Imagine a world on the brink of collapse: volcanic eruptions spewing toxic gases, oceans turning acidic, and up to 90% of Earth's species vanishing in the blink of an eye. This was the reality at the end of the Permian Period, around 252 million years ago, during Earth's most catastrophic mass extinction event. Yet, amid this global upheaval, a stocky predator (with a body length of just over a metre) known as Moschorhinus kitchingi managed to survive and thrive, staking its claim as one of the top predators in the aftermath. For the first time, scientists from the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Southern California have offered a detailed look at the skeleton of Moschorhinus kitchingi beyond just its skull, by studying multiple fossil specimens from collections in South Africa.

More than 1 500 scientists from over 50 countries worldwide will convene at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CT-ICC) from 18 to 23 August 2024. This will be the first time that this prestigious meeting is held on the African continent.

Checking your work-related emails or taking business calls while playing golf could prevent you from hitting that elusive eagle or birdie.

This is according to a group of researchers from the Department of Information Science at Stellenbosch University (SU).

They surveyed 186 recreational golfers at five different clubs on their performance, enjoyment of the round, and smartphone use during play. The data was collected directly after the golfers played in mid-week club competitions. The participants were asked to indicate how frequently they used their phones for work-related calls, emails, WhatsApp messages, personal calls and social media during the round.

The findings of their study were published recently in the International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport.

“We found that when golfers used their phones for personal reasons, like checking social media feeds or responding to messages, their performance was unaffected. However, when they read work-related emails or took business calls, their performance dropped,” says lead researcher Dr Daniël le Roux from the Cognition and Technology Research Group in the Department of Information Science at SU. He conducted the study with postgraduate students Lise Carstens, Cole Walburgh and Christen Werth.

“Interestingly, our data did not show a direct impact of smartphone use on golfers’ enjoyment of the round. However, as any golfer would attest, performance is key to enjoying the round.

“Our study highlights the dual-edged nature of smartphones on the golf course. While they offer convenience of staying connected, their intrusion can impair focus and performance, and ultimately make the game less enjoyable,” adds Le Roux.

“We shouldn’t underestimate the power of digital distraction which refers to instances when an individual switches their attention away from an ongoing, primary activity (e.g. a conversation, work, driving or a round of golf), towards a secondary activity that involves the use of a computing device like a smartphone or a tablet,” he explains.

“For example, during a round of golf, the use of a smartphone for distance measurement would be considered an on-task activity and, by extension, not an instance of digital distraction. However, reading a work-related email or answering a business call between shots would constitute digital distraction since it is qualitatively unrelated to the task of playing golf.”

Le Roux says that although sustained attention is known to be important for golf performance, there are very few studies on how recreational golfers manage their attention between shots, except for a small number of studies on elite golfers.

He points to a 2015 survey that Golf Digest conducted among 233 000 golfers to test their attitudes towards smartphone use on the course. The majority of respondents (44%) indicated that they check or use their smartphone every few holes during a round, with 21% indicating that they are “inextricably linked to their phone” and would not be able to play a round without checking it. While 19% of respondents indicated that they carried their smartphones in their pockets, 66% indicated that they tried to forget about them during play.

“Interestingly, however, nobody seems to have investigated how the use of smartphones during play affects golfers’ performance and enjoyment of their rounds,” says Le Roux.

“Arguably, using a smartphone during play could disrupt a player’s concentration and, consequently, impair their performance. This, in turn, may decrease their enjoyment of the round.”

So, why are some forms of smartphone use more harmful than others? 

The answer may lie in attention residue, according to Le Roux. “Attention residue describes how content of an email or a conversation remains in our minds after we put our phones away. It is likely that these lingering thoughts make it difficult for golfers to focus clearly during shot routines. Work-related communications seem to generate more attention residue than other forms of smartphone use.”

Le Roux says recreational golfers who want to concentrate better should be aware that using their smartphones could have a negative impact on their performance during play.

“They should identify which smartphone activities disrupt their focus during shots and generate high levels of attention residue. Knowing this, they can develop strategies that can help them avoid those distractions by blocking certain notifications or setting their phones to silent mode.”

He and his co-researcher are, however, hesitant to propose that recreational golfers can enhance their performance by abstaining from using their phones when they play.

A group of researchers from the Faculty of Engineering at Stellenbosch University in South Africa found that using an indoor fireplace can result in the release of harmful particles that can be dispersed in the air and cause health problems when inhaled. Some particles can settle in the lungs, while others can even enter the bloodstream.

Nestled high in the Eastern Lesotho Highlands, scientists have uncovered fascinating evidence of an ancient mountain lake that flourished thousands of years ago. This discovery, made by Professor Jennifer Fitchett from the University of the Witwatersrand and Prof Anson Mackay from University College London, sheds light on a hidden chapter of Lesotho's natural history, revealing how climate and geography have shaped the region over millennia. Importantly, it provides critical insights into past climate dynamics and helps predict future environmental changes in this sensitive high-altitude region. It was recently published in the Journal of Quaternary Science.

After three years of meticulous study, an international team of researchers has announced the discovery of a fossilised giant basal tetrapod in Namibia's arid heartland in Nature. A basal tetrapod is an early four-legged vertebrate with fingers and toes, which lived during the transition from water to land. These ancient carnivores are among the earliest ancestors of all modern animals. This nearly complete 3-meter-long skeleton of an adult, unearthed in the Ugab River valley in Damaraland, is the largest ever discovered. This discovery is significant because it challenges previous assumptions that these early four-legged vertebrates, which lived during the transition from water to land around 280 million years ago, were only found in the northern hemisphere. The new species, named Gaiasia jennyae, provides crucial insights into the early evolution of land-dwelling animals and shows how important southern continents are in future research on this topic.

The paper also contains information on the traditional use of P. maluti by Basotho traditional healers from the mountain kingdom of Lesotho. According to the researchers, this appears to be the only recorded first-hand report of hallucinogenic mushrooms being used traditionally in Africa.

After three years of meticulous and dedicated hard work, the Rhisotope Project at Wits University has successfully inserted low doses of radioisotopes into 20 live rhinoceros. The Rhisotope Project’s intention is to use nuclear technology in the form of small, measured quantities of radioisotopes and to insert these into the horns of rhinoceros, which can be picked up by radiation detection portal monitors at international borders, including at harbours, airports and land-crossings.