Science worth knowing …

	Opening up the wonderful world of science to young learners
	The Minister of Science and Technology, Derek Hanekom (right) during a recent visit to iThemba LABS
	Prof. Himla Soodyall is a medical scientist at the National Health Laboratory Service and an Associate Professor in the Division of Human Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, at the University of the Witwatersrand. She has received many awards and accolades, including the Order of Mapungubwe: Bronze Medal in 2005. Her research focuses on the genetic affinities of African populations and she has published widely on this topic.
	Inspiring the scientists of the future

It is so easy to get caught up in the art of doing things; interacting with people who have a sense of what you are doing. This often results in us losing sight of the bigger picture – why am I here and what is my value proposition? What is the benefit of my scientific endeavours to the communities on our doorstep?

The Minister of Science and Technology, Derek Hanekom made the following remark (my interpretation) during a recent visit to our facility: “It is fantastic to be involved in basic research, but it would be great to also report on our involvement in addressing some of the health issues, especially the treatment of cancer.”

“A day in the life of a PROTON”

iThemba LABS created an opportunity for the general public to gain a better understanding of its activities on Saturday, 31 August 2013. The Open Day, themed “A day in the life of a PROTON” offered guided tours of the facility and concluded with a public lecture by Prof. Himla Soodyall. The Community interaction and Training (CiT) division also offered workshops to younger visitors in partnership with the Outreach team at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO).

A day in the life of a PROTON presents the activities at iThemba from the perspective of a PROTON. Members of the public were taken on this fantastic journey from production (what is an ion source) and acceleration (what is an accelerator) to the end stations (experimental nuclear physics, radionuclide production and particle radiotherapy). Visitors were also treated to a guided tour of our Mechanical Workshop, where the machining expertise and design capabilities of staff were showcased.

The Materials Research Department, which relies on the availability of particle beams from the oldest accelerator, the 6-MV Van de Graaff which dates back to the early 1960s, was included as a separate stop. This is what one of the visitors (Mr Koot Kotze) had to say: “My family and I visited iThemba LABS on Saturday and it was really impressive, highly informative and enjoyable. We could not guess how many people visited the plant. My only suggestion is that you need to market more widely. For Science and Maths students it is a must see.”

The day finished off with a public lecture by Prof. Himla Soodyall entitled “So, where do YOU come from”? It was good to see so many people attend the lecture (despite the weather). Prof. Soodyall was able to not only show the importance of the scientific endeavour, but also the relevance.

I’m extremely fortunate to work in this fantastic environment; an environment where we are challenged on a daily basis to think about our impact and legacy.

By Dr Gillian Arendse, Manager: Community interaction and Training, iThemba LABS