Wits Radio Academy THE SCIENCE INSIDE

THE SCIENCE INSIDE

The Science Inside is a weekly show that goes inside the science of major news events. We take a news story each week - from a missing plane to the world cup - and dissect the science angles involved. We indulge every scientific discipline, from biology to psychology, and incorporate the insights of scientists, journalists and researchers in order to tell interesting radio stories.

The Science Inside is presented by Bridget Lepere.
Production by Bridget Lepere.
Technical production by Kutlwano Gwinch Serame.

The show airs on Voice of Wits every Monday at 7pm.
Weekly English South Africa Science
72 Episodes
12 – 32

THE SCIENCE INSIDE - Honouring Women In Science: Science Communication

In commemorating women’s month, the Science Inside dedicates the entire month to all South African women contributing to the various fields in science and science communication. We start of today’s show with those who once graced the Science Inside with their skills and talent. We get in conversation with Elna…
28 Aug 2019 50 min

THE SCIENCE INSIDE - Disruptive tech

In tonight’s show, we hear from software businessman and tech innovator, Luyanda Vappie on how he and his business partner Motsholane Sebola’s innovation is disrupting modern day computing. They have built Prism, the world’s first personal computer that utilises laser for virtual peripheral input and output. On Unscience, we learn…
28 Aug 2019 55 min

THE SCIENCE INSIDE - Climate change and Disaster Management

Tonight we unpack the African Centre on Philanthropy & social Investment’s dialogue on the prospects of mitigating risks associated with climate change, particularly as it pertains to disaster management and planning strategies in the likely event of a natural disaster striking. On Unscience, we chat about how eating insects rather…
28 Aug 2019 49 min

THE SCIENCE INSIDE - Ugly Side of Beauty-Mica

Tonight’s show looks into a naturally found mineral used to add glimmer in our cosmetics. The mineral is currently mined by about 22 000 minors in India as a means to feed their families, but sadly some do not make it out alive. This week’s Unscience investigates how Bitcoin is…
20 Jul 2019 52 min

THE SCIENCE INSIDE - Food Insecurity

Statistics reveal that 90% of South Africa’s food ends up in the landfill and on this show, we find out from the University of Free State’s researcher and diet professor, Louise Van Der Burg about what is driving food insecurity nationally and globally. Later in the show, we hear about…
20 Jul 2019 40 min

THE SCIENCE INSIDE - Blood

The South African National Blood Services Operations Testing Manager, Charl Coleman talks about how chemical biology researchers at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, will convert blood type A into a universally acceptable type through the use of human gut microbes. On Unscience, we look at a chilling, rare…
20 Jul 2019 50 min

THE SCIENCE INSIDE - Big Data

With mounting amounts of data production and consumption worldwide, this week we aim to understand the concept of ‘Big Data’ and what it means for us all. For a better and broader understanding, we speak to Terrence van Zyl from the School of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics at Witwatersrand…
19 Jun 2019 30 min

THE SCIENCE INSIDE- Feature Scientist - Nkululeko Tunzi

Nkululeko Tunzi, born and bred in Soweto, Dube, is our feature scientist this month. The Tshwane University of Technology, school of computer science graduate has been making country-wide headlines recently, after having invented an innovative walking stick that aids blind people to navigate around their spaces with much ease. In…
19 Jun 2019 51 min

THE SCIENCE INSIDE - Genetics App

In our main story, SBIMB students at the Wits University have developed a genetics app that will educate South Africans on how genetics work; we also featured baby Sinazo and his parents to take us through their story. In the news, new research finds that too much of unnecessary antibiotics…
11 Jun 2019 41 min

THE SCIENCE INSDIE - Renewable Energy

This week we kick-started the show with a story on how Wits University students have power generating have patented at the PeCo power system, which in future may power up homes with solar power where we may see its effects unburdening the national power grid from the demand. In unscience…
11 Jun 2019 49 min

THE SCIENCE INSIDE - Featured Scientist – Tebogo Masebe

This month we feature Tebogo Masebe, a Geomorphologist, who has just completed her masters in geography at Rhodes University. She speaks us about being part of an all female contingent that went on a voyage to the Antarctica for research purposes in 2016. In the news, we speak to a…
11 Jun 2019 52 min

THE SCIENCE INSIDE - Hyperandrogenism

In our main story, we spoke about the regulation of hyperandrogenism, a medical condition characterized by excessive levels of androgens in both female and male athletes. We looked at the ethical implications that come with the regulation of the condition through the inducing of hormone suppressing drugs. On Unscience, we…
11 Jun 2019 50 min

THE SCIENCE INSIDE - Light pollution

As the world, particularly Africa, battles to keep the lights on, there are quite a few risks to keeping our man-made lights on. Join us in this week’s show as we chat with nature conservationist from the Witwatersrand University, Dr Bernard Coetzee to explore the dark side of light. In…
11 Jun 2019 43 min

THE SCIENCE INSIDE - Featured Scientist – Dr Nosiphiwe Nqwala

This month we feature Dr Nosiphiwe Ngqwala is a senior Lecturer at the Pharmacy Department at Rhodes University. She has special interests in pharmaceutical chemistry, water, sanitation and the removal of pharmaceuticals from wastewater. In the news, we discuss how India managed to evacuate over a million people ahead of…
11 Jun 2019 51 min

THE SCIENCE INSIDE - SKAO Treaty

South Africa has put its signature on the international treaty establishing the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) as an intergovernmental organisation tasked with building and operating the world's most powerful radio astronomy telescope. The treaty establishes the SKAO as only the second intergovernmental organisation dedicated to astronomy in the world,…
27 Mar 2019 50 min

THE SCIENCE INSIDE - Featured Scientist – Collins Saguru

Our featured scientist for this Month is Collins Saguru who is a chemical engineer, a research fellow at the University of the Witwatersrand in the department of chemical engineering. He has developed an economical, environmentally sustainable and novel method of recovering and reusing precious metals found in the autocatalytic converters…
5 Mar 2019 56 min

THE SCIENCE INSIDE - Human Settlement

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has in the recent weeks held a showcase of the future roadmap of what human settlements could look like. The strategic framework recognises the demand and need for alternative and innovative technologies being in the built environment to help achieve citizens' right…
1 Mar 2019 45 min

THE SCIENCE INSIDE - WiFi

In light of the challenges currently faced by the South African national power utility Eskom, we look at how scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found alternative ways of harvesting electricity from WIFI signals. In unscience, we discuss how new research findings suggest that the brain is able…
22 Feb 2019 48 min

THE SCIENCE INSIDE - Feature Scientist - Mpho Tshisaphungo

Our very first feature scientist for year is Mpho Tshisaphungo, who is the first female to head the space weather centre at the South African National Space Agency. She talks about how her career in space weather found her and how being the best keeps her on her toes. On…
6 Feb 2019 50 min

THE SCIENCE INSIDE - Feature Scientist - Zamaswazi Tshabalala

It’s our very last show for the year and we close it off with a feature scientist, physicist, Zamaswazi Tshabalala of the CSIR (The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research).She specialises in nanotechnology applications that improve gas-sensing mechanisms. In the news we hear about the world’s first genetically-edited human twins…
4 Dec 2018 51 min
12 – 32