, the ocean will contain more plastic (ton for ton) than fish […]

Plastic-Eating Enzyme2018-05-02T13:09:17+02:00
What is office management and technology?
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What is office management and technology?

2018-07-18T12:54:34+02:00

What is office management and technology, and is it offered at VUT?

The Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences at the Vaal University of Technology enables students to engage in research-centric courses in multiple specialised fields. Each course is designed with optimum results in mind, and are aimed at giving graduates the competitive edge and the best opportunity at being employed after the completion of their studies. The Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences offers students a range of postgraduate courses at both a Masters and Doctorate level with a predominant focus on innovative research directed at dynamic societal change at a micro and macro level including a Masters’ degree in Office Management […]

What is office management and technology?2018-07-18T12:54:34+02:00
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