Hola MaHigh-School - August 2018

Hola MaHigh School Volume 7, issue 8, August 2018

Contents 06 Editors letter 07 Poem 08 We need writers 10 Contributors 11 Holler at us 12 Womens Month 15 Quotes 18 Masiziba at University: Stress 22 Food Security

Contents 24 The month of August 26 BRICS - very up in time 32 Crazy IT 34 Crazy Agriculture 38 Cows - Yes, Cows 40 Gene Editing 44 A wonderful conspiracy 46 Next issue

Editor’s Letter August is upon us. Dusty and hot. And back to school. The last stretch for some and the end of a new beginning for some. But surely not boring.

This time we look at Womens Month of course. We could have been writing reams of paper on it, but we chose to do it different this time. Look and be amazed.

August has a few surprises. But so has the science article: Gene editing. Good or bad? you decide on that.

BRICS is so much up in time.At least we give you something to think about.

Masiziba is continuing her series on university. Learn from her. Stress is coming to us all.

And now for the not-so-serious: Cows! Did you know...?

And crazy IT - remember to take your medication. And crazy agriculture.

Urban myth! believe it or not.

GOOD READ

Sybil

Time for poems:

Home run. I am coming now. hitting hard the exams are flying, Over the fence Over the rope, Out the park It is my time. Time is now. And I know I will arrive. In style. Be there.

When the final whistle sounds New beginning. End of the beginning How the end begins.

Or how the beginning ends.

Words. Just saying.

I am close to finishing. In Style. Nogal

Sybil

We need writers!

Our writers are growing up and getting older That is og course good. BUT.... it means they are leaving us Therefore: would you like towrite for us?

What is required?

That is easy You have to be in grade 10-12 Impeccable in your preferred language-and that might not be English. We try to be more than just English Passionate about your topic of choice no dull articles here

Do you get anything out of it?

Well, not money, sorrry. BUT if we publish your articles you will have: Your bio in a commercial magazine A photo of yourself You can put it all on your CV you can use us as a reference ... and it goes in your portfolio

Is it important?

YES it is.

Look what Rofhiwa said: My name is Rofhiwa and I love to write.

I think I am rather decent writer too.

I took my talent and have used it to express my thoughts on international dealings of the world which have been published in Hola MaHigh-School. It has paid off, not only is my work printed for young people in the country to read, but it also contributed to me gettng a bursary from CNBC-Africa to do my post-graduate studies. Would be a lot harder to get by if I didn’t have platform like Hola MaHigh-School.

What

Email

me o

to do

?

n iva n co.za @romele . : nam e scho Cell n ol E-ma umber ... and il addres s we w ill tal k!

Meet our contributors I am Masiziba Hadebe. I study a BSc in Agricultural Economics at the University of the Free State. I am originally from a small rural town in Mpumalanga, Balfour. My hardworking trait proves that anyone, regardless of the background, can make it. I love plants and animals. During leisure, I read anything readable and interesting. Writing is and will always be my passion, I would starve food just to write!

Pinky Rapoo is a creative writer by nature and not yet by profession.She lives in Vosloorus and is currently in grade 12 at Vosloorus Comprehensive SecondarySchool. Listening to music is her hobby,writing is her passion. Her motto is “Think twice before speaking,think three times before acting and think thoroughly before writing”.

My name is Marcia Ramodike, a 20 year old young lady from Limpopo at Lenyenye. I am doing my second year law degree at the University of the Free State and I am also an author of a book entitled from an empty pride to a full price which is touch based on issues that affect black families such as black tax. I am very passionate about writing. It is actually my first love. I love chilling indoors while reading books and novels; I am a fun, loving person who always smiles and care about other people. My favourite quote is “when the caterpillar thought it was the end of the world it turned into a butterfly “.

HOLLER AT US Hola MaHigh-School

The stuff we need to mention:

Editor & Publisher Sybil Otterstrom sybil@romele.co.za

Website www.romele.co.za

Advertising sales Next level Management services cc 011 614 5046 076 360 1792 sybil@next-level.co.za Publlishing Romele Publications cc 32 Eleanor street Troyeville 2094 011 614 5046/076 360 1792

Hola Ma High School When you post your comments here, it will go to the website

Enquiries Romele Publications cc 32 Eleanor Street Troyeville 2094 Production and Art Direction Ivan Otterstrom ivan@romele.co.za Distribution On-The-Dot Printing United Litho

follow us on Twitter @holamahigh When you post your comments here, it will go to the website

The quote of the month: ... and I trust I do not get into trouble with any copyrights!

Voted in the top 10 of the most strikingly architecturally beautiful museums in the world, Freedom Park is breathtakingly spectacular. A vantage point that offers visitors a spectacular panoramic view of our city and beyond, visitors are guaranteed to stand in awe at the contrasting view, offering the opposites of our world.

Lauded for its effortless beauty, Freedom Park is the perfect hidden venue for all events, as people escape the bustle of the city and enjoy the serenity and peace of the surrounding nature. Amidst the enchanting architecture, Freedom Park helps create unforgettable memories.

Why not experience it for yourself! www.freedompark.co.za | call: +27 12 336 4000

What is Freedom Park?

This is all from their website: Freedom Park celebrates South Africa’s heritage. It is a centre of knowledge aimed at deepening the understanding of the nation. It strives to accommodate all of the country’s experiences and symbols to tell one coherent story.

Freedom Park is a national and international site that celebrates the ideals of liberty, diversity and human rights.

Freedom Park is a cultural institution housing a museum and a memorial dedicated to chronicling and honouring the many who contributed to South Africa’s liberation. The museum aims to preserve and narrate the story of the African continent, and specifically South Africa, from the dawn of humanity, through pre-colonial, colonial and apartheid history and heritage, to the post-apartheid nation of today. It is a long walk, spanning some 3.6 billion years.

Vision To be a leading national and international icon of humanity and freedom.

Mission To provide a pioneering and empowering heritage destination in order to mobilise for reconciliation and nation building in our country; To reflect upon our past, improving our present and building our future as a united nation; and To contribute continentally and internationally to the formation of better human understanding among nations and peoples; The Freedom Park cultural precinct: • Advocates for tolerance, inclusivity, transparency, and accountability; • Archives and preserves South Africa’s indigenous knowledge; • Tells the South African story as it unfolds; • Honours those who gave their lives for South Africa’s freedom; • Provides a place where visitors can experience the diversity of our history and remember loved ones who played a role in the country’s history; • Provides a venue where South Africa’s unique heritage and cultures can be remembered, cherished and celebrated; • Fosters a South African community spirit, by being a symbol of unity through diversity; and, • Works with African and other international institutions to tell the story of Africa from an African perspective.

Are you stressed?

It is often glamourizing to be an academic. In fact, your introductions come easier because you will refer to yourself as a “second year” or “final year” student. However, it unfortunately does not come easy to some of us. And it does require a lot of perseverance and persistence which includes overcoming high levels of stress and working under extreme pressure.

To put it into context, university can have only six months (semester) to cover a certain amount of work regarding a specific field of study. Additionally, as a student, one has to maintain a social life; one that continues to’ diversify itself through popular social media platforms. Moreover, one may want to participate in other extra-curricular activities that may be of interest, whether it is sport or student societies. These activities do also need their own fair amount of effort and work.

Any student who may be able to balance all these activities without experiencing a peak in their stress level is extremely lucky and able.

For sport persons who are in academics, stress levels may be induced by time management goals. For instance, a sport season may come and it can stretch up to the whole month. And one cannot catch up with academics. It can be challenging to regain stability in terms of academics. Right there, levels of stress may then peak.

For other students, it may lie in the fact that they have no access to resources that can enable them to complete their daily tasks. This can include resources such as food, books or transport fees etc. This may increase stress levels and anxiety.

Fortunately, one can overcome these unfavourable circumstances. It is possible. We all have to.

For those who did, numerous lessons were learnt. These include great time management skills. People who succeed at university, have remarkable time management skills.

This is because they now know where exactly the door to the room of improvement is and it becomes easier for them to open that door. Additionally, they develop another remarkable skill of working under extreme pressure which allows them to thrive in unfavourable circumstances leading to them successfully completing their tasks.

The mantra is: focus on what is important, not what is urgent.

To conclude, university can deliver a tried and tested student who has gone through dust and has had to swim in deeper oceans in order to achieve their goals. University is indeed a wonderful experience that can come along with its share of thorns and cuts. Be ready, be prepared.

Masiziba Hadebe.

Gauteng, home to Africa’s economic powerhouse, Johannesburg, boasts an exciting mix of urban lifestyle, diverse cultural and natural attractions, as well as advanced infrastructure.

Call us and we’ll show you why Gauteng in South Africa is the perfect location to bring your big idea to vibrant, colourful life.

Food Security -

Food to plate can be a normal thing; while to some, especially if it is not freque certain processes and stages which include production, processing, transportat processes are then considered the logistics of food.

Interestingly, the logistics of food may influence food security. This can be in a otal in identifying challenges and successes which can influence food security b

Food security should not only be based on the production of agricultural comm post consumption of food.

Luckily, the logistics of food are inclusive of various industries and fields of wor wheat (production), and then the wheat needs to be stored in the appropriate industries can design innovative buildings or storage facilities that can meet th nations has to also be adequate and efficient (car manufacturers can then inno until wheat becomes bread that can be used for a sandwich.

All these stages are required to be managed and developed by different segme and/or building that will initiate minimal loss through adequate transportation Regarding transportation of agricultural produce, it is a diverse segment in foo (railway) and via boats on the sea (marine), but have you ever wondered if agri lishing a safe, functional, efficient, affordable, and reliable air transport network

The exact role of developing the logistics of food in order to achieve food secu the available products within the different industries can mean better risk mana

Masiziba

- also logistics

ent, can mean hunger. However, the common thing is that food has to undergo tion, storage and what may happen after post-consumption (i.e. waste). All these

beneficial or detrimental manner. Understanding the logistics of food is then pivby proposing solutions and showing what does not work and what can be fixed.

modities but should focus on the storage of the produce, the transportation and

rk. Hence, integration can mean opportunities. For instance, a farmer can plant manner immediately after harvest. This could then mean that construction related he storage requirements of wheat. From there, transportation of wheat to destiovate suitable transportation vehicles). The warehouse also has to be efficient etc.

ents other than agriculture. For example, a farmer cannot design his own vehicle and storage especially without prior experience and knowledge. od security. The produce can be transported by trucks, cars etc. (road) or trains icultural commodities can be transported via the air? Well, that may rely in estabk.

urity is quite complex and very interesting. However, access to information about agement for farmers and ensure that food security is achieved.

a Hadebe

August - the sort of August is a sort of in-between month. It is now starting to be towards the end of the year. Next month is spring and then it is in full gallop to Christmas.

However, before we do that, let us just look at some strange happenings in August. Here is an absolute gem: Bank holidays.

We have surely heard the term, but where does it come from? it sounds totally un-related to anything. OK, here goes. This is UK of course. Who else could come up with something like this! LOL From time memorial, the UK (less Scotland, which was – of course – different) there were 33 public holidays. That is a fair amount and not conducive to doing business at all. Just imagine South Africa with this amount! We complain about 12 days off.

Then clever soul - Sir John Lubbock – came up with a plan: Scrap the lot an introduce four – 4! – bank holidays. Banks would be closed and it immediately spilled over to the entire country.

These became public holidays although they really are only for bank employees. This was in 1871, btw.

What were the days: Easter Monday, Whit Monday (first Monday in May), First Monday in August and Boxing Day. In today’s world, bank holiday is now a retail event to be compared to Black Friday. And they are still fiddling with the days!

f in-between month Here is one day in August which I think is great: National Grandparents day.

It is about time to honour our grandparents, especially in South Africa where grandparents are so much a part of us all. Where would we be without grandparents? All of this is from Wiki of course.

“Marian McQuade of Oak Hill, West Virginia, has been recognized nationally by the United States Senate – in particular by Senators Jennings Randolph;[2] and Robert Byrd – and by President Jimmy Carter, as the founder of National Grandparents Day” so that is where it is coming from.

“In February 1977, Senator Randolph, with the concurrence of many other senators, introduced a joint resolution to the senate requesting the president to “issue annually a proclamation designating the first Sunday of September after Labor Day of each year as ‘National Grandparents’ Day’.”

Congress passed the legislation proclaiming the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents’ Day and, on August 3, 1978, then-President Jimmy Carter signed the proclamation.

The statute cites the day’s purpose: “...to honor grandparents, to give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children’s children, and to help children become aware of strength, information, and guidance older people can offer” That really says it all!

But wait, there is also a tune: A Song for Grandma and Grandpa.

Here it is!

Have not got enough of these international bodies? OPEC, EU, G20, AU and many more. What can another one add tour well-being?

Is BRICS really different? Will it make a difference to me?

OK, let us not get into the deeper history about BRICS. Let us look at what makes it interesting: Wiki says: “The BRICS members are known for their significant influence on regional affairs; all are members of G20. Since 2009, the BRICS nations have met annually at formal summits.

In 2015, the five BRICS countries represent over 3.1 billion people, or about 41% of the world population; four out of five members (excluding South Africa at #24) are in the top 10 of the world by population. As of 2018, these five nations have a combined nominal GDP of US$18.6 trillion, about 23.2% of the gross world product, combined GDP (PPP) of around US$40.55 trillion (32% of World’s GDP PPP) and an estimated US$4.46 trillion in combined foreign reserves. Overall the BRICS are forecasted to expand 4.6% in 2016, from an estimated growth of 3.9% in 2015.

The World Bank expects BRICS growth to pick up to 5.3% in

2017. The BRICS have received both praise and criticism from numerous commentators. Bilateral relations among BRICS nations have mainly been conducted on the basis of non-interference, equality, and mutual benefit”.

Let us peel a few facts here: 1/3 of the world economy and ½ of the world’s people. Which means the countries are not the wealthiest. It is even more: it is the major block in the southsouth sphere.

Can they be said to be developing countries? Well, yes and no.

Surely China and India are developing, but so are the others.

Russia went through a turbulent time from 1991 (break-up of the Soviet Union) but increased its standard of living by some 300-800% (depending how we measure it).

China is now the largest economy and combined with India’s the possibility of being the dominant block.

So why do they need us? Where China is putting $41 billion into the BRICS bank, we must put in $5 billion, which we have difficulty in finding. If these are BRICs are we a briquette?

There is one factor here: we do represent Africa as a continent and we do have the infra-structure which can match any other country.

But maybe we should shape up our game a bit?

Remember: Nigeria is now a bigger economy than South Africa.

BRICS: initi

What are the two main achievements of BRICS? I can be debated, but let us look at the New Development Bank.

Wiki sums it the objectives as: • Promote infrastructure and sustainable development projects with a significant development impact in member countries. • Establish an extensive network of global partnerships with other multilateral development institutions and national development banks. • Build a balanced project portfolio giving a proper respect to their geographic location, financing requirements and other factors.

This is important. All countries could need an infra-structure boost. There are structural problems and challenges (Mumbai traffic, Beijing pollution, etc). But not one country can finance it all. That is where the bank comes in.

Where the terms of commercial banks (or financing from other sources, i.e.

World Bank) might not be conducive to any developmental goals, the BRICS Bank must be seen as a more responsive partner. However, let us be clear: It is not charity!

If we look at the list of projects financed, we clearly see a focus on improving the life of people (water quality, judicial processes, roads) and a dominant attention to energy production). This is focused on renewable energy and the achievements are in CO2 reductions.

iatives, etc

BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement This is quoted from Wiki. No way I can sum it up more precisely: “The BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) is a framework for providing protection against global liquidity pressures. This includes currency issues where members’ national currencies are being adversely affected by global financial pressures.

It is found that emerging economies that experienced rapid economic liberalization went through increased economic volatility, bringing uncertain macroeconomic environment.

The CRA is generally seen as a competitor to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and along with the New Development Bank is viewed as an example of increasing South-South cooperation.

It was established in 2015 by the BRICS countries. The legal basis is formed by the Treaty for the Establishment of a BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement, signed at Fortaleza, Brazil on 15 July 2014.

With its inaugural meetings of the BRICS CRA Governing Council and Standing Committee, held on September 4, 2015, in Ankara, Turkey it entered into force upon ratification by all BRICS states, announced at the 7th BRICS summit in July 2015”.

What does it mean? Developing countries are more prone to serious problems when the world economy takes a dip. This is the fund which will help stabilise the BRICS countries (and Turkey).

In essence: eliviate poverty as a consequence of world economy!

We provide loans and bursaries to students at all 26 public universities and 50 public TVET colleges throughout the country.

IT is crazy Blue tooth

Ever wondered? OK< we know what it can do, but the name? Wiki says: The development of the “short-link” radio technology, later named Bluetooth, was initiated in 1989 by Nils Rydbeck, CTO at Ericsson Mobile in Lund, Sweden and by Johan Ullman. The purpose was to develop wireless headsets, Nils Rydbeck tasked Tord Wingren with specifying and Jaap Haartsen and Sven Mattisson with developing.

communication protocols.

The name “Bluetooth” is the epithet of the tenth-century king Harald Bluetooth who united dissonant Danish tribes into a single kingdom. The implication is that Bluetooth unites

The idea of this name was proposed in 1997 by Jim Kardach of Intel who developed a system that would allow mobile phones to communicate with computers. At the time of this proposal he was reading Frans G. Bengtsson’s historical novel The Long Ships about Vikings and King Harald Bluetooth.

Python

Python is an interpreted high-level programming language for general-purpose programming.

Created by Guido van Rossum and first released in 1991.

His continuing central role in Python’s development is reflected in the title given to him by the Python community: Benevolent Dictator For Life

- be careful!

(BDFL) – a post from which he gave himself permanent vacation on July 12, 2018.

On the origins of Python, Van Rossum wrote in 1996: ...In December 1989, I was looking for a “hobby” programming project that would keep me occupied during the week around Christmas. My office ... would be closed, but I had a home computer, and not much else on my hands. I decided to write an interpreter for the new scripting language I had been thinking about lately: a descendant of ABC that would appeal to Unix/C hackers. I chose Python as a working title for the project, being in a slightly irreverent mood (and a big fan of Monty Python’s Flying Circus).

Is Python being used?

• Dropbox, a web-based file hosting service • Civilization IV uses Python for most of its tasks • The Sims 4 uses Python • Cinema 4D • Corel Paint Shop Pro • NASA is using Python to implement a CAD/CAE/PDM repository and model management, integration, and transformation system which will be the core infrastructure for its next-generation collaborative engineering environment[citation needed]. It is also the development language for OpenMDAO, a framework developed by NASA for solving multidisciplinary design optimization problems.

• “Python has been an important part of Google since the beginning, and remains so as the system grows and evolves. Today dozens of Google engineers use Python.”[6] • YouTube uses Python “to produce maintainable features in record times, with a minimum of developers • …. And very much more

Crazy Agricultural terms - an These are real terms in the agricultural sector – some it I can’t pronounce – even on a good day.

Did you even know…? anastomose: Branching and then rejoining, as with leaf venation Yes, well, no, fine camptodromous: Pinnate venation in which the secondary veins curve toward the margins, in some cases becoming nearly parallel with them, and not reconnecting with other veins to form loops No clue. Anyone? chiropterophilous: Pollinated by bats.

BVADR!! craspedodromous:Pinnate venation in which the secondary veins terminate at the margins, often as teeth.

Teeth on plants? Let me get outta here Elephophily: A form of pollination whereby pollen or spores are distributed by the feet of elephants, as in Rafflesia arnoldii So elephants are pollinating things? That is a mighty big bee! hysteranthous:A type of growth in which new leaves appear after flowering.

Hysterics! obdiplostemonous: Having stamens arranged in two whorls, and having twice as many stamens as petals, with the outer whorl being

nd you thought IT was crazy? opposite the petals.

Try me again on this one?

insectivorous: catching, and drawing nutriment from, insects.

Plants eating insects?

Well, mosquitos would be fine. Can I buy one of those?

monocarpic: Flowering and setting seed only once before dying.

This is sad! Really? Only once and then .. puff?

IT IS ILLEGAL FOR ANYONE

UNDER THE

AGE OF 18

YEARS TO PURCHASE,

POSSESS

AND CONSUME

ALCOHOL

NEGATIVE

EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL

ABUSE ON LEARNERS ALCOHOL ABUSE HAS NO RIGHTFUL PLACE ANYWHERE

IN SOCIETY, ESPECIALLY IN SCHOOL

ENVIRONMENTS WHERE LEARNERS SPEND MOST OF THEIR LIVES.

GAUTENG LIQUOR LICENSING OFFICE

NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ABUSE ON LEARNERS ALCOHOL ABUSE HAS NO RIGHTFUL PLACE ANYWHERE IN SOCIETY, ESPECIALLY IN SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS WHERE LEARNERS SPEND MOST OF THEIR LIVES. CONSEQUENCES OF ALCOHOL ABUSE HIGH-RISK SEX Alcohol abuse in teenagers results in high-risk sex, unprotected sex and sex with multiple partners.

SEXUAL ASSAULT Sexual assault including rape occurs most commonly among women due to high consumption of alcohol.

ABUSE Harmful use of alcohol is a major contributor to violence both at schools and in the communities.

SUICIDE Alcohol use interacts with conditions such as depression and stress which contributes to suicide which is the third leading cause of death among people between the ages of 14 and 25.

IT IS ILLEGAL FOR ANYONE UNDER THE AGE OF 18 YEARS TO PURCHASE, POSSESS AND CONSUME ALCOHOL. Remember, you DO NOT NEED drugs or alcohol… it’s OK NOT to drink!

For any Liquor related issues please contact: Matlotlo House 94 Main Street Johannesburg Tel: 011 355 8000

What? Cannot be? .. yes... and much more!

Imagine eating beef from a cow that has been massaged and given beer! Well that is possible. Kobe beef, sometimes misspelled as Colby beef, comes from the Tajima-gyu breed of cattle found in Japanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s HyĹ?go Prefecture, of which Kobe is the capital and the meatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s namesake. These cows drink beer and are massaged with rice wine and made to listen to classical music.

Interestingly, there is no concrete evidence to propose that any of these techniques improve flavour or texture. However, they do undoubtedly give us the image of the cows living as kings, especially if one had to consider the rich history associated with these cows.

Kobe beef is popular for its superior flavour, tenderness and high amount of intramuscular fat, giving the meat a marbled appearance. It is often cited as being healthier than commercial beef because of its high concentration of monounsaturated fats and omega-3s. Therefore it is expensive and rare, even in Japan.

Although Kobe beef is majestic and very expensive, it is not the most expensive in the world.

The most expensive beef in the world though is reportedly from a farm in North-eastern France where a butcher who runs his own abattoir creates aged steaks from his Blonde Aquitaine stock through a process of hibernation. Through the process, in which cold air is blown at 75 km per hour onto the meat in a -45 degree Fahrenheit environment, the beef may be kept for an indeterminate amount of time without loss of quality.

Fascinatingly, Uruguay, New Zealand, Argentina, Australia and Brazil are the only countries with more cows than people. So the amount of cows is larger than the population of people.

Also, the first cow to fly in an airplane was Elm Farm Ollie in February 1930. Incidentally, Ollie was also the first cow to be milked on an airplane. One could ask why the cow was on an airplane.

Did they need to transport it or its milk that urgently or was it an experiment?

Interestingly, cows can walk up a flight of stairs, but once there, they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t walk back down. Their knees just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t bend the right way. How did this fact come about? Was someone keeping the cows inside a house or building with stairs? Or was it an experiment to improve a security measure for the cows? I mean who would want to carry a cow all the way through the stairs into a truck outside. That could be hard robbery.

Masiziba Hadebe

A new word: Today we are learning a new word: Gene editing. The inspiration for this article is from an article on the BBC News website: “Gene editing is GM, says European Court” By Paul Rincon, Science editor, BBC News website.

We have all heard about GMO - genetically modified organisms.

GMO is inserting a DNA string into organisms. This DNA can be anything really. It can be from a plant and inserted in a frog for that matter. The frog will then glow in the dark and we are all very amazed (or something like that).

Gene editing is vastly different. We are quoting from the above article: “Genome editing techniques, such as the system known as Crispr-Cas9, involves cutting strands of DNA with molecular “scissors”. When the organism’s natural repair systems kick in to repair the break, it presents scientists with the opportunity to insert the DNA sequence of their choosing - essentially rewriting the blueprint for life.

Scientists hope this emerging technology could be used, for example, to develop crop varieties that are resistant to pests, or that produce large yields under challenging climatic conditions. They are also hoping to use it to correct genetic diseases in humans.

Unlike traditional genetic engineering techniques, genome editing does not involve the introduction of DNA from another organism. It is also nearly impossible to detect whether a living thing’s DNA has been edited or not - the changes are

Gene editing indistinguishable from naturally occurring mutations.”

In short: the new technique Crispr-Cas9 gives us the opportunity to identify a piece of the DNA we wish to alter, cut it out and provide a new strand which might have been created by the scientist.

It is not necessarily something which nature designed. We design it!

Let us rewind a bit on this: We need to invent a ‘scissor’ that will recognise a specific sequence. What if this sequence is also found somewhere else in the strand of DNA, not where we want to cut? So we can cut something else and we might never know? Until we see the result? The organism does not do what we intended it to do. Because we cut the wrong piece! And what we inserted does not make sense at that place in the DNA. Now what? Exactly!

We now insert a designer piece of DNA. Do we really know what it will code for? So we ‘edit’ a piece of DNA and insert it in a living organism and now we can see the change. Crop yields or immune to cancer. But if we get it a bit wrong? Exactly!

Gene editing As much as it is a great idea to dive into the technicalities of gene editing (look it up on Wiki), we can also start to look at who is doing what.

It is so easy to say ‘scientists’, but who are those? The business environment in biotechnology and in providing tools for bioresearch is operational. There are companies who are doing a lot of research and also patenting their tools. Let us look at these.

Wiki says (about just one of them): “Thermo Fisher Scientific is an American multinational biotechnology product development company, created in 2006 by the merger of Thermo Electron and Fisher Scientific. In April 2013, after a competitive bidding with Hoffmann-La Roche, Thermo Fisher acquired Life Technologies Corp for $13.6 billion in a deal that would rank the firm as one of the leading companies in the genetic testing and precision laboratory equipment markets If we really want to, look at this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/CRISPR/Cas_Tools. The first sentence is: “This page describes a list of software platforms and bioinformatics tools built to facilitate the design of guide RNAs (gRNAs) for use with the CRISPR/Cas system.”.

This is a commercial venture now. Companies are actively designing the tool box and licensing the technology for genetic editing. Is it still science or is it something we can now all do at home? The borders are blurring a bit now.

Here is another link: https://www.genedata.com/products/selector/crispr/ From their website: Genedata Selector provides one integrated system that allows for the efficient design and management of all relevant CRISPR/Cas9 experimental dataâ&#x20AC;?.

Nothing wrong with selling products. What we point out is that we are now moving from the science lab to a fully-fledged commercialised environment. The tools are now there, commercially available, to change the genetic make-up of species of our choice. The tools do not have a moral dimension, only the user can have that.

THAT is why the EU has said that gene editing is to be classified as GM and therefore regulated by these strict guidelines and laws.

Global warming: Cars melt in the sun

I love this one! It is coming from https://www.snopes. com/fact-check/cars-melting-in-arizona-heat-wave/.

The images are showing cars melting in Arizona during this summer 2018. The image was uploaded on social media and immediately got tons of viewers.

Although it looks great, it is not true!

Well, the cars did melt, but not because of global warming. It was caused by a fire next door that was so intense and hot that it actually melted the cars nearby.

Sorry folks! Let us try another one next week!

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR CAREER Knowing yourself and your capabilities

Choo se Subj your ects

Care Plan er ning

eer Car ice o ch

For you to pursue your career choice.

You need to pass your Nationa l Senior Certi ficate!

The Eastern Ca pe Department of Education enco urages learners to choose suitable career path, by collecting inform ation that will he lp them pursue their career / field of study.

“it is in your hands “ - Nelson Rolihl

ahla Mandela

Sondlo & Knopp Advertising

Next Issue e uld b t o h s a ng Spri t looking . r e emb ill star Sept mer. w e m u W s . here to do for o. t ave t h wha e .W , yes tips and l l e s, w few Exam ut for a o look o. p-t gs ha l how n i h a yt man ternation e r a e n Ther g in the i o start? I t n peni e. Where o unpack ll i t r sphe we need XIT is st h E it k thin . And BR y, but w r S BRIC f a myste o a bit impact. e e at th k sever o o l ? e wil an â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;winâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; w e s c o ur Of co wars. Wh st lose? u e trad l we all j il d fun n a or w s th d my ou. n a a ry zib Masi e there fo b ar: will s cle i e g a mess e h t So ! ward r o f Look

l

Sybi