Curiosity Cube Debuts in Africa and Expands Global STEM Mission
After captivating students across North America and Europe with access to hands-on science, the Curiosity Cube from the Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany has launched its first-ever tour in Africa. To celebrate the inaugural tour, the Curiosity Cube held a kickoff event on June 10 at the University of South Africa (UNISA) in Johannesburg.
During the launch event, volunteers from UNISA and the Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, guided a group of students through three interactive science experiments designed to spark interest in STEM. Mantile Lekala, Director for School of Science from UNISA, was excited to see such enthusiasm from the visitors, 'It was a privilege to witness the launch of the South Africa Curiosity Cube on our university campus today. This initiative opens the door to curiosity, discovery, and opportunity for a new generation of innovators, thinkers, and problem solvers, and we are proud to be a part of it.'
This event marks the first of 12 planned events in Johannesburg and kicks off a broader tour that will span five countries in Africa. Through 100 events between June and November, the Curiosity Cube aims to reach over 15,000 students in Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa.
The expansion into Africa reflects the company's commitment to advancing STEM. 'Expanding the Curiosity Cube to Africa marks an important milestone,' said Jeffrey Whitford, Vice President of Sustainability and Social Business Innovation. 'The potential for the next generation of STEM minds is extraordinary. Our goal is to increase our impact in 2025 and beyond, creating more opportunities for the youth in Southern Africa to be curious and help support an environment full of the inspiration they need to pursue their dreams.'
To learn more about the Curiosity Cube mobile science lab, visit TheCuriosityCube.com and follow the Curiosity Cube on Instagram @curiositycube_milliporesigma.
Visit 3BL Media to see more multimedia and stories from MilliporeSigma
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News24
an hour ago
- News24
SA's national bird now listed as vulnerable
South Africa's national bird, the blue crane, now faces a high risk of extinction, as it was recently uplisted from near threatened to vulnerable in the latest regional red data book classification system. The Regional Red Data Book follows the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List framework – and covers South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini. The IUCN has also listed the blue crane as vulnerable. The regional red data book's assessment reflects that the blue crane faces a high risk of extinction in the wild, in the medium term, the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) noted in a statement. The EWT also pointed out that the species' decline in the Overberg, in the Western Cape, is of particular concern, as blue cranes occur in this region at higher densities than anywhere else in South Africa. The bird population in the Overberg has declined at an alarming rate of 44% in 14 years (between 2011-2025) according to data collected through a citizen science project, the Coordinated Avifaunal Roadcounts (CAR). CAR is conducted twice a year, relying on volunteers to count birds along specific routes. The data that is collected helps inform conservation decisions, as well as the decision to up-list the blue crane to vulnerable, EWT said. The blue crane population is projected to decline by 'more than 30% over three generations', said EWT conservation scientist Dr Christie Craig. Recent research by Craig showed that breeding success in the Overberg region in the Western Cape has halved since 30 years ago. The causes of the decline in the Overberg in the last 14 years remain unclear. Another researcher, Michelle Bouwer, has found that disturbance and high temperatures are also impacting nesting negatively, the EWT said. 'It certainly looks like, if temperatures are going to continue getting higher, that could definitely be a concern, and higher temperatures could be what's causing blue cranes to breed less well than they used to,' said Craig. Barbed wires and loose fences are another concern. When chicks get stuck in loose fences, they often can't get out and die. Older blue cranes can also get stuck in fences while flying when they can't see at night, explained Craig. Blue cranes are also affected by unintended poisoning and collisions with power lines. As for the latter, the EWT pointed out that power line collisions have declined in the past 15 years. This is mainly due to collaborations between EWT and Eskom to have the power lines marked, so the birds can see them better. Blue cranes are often found in agricultural areas, and conservation efforts in the Overberg have been driven by actively engaging landowners to raise awareness about the birds' protection and ensure that farming and cranes coexist peacefully. Conservation efforts must continue to address these threats — power line collisions, protection of natural habitats, and reducing poisoning and fence entanglements. 'The uplisting of blue cranes has demonstrated that this species is dependent on ongoing conservation efforts, especially as they occur almost entirely outside of protected areas,' Craig said.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
First images from new observatory bring night sky to life ‘like never before'
The first dazzling images have been released from the National Science Foundation and Department of Energy's Vera C. Rubin Observatory, capturing the night sky 'like never before.' The snapshots reveal the stunning result of more than 10 hours of test observations, snapping the mysterious wonder of the cosmos. They include millions of stars and galaxies and thousands of asteroids in hues of ruby, sapphire, and gold inlaid against the inky blackness of our known universe. Several thousand light-years away from Earth, the Trifid and Lagoon nebulas – vast clouds of gas and dust – exist. We see them here in flamingo pink. The newly released pictures preview the observatory's upcoming 10-year scientific mission to help humans better understand our place on the pale blue dot known as Earth. 'NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory will capture more information about our Universe than all optical telescopes throughout history combined,' Brian Stone, who is performing the duties of the National Science Foundation director, said in a statement. 'Through this remarkable scientific facility, we will explore many cosmic mysteries, including the dark matter and dark energy that permeate the Universe.' 'We're entering a golden age of American science,' Harriet Kung, acting director of Department of Energy's Office of Science, said. 'NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory reflects what's possible when the federal government backs world-class engineers and scientists with the tools to lead.' The observatory, named in honor of the trailblazing U.S. astronomer who established the presence of dark matter in galaxies, rests on the summit of Chile's Cerro Pachón mountain. The culmination of more than two decades of work, it holds an 8.4-meter telescope with the largest digital camera ever built. The camera is the size of a small car and weighs nearly 6,200 pounds. Known as the LSST Camera, each image it takes covers an area on the sky as big as 45 full Moons. Its primary mission will begin later this year. Known as the Legacy Survey of Space and Time, the telescope will skim the sky every night for approximately 10 years, taking an ultra-high-definition time-lapse of the universe and helping to make what scientists promise will be billions of scientific discoveries: some we cannot even think of yet. The observatory's work seeks to answer numerous queries related to dark energy and Rubin's work surrounding dark matter: an unseen substance that drives normal matter, including gas and dust. Although dark matter and dark energy comprise 95 percent of the universe, their properties remain unknown. Astronomers didn't even know it existed until the 20th century. NASA scientists are also planning to use their new Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope to try to better define it come 2027. Although, the agency's proposed budget would slash its science funding. But, in terms of what we can see, the observatory will gather more data in its first year alone than that collected by all optical observatories combined. It will be the most efficient and effective solar system discovery machine ever built, according to its operators. Taking images that cover the Southern sky every three-to-four nights, it will find unseen asteroids, bolstering our planetary defense capabilities. Ultimately, what the observatory will provide is progress. Scientists will be able to conduct their own investigations into Rubin's data remotely. 'This treasure trove of data will help scientists make countless discoveries about the universe and will serve as an incomparable resource for scientific exploration for decades to come,' the groups asserted.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Austin Area Foundation announces scholarship recipients
Jun. 23—The Austin Area Foundation has announced the four scholarship winners for the 2025 application cycle. Reese Norton and Anna Kossman were awarded the Carl and Stella Ruzek Scholarship. Norton is a criminology major and will attend PennWest Clarion University in the fall. Kossman plans to major in Kinesiology at University of Northern Iowa. "My volunteer experiences have not only allowed me to give back to my community but have also strengthened my sense of leadership, teamwork, and responsibility," Kossman said. The Ruzek scholarship was established in 2005, by Michael, David, and Daniel Ruzek to honor and recognize their parents' belief in the importance of education. The Austin Area Foundation took over the administration of this scholarship in 2022. Nadia Souvannarath won the Austin Area Foundation Scholarship for Education majors and is an Education major at Riverland Community College. "I want to be the kind of teacher I wish I had, someone who reflects the diversity of her students, who understands the importance of inclusive education, and who creates a space where every child feels seen, heard, and valued," Souvannarath said. The Education scholarship was established in 2021 to encourage and support students interested in a career in education. The scholarship honors the careers and dedicated service of former Austin educators David Krenz, Don Fox, and Dick Lees. Mackenzie Andrews was awarded the Rick Herreid Science Scholarship. Andrews is a biology major focused on insect biology at Purdue University and stated in her application that her high school science labs sparked her science interest. "One of my memorable moments was dissecting a chicken wing in my senior year and observing how the muscles, tendons, and ligaments worked together to produce a movement," she said. "Something that seems so simple, yet it is a product of complex interactions." The Rick Herreid Science Scholarship was established in 2024 in memory and honor of Herreid, a former Hormel Foods Research and Development scientist and board member of the Science Fair Mentoring Project. Austin Area Foundation's next scholarship application cycle starts March 1, 2026 and is open until April 30. The criteria to apply to each scholarship are provided on the Austin Area Foundation website. For more information visit and click "About" at the top of the page and select "AAF Scholarships" from the menu to learn more about these opportunities.
