Can you quickly tell me what is the sum of all the numbers between 8 and 24? You’re allowed to use a calculator. Answer 272 How did I do that so quickly? The answer is (24 – 8 + 1) x (24 + 8) divided by 2 That’s 17 x…
Just of few of the prizewinners of the year – And a few more –…
Let’s start with a bit. It is the smallest amount of information that can be stored with numbers. It’s like a switch that can only be off (0) or on (1). Why is it important? Because that’s how transistors, and therefore computers, work. Each transistor is a switch that is…
How do you know whether a number is divisible by 3? Let’s take an example 154 642 587 984 Here’s the long way – Add the numbers up. Total = 63 Add these numbers up Total = 9 If 9 is divisible by 3 (which, of course, it is), then…
At last! We’ve struggled to find the funds to rework the floor of the hall. In the end, it was our patron who lent the money to do the job and Mr Ndimande who made it all happen. Mr Ndimande has a very demanding job as a mining equipment engineer…
One of my most read articles is an old one called “How to pass every exam first time” It is essential reading for anyone who has to write exams. But if you just want the most critical tips, here they are – EXAMS ARE JUST…
Helen and I are busy learning Italian and I was struck by the names of the last four months of the year. There are twelve months in a year. Right? Well now, if that’s the case, then why are the last four named Seventh, Eight, Ninth, Tenth? Don’t believe me?…
In the last two articles I showed how English is both a Teutonic (Germanic) language and a Romance (French) language. Let’s see what that means. Not only will you find lots of German and French words in the language But for many words in English Germanic, there will also…
If you look at the map of the Roman Empire, you could be forgiven for thinking that this invasion lead to a dilution of the then Celtic English, especially as the Roman empire did not include Scotland and Ireland, where Celtic still survives. No doubt there was some…
Last week we talked about Celtic or Gaelic, which is probably the oldest surviving language in Britain. It was eventually largely displaced by Teutonic, or Germanic. This was the predominant language of Shakespeare’s time, with Gaelic surviving in Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Southwest England. Here’s a simplified indication of how…
Probably the oldest surviving language in Britain is Gaelic which is a branch of Celtic. Celtic was widely spoken in Western Europe including Britain, France, Poland, Austria, Germany and Czechoslovaki. The maps are only indicative, but the one below gives an indication of where the Celts lived originally. The…
Light acts as a flow of particles called photons, but it also acts as a wave. And it is the wave nature of light that determines colour. Red is low frequency (it has a long wavelength, the distance between peaks)- While blue is high frequency (it has a short…
The simple thermometer – for measuring temperature. As liquids heat up, they expand. This property is used in simple thermometers. The bulb contains most of the mercury (or alcohol) and the tube heading north is actually very thin and holds only a little of the liquid. As the temperature…
Another trip with loads of fun. Too many pics to post, so again, I’ve selected the best and put them into collages. Well done again Ms Dube, who took all the photos. …
Not only did we have fun dressing up, but we also had some fun with the camera. Here are some of the best shots taken by Ms. Dube, our talented photographer. If you would like any, please send me your name, email address and the competitor number. 10. Captain Khalima…
We all know that every 4th year is a leap year right? And how do you know which year that is? You divide the year (without the Century) by 4. If it goes exactly, then that’s a leap year. Right? Wrong! OK, so 2020 was a leap year because…
Can you imagine a strip of paper that only has one side and one edge? There is such a thing, and it’s called a Möbius Strip. Here’s how you make it. Cut a fairly long, thin strip of paper. Put some glue, paste or sticky tape on one end. Twist…
I find numbers quite fascinating. Have a look at the magic pyramid. That’s probably the most mind blowing of all examples. Here’s my second favourite, which also uses the properties of the number 9 – Multiplying by 9 with the fingers Let’s say you want to multiply 9 times…
In Knysna, Helen and I say that we don’t have seasons, we just have weather. By that we mean that it can be 29 degrees in the middle of winter and 15 degrees in the middle of summer. The hot winter days are caused by berg winds, and then a…
Let’s talk about triangulation in the sense that I became familiar with it – As keen birders, we would often hear a bird calling from a tree, but try as we might we couldn’t get our binoculars onto it. We would then separate and each point to the source of…
Let’s have a look at some of them – Oximoron – a self conflicting term Honest liar Pretty ugly Only choice Same difference Onomatopoeia – A word that sounds like what it describes Buzz Sizzle Snap Hiss Alliteration – words close together, starting with the same consonant, usually to create…
