The time per week spent reading by the average Indian;
almost twice as much as the average American.10 hours 42 minutes
forecast
The future is now
take | off
SA’s science Oscars
NSTF-LEWIS
FOUNDATION GREEN
ECONOMY AWARD
Dr Dyllon Garth Randall –
Senior Lecturer: Department
of Civil Engineering, University
of Cape Town (UCT)
Randall’s first study was to
investigate how to collect urine
easily while using no water
and with limited changes
to toilet infrastructure. The
drought in Cape Town was the
perfect setting for this and
resulted in a first fertiliser-
producing urinal that was
able to collect urine while
using no flushing water.
This research is unique
because it shows that multiple
products can be produced
from human urine, thus
confirming that it is ‘liquid
gold’. The broader urine-
related research being led
by Dr Randall focuses on
upcycling urine. At present,
a solid fertiliser (calcium
phosphate) and bio-bricks
have been produced and
future work aims to produce
additional fertilisers, water as
well as energy from urine.
These initiatives contributed
to knowledge dissemination
to the public and created
awareness as to the
importance of such work,
while also creating paradigm
shifts in the sanitation
sector. It has increased the
awareness and got people
to think outside the box.COMMUNICATION AWARD
Prof Michael Noel (Mike) Bruton- Founder and Director: Mike
Bruton Imagineering; Retired
Research Scientist and Science
Administrator; Active Science
Communicator
Bruton has committed himself,
throughout his long career
as a research scientist and
research administrator, to
raising public awareness
about science and technology
among the general public and
highlighting the contributions
that South African researchers
and inventors have made to
the advancement of society.
Through the hundreds of popular
science and technology articles that
he has published, his radio and TV
interviews, popular science books,
autobiography and biographies, his
extensive participation in science
festivals in southern Africa and the
Middle East, and his establishment
and operation of interactive
science centres and museums
in South Africa, Saudi Arabia and
Bahrain, he has had a substantial
impact on public understanding
of science and technology and
has also been an inspiration to
new generations of scientists.
Since he retired in 2006
he has dedicated his time to
Public Understanding of Science
Engineering and Technology
(PUSET) activities. Over the
past five years he has been
particularly active in this regard.
Bruton is a regular contributor to Skyways
and Very Interesting magazines.His work has provided
insights into the social insects’
communication systems and
social organisation. He has
also assessed indigenous
populations of honeybees to
verify the impact of honeybee
diseases; the colony collapse
disorder, winter losses
and weak bee colonies.
The African continent
is home to the largest
number of wild honeybee
swarms, meaning that the
most genetic diversity is
also to be found here.LIFETIME AWARD
Prof Robin Crewe – Senior
Research Fellow: Centre
for the Advancement of
Scholarship, University of
Pretoria
Crewe’s work attempts to solve
the global bee extinction crisis
by introducing the disease-
genetically-resistant African
honeybees to the declining
populations. Bee extinction
threatens food security, as
honeybees play a critical role,
not only as producers of honey,
but also as pollinators of crops.Recently, the finalists for the 2018/
NSTF-South32 Awards, recognising excellence
and outstanding contributions to science,
engineering and technology and innovation in
South Africa, were announced. Here are some
of the individuals and projects in the running.
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