SATURDAY, 07 JUNE 2025, 19:12
On-brand mathematics
Numbers can be odd, even, prime, square, natural, perfect, complex, rational…and as from today they can also be guardians.
Let the numbers be 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on. The guardian of x is the next number that shares at least one digit of x.
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Zero Carbon Charge (CHARGE), South Africa’s pioneer in developing a nationwide network of off-grid, solar-powered electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, has secured a R100 million equity investment from the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA). This funding accelerates the country’s shift toward a net-zero transport economy while reinforcing climate-resilient infrastructure....
As Altron marks its 60th anniversary, the JSE-tech listed group has delivered a stellar financial performance, showcasing 50% growth in operating profit to R972 million and a 27% surge in EBITDA to R1.8 billion for the year ending February 2025. This strong performance emphasises the company’s resilience amid economic uncertainty and its ability to execute a disciplined growth...
Reshaad Sha and Louis du Toit are involved in the buyout of Altron Nexus from JSE-listed Altron Group.
Pick n Pay said on Monday that its online business is now profitable on a “full costed basis”.
The planet will reach its maximum western elongation from the sun, making it visible in the early hours
Venus will reach maximum western elongation from the sun on 31 May. Maximum elongation means that it appears as far from the sun as it can, making it the most easily visible. The fact that it is to the sun’s west means that it is visible in the morning sky.
From the UK, Venus rises at about...
With a leap in the evolution of large language models, some leading thinkers are questioning whether AI might become sentient
The New York Times reviewed a guest list and social media posts to identify who was invited to President Trump’s private event for customers of his cryptocurrency business on Thursday and a White House tour on Friday. Here are some of them.
The leaders of these companies have the responsibility to navigate tough economic conditions and a rapidly changing technological landscape while attempting to maximise value for shareholders.
Apple’s market value has fallen behind Microsoft’s and Nvidia’s amid increasing political and AI pressures.
Elon Musk is shifting his attention back to his business empire amid growing investor concerns.
The administration is attacking research, health and the environment. We might seem unlikely activists – but we have a duty to dissent
There is a stereotype that the natural political activists in academia are the humanities professors: literary scholars, social theorists and critics of culture are the ones who speak truth to power and fight back against oppression.
Yet scientists also ought to...
Resort fees, cleaning fees, service fees: Those charges now must be disclosed upfront. But the fight against “junk fees” is far from over.
A high-stakes legal battle is brewing over the sale of Shell’s downstream business in South Africa, valued at $1 billion (R18 billion), according to Sunday Times. The dispute centers on Swiss energy giant Gunvor’s last-minute decision to replace Afrifund Investments, led by businessman Sipho Maseko, with Matasis Investment Holdings—a Johannesburg-based firm headed by former Northern […]
On this Africa Day, as we reflect on the journey of the continent and the hopes of its people, we must widen our lens to see the deeper, invisible frontiers that define sovereignty in the 21st century. One of these frontiers is data. In a world where data has become the scaffolding of how humanity […]
This year’s G20 and B20 meetings present a crucial opportunity to advance financial inclusion and cross-border digital payments across Africa, transforming the continent into a more integrated trade region, reported the Sunday Times. This is the view of Deputy Finance Minister David Masondo, who spoke at the B20’s Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion plenary in […]
My wife, family, and friends – all Vodacom investors – have questioned why I insist the company must pay Nkosana Makate billions for his “Please Call Me” (PCM) invention, writes Gugu Lourie in the Sunday Times. I argue that R9.4bn is fair compensation, yet Vodacom has fought Makate in court for 25 years. Meanwhile, Vodacom’s […]
Communications Minister Solly Malatsi has rejected criticism of his policy directive easing BEE rules in the ICT sector, dismissing claims it was designed to benefit Elon Musk’s Starlink, according to the Sunday Times. The directive gazetted a day after President Cyril Ramaphosa’s White House meeting – attended by Musk – has sparked speculation, but Malatsi […]
As the BBC updates its groundbreaking series, a look at some of the recent scientific discoveries
It brought dinosaurs stomping and roaring into the sitting rooms of millions of viewers. Now, 25 years after the series first aired, a new, updated Walking With Dinosaurs is back on the BBC this weekend.
In the intervening years, science has not stood still. About 50 species have been discovered...
The move to relax Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment laws to enable Starlink to have a shot at setting up shop in South Africa has not only raised eyebrows but attracted the interest of Parliament. The Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies in Parliament has invited Minister Solly Malatsi and the Department of Communications and […]
Case of man carrying rare genetic variant fuels calls for limit on number of children that can be fathered by one donor
The sperm of a man carrying a rare cancer-causing mutation was used to conceive at least 67 children, 10 of whom have since been diagnosed with cancer, in a case that has highlighted concerns about the lack of internationally agreed limits on the use of donor sperm.
Experts...