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Professor Ed Sturrock FRSSAf, Convenor of the Royal Society's Essay Competition has announced the following results for 2010 - *the top two essays, nationally, will be published in the Transactions of the Royal Society of SA.
The Prizes, generously sponsored by the Claude Leon Foundation, are : 
1st - R2 000;    2nd - R1 250;    3rd - R750;    Merit - R250
Topic : ‘Stem cell research: what, in your opinion, are some of the opportunities and challenges’
1.   *Kate Muckart, Grade 11, St Marys DSG Kloof
2.     Richard Burman, Grade 12, Rondebosch Boys High School
3.     Jaimee van Niekerk, Grade 12, Wynberg Girls High School
Merit Awards : Ilan Kirkel, Grade 12, Hirsch Lyons Boys High School; Mark Hodgson, Grade 10, St David’s Marist, Inanda; Julia Green, Grade 12, Wynberg Girls High School
Topic : ‘Biodiversity : why does it matter to South Africa?'      
1.  *Chelsea Tucker, Grade 11, St Andrew’s School for Girls, Bedfordview
2.     Kirsten Dey, Grade 11, St Mary’s DSG, Kloof
3.     Nicola Suttle, Grade 12, Wynberg Girls High School
Merit Awards : Mohlakudishe Ramontja, Grade 11, Bopedi Bapedi High School; Claudine Jordaan, Grade 11, Hoer Volkskool, Potchestroom; Aqeela Meer, Grade 10, Parktown High School for Girls
Topic : ‘Will nanotechnology revolutionise the way we detect and cure disease in South Africa?’ 
1.  Abigail Janisch, Grade 11, Kings School Linbro Park,
2.  Andrew Beeton, Grade 11, St Stithians Boys College
3.  Lee Cackett, Grade 11, St Mary’s DSG, Kloof
Merit Awards : Nicholas Cuthbertson,  Grade 11, St Stithians Boys College; Lesedi Chibvupe, Grade 11, LIIVHA Combined School; Yumna Gaibee, Grade 11, Parktown High School for Girls
Primary School Topic - ‘South Africa has a wealth of medicinal plants.  How best can these plants be exploited for modern medicine while still protecting our biological resources?’
1.  Shannon de Vries, Grade 7, Bryandale Primary School
2.  Amber Godsell, Grade 7, Kings School Linbro Park, Linbro Park
3.  Trent Panzera, Grade 6, Bryandale Primary School
Merit Award : Shassie Janisch, Grade 7, Kings School Linbro Park, Linbro Park

Western Cape

Wednesday 18th August 2010 at 17h00 at the SAAO Auditorium,
Observatory, Cape Town

     Professor Heinrich Schwoerer
Laser Research Institute, Physics Department,
University of Stellenbosch

will present a public lecture entitled

  'The power of light - remarks on the occasion of the 50th birthday of the laser'

more detail to follow shortly

COMING UP IN THE CAPE IN 2010.....................

On September 15th : Professor Jill M Farrant FRSSAf (Molecular & Cellular Biology, UCT) on ' An overview of the mechanisms of desiccation tolerance exhibited by resurrection plants: from the molecular to the whole plant physiology'  (provisional title)         
On October 20th : Professor Stephanie Burton (Biocatalysis and Technical Biology Research Unit, CPUT)  on 'Free-radical oxidase biocatalysis and the generation of antioxidant products' (provisional title)  
On November 17th : Professor Kelly Chibale FRSSAf  (Chemistry, UCT) on 'Recent advances in the treatment of malaria.' (provisional title)

More detail to follow

Northern Branch

INVITATION : SPECIAL EVENT
Private viewing of the Malapa hominid fossils, Australopithecus sediba

 The Northern Branch committee is delighted to invite Royal Society Fellows and Members to a private viewing of the recently described, and extremely scientifically important, Malapa hominid fossils, Australopithecus sediba, at the Institute for Human Evolution at Wits University’s main campus on Saturday 14 August 2010.  There will be informal talks by:

Professor Lee Berger
(Reader in Human Evolution, Institute for Human Evolution, Wits University), on
‘Two skeletons of Australopithecus sediba from the Cradle of Humankind’
and
Professor Francis Thackeray FRSSAf
(Director of the Institute for Human Evolution, Wits University). on
‘Australopithicus sediba in relation to the lack of a clear boundary between Australopithecus and Homo’.