Wasps zoom in on metal contamination

Wasps are often viewed as pests but they can play a huge role in the ecosystem, from pollination to being a link in the food chain. North-West University (NWU) master’s student Yasfir Tarif Nadat is now undertaking a study to show how wasps can be indicators of pollution. His study is inspired by a paper he and a team of researchers from the…

Mines are contaminating useful plants in Limpopo

Chromium from mining activities has been found in high concentrations in plant species commonly grown in household gardens in Sekhukhuneland, Limpopo, representing a potential health hazard. These are some of the findings of Sutapa Adhikari, a doctoral student from the North-West University (NWU), who has been studying the contamination of food…

How families cope with mental health care issues

The whole family can be affected when living with a family member with a mental disorder, disability or developmental delay. Mechanisms to cope with the resulting stress include escape, avoidance, denial or looking to religion.  This is according to Tshepang Modise, nursing science master’s graduate at North-West University (NWU). Tshepang has…

It’s time to put environmental regulations to work

With calls for safer, cleaner environments, a North-West University (NWU) researcher suggests that local governments use and enforce existing environmental regulations to ensure a better quality of life for all. Maricélle Botes, part of the research team at the Faculty of Law's South African Research Chair in Cities, Law and Environmental…

Plants offer home-grown solutions to healthcare

Approximately 80% of South Africa’s population depend on medicinal plants for their healthcare needs, leading to an increased interest in the commercialisation of plant-based remedies.

Research by Tshepiso Ndhlovu, a PhD candidate at the North-West University (NWU), is shedding light on the potential of medicinal plants in the skincare…

NWU trailblazer heads International Society for the Systems Sciences

The world is a mesmerising place filled with interesting events and occurrences. These do not happen in isolation, and to fully understand the intricacies of any given event or interaction, it is necessary to investigate the “bigger picture” surrounding it.

This, in a nutshell, is what systems science is all about. It provides the…

The fight against GBV

Every few months South Africa is rocked by a gender-based violence (GBV) story that leaves most citizens in disbelief. Recently a final year law student’s mutilated body was found in a plastic bag in East London. Her intimate partner was arrested for the alleged crime. This incident sent shockwaves across the country…

Science is a ball(oon) of a time!

Science is wickedly addictive. It is a window to wonders the imagination never knew existed. Godfrey Mosotho knows this more than most and he is not keeping the secret to himself.

Mosotho runs an experiment in which he launches meteorological balloons to measure ionising radiation…

Colloquium weighs in on future of teaching and learning in times of transition

Crises that start out as disruptive emergencies can soon become the new normal. This is evident from most challenges in higher education in South Africa.

Teaching and learning, in particular, have had to develop contingency plans to offset the effects of major events such as load-shedding, #FeesMustFall and, currently, the Covid-19…

Including indigenous plants in diets can boost food security

Indigenous grains, fruits and vegetables could go a long way towards boosting food security in South Africa. What is needed is greater awareness among households and other stakeholders about the value of these plants. 

This is according to two researchers from the North-West University (NWU). Dr Abiodun Olusola Omotayo and Prof Adeyemi…