Good News

BULLETIN 14 August

Good afternoon, here is your Good News:

# The flower season at Namaqua National Park in the Northern Cape is in full bloom, with vibrant carpets of wildflowers following excellent rainfall. SANParks says the five-kilometre Skilpad circular trail is a must-visit, showcasing rare blooms like Bittergousblom, Cape marigold, daisies, vygies, and drumsticks. Nature lovers can expect a breathtaking, colourful experience in the heart of Namaqualand. Peak season runs from mid-August to mid-September. Visitors are advised to explore on sunny days for the best display of this natural spectacle.

# Researchers of the University of Witwatersrand’s Structured Light Laboratory are harnessing light to drive breakthroughs in secure communication and quantum technology. The lab operates at the intersection of classical optics, quantum physics, and artificial intelligence. Wits’ professor Andrew Forbes from the School of Physics says using structured quantum light, they have developed a quantum camera that can see through living tissue or tinted glass:

The University of Pretoria has meanwhile been ranked as number one for artificial intelligence research in South Africa and second in Africa. This is according to the latest rankings of higher education institutions published by EduRank. The analysis is based on over 61-thousand-200 academic papers and 969-thousand citations from 24 South African universities. The university’s professor Sunil Maharaj says this ranking confirms the institution’s role as a leader in developing AI technologies that are impactful, ethical and relevant. 

# Cape Town’s grassroots launchpad for high-performance sports, Connect Academy, has achieved several major successes in the past month. Four of the academy’s players have been taken up in provincial Currie Cup squads. The Connect franchise also made history together with Edwin Doran Sports Tours by hosting the largest ever school sports event in the Mother City. CEO and Founder, Murray Ingram, says the past month has been a celebration of possibility:

# And finally: US president Donald Trump has revealed Hollywood icon Sylvester Stallone, rock band KISS and country singer-songwriter George Strait as some of this year’s Kennedy Centre honourees. The others are British actor and comedian Michael Crawford and local singer Gloria Gaynor. Breaking with tradition, Trump will host and produce the 48th honouree ceremony later this year. He says he cannot wait to celebrate the recipients of one of the country’s highest recognitions of artists.

Stay tuned for more news………….