NASA’s Operation Big Bang extends Voyager 2’s science mission

NASA’s Operation Big Bang extends Voyager 2’s science mission

NASA engineers have successfully executed a power-saving update dubbed “Big Bang,” extending the operational life of the Voyager 2 probe’s scientific instruments by another year. Nearly 50 years after launch, the spacecraft relies on a Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) that converts heat from decaying plutonium into electricity, losing roughly 4 watts of power annually. Read:…

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Africa: ‘Science is Not the Problem’ – UNAIDS Says Political Choices Now Threaten HIV Response

Africa: ‘Science is Not the Problem’ – UNAIDS Says Political Choices Now Threaten HIV Response

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — The global HIV response stands at a defining moment, with health leaders warning that decades of progress are at risk as international funding declines and prevention programmes are scaled back across some of the world’s hardest-hit countries. Although new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths have fallen to their lowest levels…

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VUT invests R5m in revamped science labs

VUT invests R5m in revamped science labs

Vaal University of Technology students in one of the newly-revamped specialist teaching labs. (Image: supplied) To mark its diamond jubilee, the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) has announced a R5 million investment in revamped science laboratories and a postgraduate learning space. The investment, funded through a Department of Higher Education and Training grant, has modernised…

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Eskom Expo regional science fairs kick off across SA

Eskom Expo regional science fairs kick off across SA

Learners from across South Africa will showcase innovative research projects at the Eskom Expo regional science fairs. More than 6 000 school science projects will go on display across SA from late July as the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists 2026 holds its annual regional science fairs. The 38 regional events follow 287 district expos held earlier…

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National Science Month shines spotlight on STEM skills and rural inclusion

National Science Month shines spotlight on STEM skills and rural inclusion

Nomalungelo Gina, deputy minister of science, technology and innovation. SA has launched its first National Science Month (NSM), expanding what was previously National Science Week into a month-long programme designed to increase public engagement with science, technology and innovation. The initiative, launched by the national Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) at the Vaal…

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Africa: HIV Science Races Ahead As Funding Crisis Threatens to Widen Access Gap

Africa: The World Has the Science to Transform Food Systems. the Next Frontier Is Scaling It

The world’s food systems face real and urgent challenges. These include climate change, nutrition insecurity, food safety, and unequal access to markets. Research has produced practical solutions to each of these that could benefit hundreds of millions of people. Too few are moved into widespread use. For years, the development sector has flattered itself with…

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