Innholdsfortegnelse for September - October 2022 i Popular Mechanics South Africa

WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR BOAT

I’VE BEEN IN, AROUND, and towed behind boats from a very young age (see evidence below). I spent my childhood in the Eastern Cape, where there are dozens of rivers and estuaries that are perfect for boating, and we were a family that spent as much time on the water as we could. Every three-week winter holiday entailed a trek to the Wild Coast, where we stayed in a beach shack without any electricity (who knew how well that would prepare me for city life in South Africa as an adult!). We were in boats of all shapes and sizes from sunup to sunset, and sometimes even beyond, when night-time fishing expeditions were on the agenda. Paddle skis, rafts, kayaks, canoes, at one time or another, as well as engined…

2 min

The age of mammals

AFTER the fiery collision and destruction of an asteroid, and the ensuing global nuclear winter, the age of dinosaurs ended. The Earth was healing and the age of mammals – the period in which we find ourselves now – had officially begun. It needs to be asked: How did some of these mammals survive this colossal asteroid, outlast dinosaurs, and make the world their own? Mammals, at least some of them, are cute and fluffy. They’re also charming, often charismatic, and interesting. We relate to them on a deeper level, because we too are mammals. And that’s where Steve Brusatte’s latest book, The Rise and Reign of the Mammals, kicks off. Brusatte, a likeable palaeontologist, unpacks how mammals, in a dinosaur-free world, grew in stature in the animal kingdom, migrated,…

2 min

Maths could’ve saved Texas’s power grid in 2021

TO KEEP THE STATE’S GRID RUNNING, operators at the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) must supply up to 75 000 megawatts of power to meet demand. But a cascade of events on 14 February 2021 – rare plummeting temperatures, up to 28 cm of snowfall, thousands of people turning up their thermostats simultaneously, and power plants spontaneously going offline – meant an extended loss of power for millions of people. Functions often fail at the edge of their range of validity, leading to so-called edge cases: a situation that occurs only at an extreme operating parameter. An edge case can be expected or unexpected. A stereo speaker might distort audio when played at maximum volume, or a website designed to handle 10 000 users might crash when 50 000…

3 min

A brief history of NTP programmes

NERVA In 1961, NASA and the Atomic Energy Commission investigated the use of NTP with the Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application (NERVA) programme. Like DRACO, NERVA would generate thrust by using a nuclear reactor to heat and expel hydrogen. NASA envisioned using an NTP engine as the third and final stage of an otherwise chemical rocket. However, NASA ultimately scrapped the promising programme in 1973 due to lack of funding for the project. PROJECT ORION In the early 1960s, Project Orion aimed to put a spacecraft into orbit and beyond by detonating a string of nuclear bombs underneath it – an idea made possible by shielding the spacecraft (and spacefarers) with a large graphite plate. The craft would ride the shockwave into the atmosphere on a pillar of successive…

1 min

Researchers say they’ve finally sequenced the entire human genome. Yes, all of it

IN JUNE 2000, SCIENTISTS ANNOUNCED THE first draft of the human genome sequence had been completed. Generating the sequence was a technical feat – one that allowed scientists to begin reading humanity’s genetic blueprint – but it was still missing about eight per cent of the genome. Now, an international consortium of about 100 scientists, dubbed the Telomere-to-Telomere (T2T) Consortium, say they’ve finally assembled the human genome in its entirety. If their work, which was published on 27 May 2021 to the preprint website bioRxiv, holds up to peer review, it could change the future of medicine. As researchers become more familiar with humanity’s genetic code, they can, for example, make more precise and effective medicines – including the kind of gene-focused treatment that powered the first effective COVID-19 vaccines.…

4 min

Save the Northern White Rhino

The day before he was euthanised by veterinarians in March of 2018, Sudan collapsed in the dirt at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, where he had lived since 2009. He was worn out and in pain. AT AGE 45, SUDAN WAS THE FINAL progenitor of Earth’s most endangered animal species: the northern white rhinoceros. As the last male northern white in the world, he was both a global icon for conservation and a two-and-a-half-ton target – because the horn of even the most precious rhino is not safe from poachers. He lived out his final years under 24/7 armed protection at the conservancy, along with two of his female relatives. Half a world away, Barbara Durrant felt it. She had never met Sudan, but she knew Nola. Most people…

16 min

Bionic augmentation… Humanity’s next big leap?

TRANSHUMANISTS, BIOHACKERS AND CYBORGS What does it mean to be a ‘natural’ human? While you wouldn’t necessarily call someone with a pacemaker or cochlear implant a cyborg, it’s irrefutable that what they have inside of them is a piece of technology that’s helping them to live a longer, healthier life. The science of prosthetics has made significant progress. Just consider for a moment the advancements in the prosthetics used by athletes in the Paralympic Games. When artificial limbs are designed with a specific sport in mind, they sometimes outperform what a human appendage can achieve. This begs the question: Are exoskeletons and brain computers next on the human-augmentation agenda? There are already people out there who are choosing to augment their bodies. Neil Harbisson is a colour-blind artist who has…

4 min

DRILL MASTER

REVIEWED WORX SLAMMER DRILL THE WORX SLAMMER HAMMER DRILL is a tool you don’t think you need until you have one in your hand. It’s like the magic wand of cordless power drills, doing things you didn’t know were possible with this type of machine. And I say that unreservedly, because I’ve spent many hours with this tool tackling a variety of challenging drilling and screwing tasks, and it’s breezed through them all without so much as even one stammer … just lots of ‘slammer’. While it might look like any other cordless drilling machine – and yes, it has the versatility of a conventional cordless hand drill – it goes beyond your expectations with several clever innovations. On the top, towards the back, is the gear-selection switch, and you…

4 min

PROCESS

STEP 1 [Preparation]: Prepare all components to size, according to the cutting list. The entire project is made from boards of 10 mm thick, except for the removable insert divider at 6 mm thick. So, by using standard 26 mm-thick rough-sawn boards and carefully rip-sawing them down the middle (as we have done by hand), they will easily yield two boards of around 11–12 mm thick, that you will plane down to 10 mm exactly. You can still proceed if you end up with a final thickness of under 10 mm, but it must not be less than 9 mm. The traditional reason for employing boards at this thickness is to reduce the weight of the final piece, as a lap desk is meant to be reasonably portable. Even using…

7 min

A touch of the East

After giving our entrance hall a makeover and papering the walls with a Chinese theme, I decided to make a lamp table to match. I used some old mahogany offcuts that I had for the main table and a piece of 6 mm MDF for the section with the fancy design. I ‘borrowed’ the design from one of the patterns on the wallpaper. To start with, I cut the various components to size using my radial arm saw. The mouldings were done with a router. All of the components were then sanded before assembly. I used a hand jigsaw to create the design, and a small spokes have and hand chisel to finish it off. No glue was used during the assembly phase of the project. All of the components…

5 min

How to safely enter a black hole

OUR UNDER STANDING OF BLACK HOLES has exploded in recent years, with landmark works such as the photograph of the Messier 87 galaxy’s supermassive black hole and the recent discovery of a ‘tiny’ three-sun-mass black hole in our own galaxy. But what would it be like to make the next leap: to visit – and even enter – a black hole? We asked the experts. First, to survive long enough to explore a black hole, you must find a big one, says Janna Levin, PhD, an astrophysicist at Barnard College of Columbia University. Black holes form when matter condenses into a tiny amount of space, like when a massive star collapses in on itself. This creates a point of infinitely strong gravity – a singularity – and a surrounding region…

4 min

CHALLENGER: A CASE STUDY

A mere 73 seconds after lift-off, on 28 January 1986, NASA’s Challenger space shuttle blew apart, killing all seven astronauts aboard. A review commission found a few edge cases that contributed to the spacecraft’s demise, but most notably, exceptionally cold temperatures were to blame. Challenger’s solid rockets were rated for temperatures of 4°C or higher, but ground temperature at launch was just -4.5°C. That, in turn, caused a seal located on the shuttle’s right solid rocket booster – known as an O-ring – to malfunction at launch, letting out hot, pressurised gas. The gas ruptured a strut connecting the booster to the external fuel tank, destroying both.…

1 min

The radioactive diamond battery that will run for 28 000 years

IN LESS THAN TWO YEARS, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE to buy a smartwatch – powered with a radioactive diamond battery – that will outlive you and your progeny for generations. The potentially game-changing battery comes from the San Francisco-based start-up Nano Diamond Battery (NDB), which lauds its namesake ‘high-power diamond-based alpha, beta, and neutron voltaic battery’ for its ability to give devices ‘life-long and green energy’. Imagine: Just one battery could power your insulin pump or pacemaker for your entire life (with loads of time to spare). Or it could provide the juice for a space rover, collecting Mars regolith samples for decades without any human assistance. Those are ambitious goals. So, could NDB’s bold claims actually become reality? First, let’s dissect the specs. To build its Nano Diamond Battery,…

4 min

How the human genome is helping to fight COVID-19

Since the beginning of the pandemic a few years ago, scientists have raced to figure out why some people contract severe cases of Covid from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, while others experience few to no symptoms at all. In a recent study published to the journal Nature, an international team of roughly 3 000 scientists combed through genetic data from 46 studies and pinpointed 13 locations in the human genome that influence the susceptibility and severity of the disease. This information could help scientists identify high-risk populations and develop better treatments. To see this research in action, read ‘Can America’s fastest supercomputer defeat COVID for good?’, on page 48 of the July/August 2022 issue.…

1 min

THE ACCIDENTAL UNDERWATER DISCOVERY THAT CHANAGE ARCHAEOLOGY FOREVER

On 4 February 1995, Dr Bruno Werz was diving on the wreck of the Waddinxveen – one of two Dutch East India Company (VOC) ships that sank near Milnerton in a violent storm on 24 May 1697 – when he made an astonishing discovery. At the bottom of a four-metre-deep hole he’d dug into the seabed to study the local stratigraphy, he found a fist-shaped piece of rock that he immediately recognised as a prehistoric hand axe, used by early hominids between 300 000 and 1.6 million years ago. The Acheulean tool (named after the site of Saint-Acheul in France) would have been used to ‘dig up roots and tubers, to butcher carcasses, to chop wood, and to break open bones to obtain the nutritious marrow inside,’ says Werz. ‘My…

5 min

Hybrid Humans

Harry Parker (pictured right) joined the British Army at the age of 23. Three years later, while serving in Afghanistan, he lost both his legs in an explosion. Ten weeks after that, he stood in prosthetics for the first time, attributes that now make him 12 per cent machine. Parker spoke to POPULAR MECHANICS about what it means to be partially machine, the innovations that come with his disability, as well as his new book, Hybrid Humans. POPULAR MECHANICS: Can technology make us feel more human? Harry Parker: Without my prosthetic legs, I feel much less human. I can’t interact with my family and society in a way that I would like because I am on the floor or I’m in a wheelchair. When I have my legs on and…

4 min

BUILD A CLASSIC LAP DESK

FROM EARLY Bible boxes, to the Monticello lap desk that Thomas Jefferson used when drafting the US Declaration of Independence (or so the legend goes), many forms of this simple yet eminently usable piece of portable furniture have been created over the past 400 or so years. Ours is a simplified version of a Shaker lap desk by internationally renowned furniture maker, Christian Becksvoort. Whether you yearn for the look, feel and smell of traditional ink-pen handwritten correspondence, or you need to work on your laptop without obstructing its fans or burning your thighs, this intermediate-level project will make a great end-of-year gift to yourself or a significant other. This lap-desk project will run over two issues. In this first instalment, we create the dovetailed carcass and base panel. In…

2 min

OCCUPATION

FILSON IS, AND ALWAYS has been, a workwear brand. It outfitted folks seeking treasure in the Klondike Gold Rush, and we continue to equip loggers, hunters, explorers, and others today. We prioritise function and purpose. Style is the by-product of gear that’s really made for the outdoors. Our signature products include the rugged twill duffel bags and Mackinaw Cruiser wool jacket. Our rugged twill is 100 per cent cotton and constructed from two- and threeply yarn sewn in a diagonal weave that enhances the yarn’s density and tear strength. Our Cruiser jacket is 100 per cent virgin wool, which is fleece shorn directly from sheep and spun into sturdy yarn. We manufacture in our headquarters, so we have eyes on the entire production process. I’m very committed to preserving the…

1 min

Volkswagen Polo GTI 2.0 TSI 147 kW

YES, THIS POLO costs nearly half a million rand. But it’s not like other Polos; it carries those magical three letters – GTI – that elevate it into a different realm of motoring. It’s a realm loved and lauded by many, and, judging by the one week I spent with the car, this new version of Polo GTI will continue to turn heads and garner broad smiles, and thrill those who get behind its wheel. While it’s not cheap, it’s about R200k less than its bigger sibling, the Golf GTI. That in itself will make it a lot more attainable for those who can’t live life without a hot hatch in the garage. Its key credentials are impressive: A 0–100 km/h sprint time of 6.7 seconds, a top speed of…

3 min

Clever tips and lifehacks

SLIM SOLUTION I created the perfect workbench solution, for if you live in a home that has limited garage- or workshop space. I designed and built a slim workshop bench that’s lockable, and on wheels, allowing you to move it around easily wherever you need it. The main bench section is made from pine, while the flip-up workspace is made from shutterply. There is also dedicated storage space built in, and the top surface accommodates several of my power tools with ease.…

1 min

TIME MACHINE

1 SEPTEMBER 1985 Steam’s Back on the Fast Track A beautiful steam engine, train Number 611, graced the cover of this issue. It was one of the last steam locomotives to be built in America. While diesel and electric technology had dominated the rail scene for many years, the associated story suggested a revival in interest in steam power, due to rising fuel costs. New steam-engine technology was being considered, and a concept drawing helped explain how the system would work. One of the proposed solutions, the Wormster Grate, was said to offer savings in fuel costs of up to $300 000 a year. 2 OCTOBER 1977 Hanging a Bridge With a Bend This is an article about the unconventional design and construction solutions of master bridge builder, Dr TY…

2 min

So, how do scientists really study black holes?

The groundbreaking snapshot of M87*, the supermassive black hole at the centre of the M87 galaxy about 55 million light years away from Earth, was a product of the Event Horizon Telescope, an international collaboration between more than 200 researchers. Using a technique called very long baseline interferometry, eight synchronised ground-based radio observatories around the world formed, in essence, one Earth-sized radio telescope powerful enough to make high-resolution observations roughly 4 000 times those of the Hubble Space Telescope. The team recently released additional images that reveal the pace at which M87* gobbles up its surroundings and display the web-like structure of magnetic field lines, which swirl around the black hole and shape massive jets of energetic particles emanating from its centre.…

1 min

The Pentagon wants to launch a nuclear thermal rocket in 4 years

PICTURE THIS: WORLD WAR III IS JUST hours away. In the cold vastness of space, enemy robotic spacecraft are slowly adjusting their orbits and preparing to launch a surprise attack on the US’s fleet of satellites. The uncrewed craft, with robotic arms strong enough to disable a satellite, are creeping up on American spacecraft, about to deal a knockout blow to the US military. But down on Earth, US Space Force guardians have been keeping track of the assassin craft, knowing that in order to present as low a profile target as possible, they have just enough fuel for one attack. At the last minute, after the enemy satellites have committed to attack, the command activates the nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) engines on the American satellites, quickly boosting them into…

3 min

Why blue diamonds?

The diamonds in NDB’s battery have a beautiful blue hue, thanks to the trace amounts of boron contained in their carbon structure. These blue diamonds are artificial, but are reminiscent of true blue diamonds, which are some of the rarest gemstones on Earth. According to findings from an August 2018 study in Nature, they’re formed in Earth’s lower mantle, which is about 660 to 2 700 km below the surface. As such, you can only find blue diamonds in three mines in the entire world, which helps explain their hefty price tag: roughly $15 700 for a 0.3 carat light blue diamond, and $75 000 for a 0.25 carat dark blue diamond.…

1 min

GEAR&GADGETS

ECOFLOW DELTA POWER STATION SOUTH AFRICANS HAVE a penchant for developing unique skills, and, because of the ongoing problems at our state-owned electricity provider, more recently those skills have included cunning ways to keep the power on at our homes, one way or another, during load-shedding events. The EcoFlow Delta is a device that will help you achieve that. It truly sets the standard for mobile battery-powered generators. It’s compatible with a wide variety of devices, such as laptops, screens, TVs and more, just what you need when the electricity is no longer flowing from your plugs. It’s sturdily made in a durable case, which is designed with mobility in mind – that translates well to taking it with you on your camping holiday, or to your worksite, if you’re…

15 min

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AT 777 PINE STREET?

WE WALKED INTO THE HOUSE FOR THE FIRST TIME ON AN IMPECCABLE AUTUMN AFTERNOON, the kind where the light takes on the hue of burnished gold. It was October of 2009, and we were looking at homes in a small, appealing town in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. The place had been staged for our visit, of course, but the red and burnt-yellow leaves falling from an old maple tree in the backyard twirled and waltzed with an unpremeditated perfection. There was a huge hearth and a brick patio and a seven-foot cedar fence surrounding the garden, which at almost an acre was massive for a house in town. Ann and I took this in through two enormous living room windows – like twin IMAX screens projecting visions of some impossibly idyllic…

34 min

THIS IS THE EASIEST DIY BOAT-BUILDING METHOD WE’VE EVER SEEN

IN THE SUMMER of 1974, Sam Devlin was working on a tugboat in Alaska when he read the first issue of Wooden Boat Magazine. He was immediately entranced. ‘I couldn’t shake the image of that wooden boat from my head,’ Devlin says. ‘I can even see it today, almost five decades later.’ Devlin had loved boats from a young age and had worked on fibreglass boats in the past, but the process lacked creativity, he says, and didn’t challenge him. This wooden boat, though, was something different. A natural craftsman, Devlin believed wooden boatbuilding was a career he could be proud of. He leaned into the idea of making vessels that were both beautiful and functional – something that would last. Physical labour suited his strong, tall frame. And as…

8 min

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1 min

WIN WITH MASTER LOCK

Master Lock M1 Excell Padlock: The boron-alloy body of this lock is 50 per cent stronger than standard padlocks, and the octagonal boron-carbide shackle provides maximum cut resistance. Master Lock 4-Dial Combination Lock: The 6 mm-diameter and 26 mm-long shackle is made from cutting- and saw-resistant chrome-plated steel. Set your own combination. Master Lock Keyed Locking Cable: The 1.8 m-long self-coiling braided-steel cable is designed for maximum strength. The vinyl coating prevents scratches and protects the cable. Master Lock Rod Lock: The 15 mm-wide metal body and 3 mm-diameter steel shackle and cable are highly resistant to tampering and cutting. Master Lock Tower Combination Lock: Set your own combination on this sturdy padlock featuring a 37 mm-wide zinc body. Send your tips to popularmechanics@ramsaymedia.co.za with the subject line: ‘Do It…

1 min