Pretoria Branch Talks
The Pretoria Branch of the S2A3 presents talks during the university semester. They are usually scheduled at 17:15 on the first Wednesday of the month and presented in the Sci-Enza, but there are exceptions. If you want to receive notices of forthcoming talks, please join our mailing list.
Talk Archive 2013
6 March 2013: Dr. M.A. Coccia-Portugal. Evolution of Breast Cancer Management in the Last Four Decades.
10 April 2013: Henry Throop. NASA's New Horizons Mission to Pluto
8 May 2013: Hendrik Smith, National Conservation Agriculture Facilitator, Grain SA. Conservation Agriculture
31 July 2013: Les Underhill, Director: Animal Demography Unit, UCT. MammalMAP (Presented in association with SAASTA and the Sci-Enza as part of the National Science Week.)
4 September 2013: Ina Plug, Professor Extraordinarius, UNISA. The Secrets of Bones.
9 October 2013: Andrew Forbes, Chief Researcher, National Laser Centre,
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. The world’s first digital laser. The slides of the talk are available for download.
6 November 2013: Konstantinos Zoubos, Professor in Physics, University of Pretoria: The Higgs Boson: A triumph for particle physics. The slides of the talk are available for download (15 MB).
7 November 2013: Prof Maarten de Wit presented the Marloth Commemorative Lecture. Apartheid Science from the South African Point of View within the Scientific World-Picture of Today: Toward that Better World.
Talk Archive 2012
7 March 2012: Grant Morgan: Technical Director, Efficient Microbes. Earth Saving Revolution: An insight into the technology of Effective Microorganisms.
9 May 2012: Wlady Altermann, Department of Geology, University of Pretoria. The CO2-rich Precambrian atmosphere, Bushveld Mining and CO2 sequestration opportunities in South Africa.
1 August 2012: Dave Rawley, Education Programme Director, Bloodhound Project, SA. BLOODHOUND SSC: World Land Speed Record Attempt (Presented in association with SAASTA and the Sci-Enza during National Science Week 2012)
5 September 2012: Lizette Koekemoer, Vector Control Reference Laboratory, Centre for Opportunistic, Tropical and Hospital Infections, National Institute for Communicable Diseases Assessing the sterile insect technique for malaria mosquitoes in a South African setting.
Talk Archive 2011
2 March 2011: Linda Prinsloo, Department of Physics, University of Pretoria. A laser unravels the secrets of San rock art
6 April 2011: Andrzej Kijko, Director of the Aon Benfield Natural Hazard Centre, Africa, University of Pretoria. Tsunamis
7 April 2011: S2A3 and Royal Society of South Africa Lecture: William J Schopf [awarded the DSc [h.c.] on 5 April 2011: University of Pretoria Autumn Graduation ceremonies]. The Earliest History of Life: Solution to Darwin’s Dilemma
4 May 2011: Caroline Yetman, University of Pretoria. Giant Bullfrogs.
1 June 2011: Werner H. Gries, Honorary Professor, Department of Physics, University of Pretoria.Can the Mind-Body Problem be solved? Reflections on the emergence of mind from matter. A paper related to his talk, entitled Traditional thinking, physical science, and the brain: an essay about a “Parallel-Systems Mind Model” is available at UPSpace, http://hdl.handle.net/2263/16600
15 June 2011: Ruhann Steyn. Lunar eclipse viewing evening.
3 August 2011: Leonie Joubert, Science Writer. Talking hunger: the food security "lens" moves into the city. (Presented in association with SAASTA and the Sci-Enza as part of National Science Week.)
14 September 2011: Wladyslaw Altermann; Kumba-Exxaro Chair in Geodynamics, University of Pretoria. The stratigraphic significance of life for the Precambrian Eon.
12 October 2011: Marelize van Wyk, Medical Scientist in the Centre for Opportunistic, Tropical and Hospital-acquired Infections, National Institute for Communicable Diseases. Cryptococcus: an underestimated fungal pathogen of humans in Africa.