kosmonooit Posted May 15, 2018 Share pffft ... he epitomizes the mindlessness of high school maths & science here ... meaningless garbage that is to be memorised, regurgitated and thereafter forgotten for ever. No wonder so many people get put off Science & Maths for life. The first educator ever to speak to my mind was Carl Sagan, remember when Cosmos hit the airwaves? Possibly the only worthwhile series ever to emanate from the SABC. DJR and Sidersky 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTBeer Posted May 15, 2018 Share Who remembers this guy?don't him and/or his family own a big part of one of the Knysna Heads? I think that is where the show was broadcast from. sorry I see he sold it. must have earned him a few pennies https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/maths-boffin-sells-the-heads-412664 Edited May 15, 2018 by MTBeer Fruity 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blokman Posted May 15, 2018 Share His father was Prof. JLB Smith. Famous for identifying the first Coelocanth caught by fishermen in East London. He was also responsible for finding live colonies off the Comores.This man had passion and drive in buckets. The book he wrote about it was called Old Fourlegs. He once visited Genl Jan Smuts late at night, with a request for a plane to take him to then South West Africa.Thousands of fish had washed up on the shore , and it was a very good oppurtunity to identify species. Smuts would not see him and refused. A while later he again had to contact a prime minister, DF Malan. It was Christmas eve or something and Malan's wife was reluctant to call the PM , who was ill . The request was to send a plane to the Comores where his efforts to make people aware of this strange fish paid off. Malan said yes, Airforce took him to the Comores and Malan had a fish named after him. It's a very good read. Kranswurm, DJR, Fruity and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoffel76 Posted May 15, 2018 Share You fellows make me feel OLD!!!! My first bike: I learnt to ride on one very similar! Was a '69/'70 model, a 'YF5S Minor' if I remember correctly. My dad used to use it to get to the train station. My earliest memories of motorcycling were him sitting me on the tank and riding me round the garden... Ah, the smell of burnt 2-stroke still takes me back. Then it sat in the garage for years and got hauled out when I was about 11 and just tall enough and taught me to ride on it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andymann Posted May 15, 2018 Share Who remembers this guy?I tell you what this guy got me a B in Matric Science when I was hovering around a D in Std 9. I used to get his VHS tapes posted to me from Star Schools and did 2hrs from 2 til 4 in the afternoon and then the last hour from 5 til 6 before supper. I'll never forget his "Island System" was brilliant. And to this day I still use coloured pencils to explain current flow to the guys in our Training Centre. Bateleur1, New Landy new life, Fruity and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shebeen Posted May 15, 2018 Share don't him and/or his family own a big part of one of the Knysna Heads? I think that is where the show was broadcast from. sorry I see he sold it. must have earned him a few pennies https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/maths-boffin-sells-the-heads-412664restaurant burnt down last year. they have just started rebuilding about a month or two ago (well the big foundations were coming in) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kranswurm Posted May 15, 2018 Share I tell you what this guy got me a B in Matric Science when I was hovering around a D in Std 9. I used to get his VHS tapes posted to me from Star Schools and did 2hrs from 2 til 4 in the afternoon and then the last hour from 5 til 6 before supper. I'll never forget his "Island System" was brilliant. And to this day I still use coloured pencils to explain current flow to the guys in our Training Centre.He was a good teacher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJR Posted May 15, 2018 Share ..........The first educator ever to speak to my mind was Carl Sagan, remember when Cosmos hit the airwaves? Possibly the only worthwhile series ever to emanate from the SABC. .......and that's why you became a cosmonaut, Kosmonooit? Tromp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kranswurm Posted May 15, 2018 Share pffft ... he epitomizes the mindlessness of high school maths & science here ... meaningless garbage that is to be memorised, regurgitated and thereafter forgotten for ever. No wonder so many people get put off Science & Maths for life. The first educator ever to speak to my mind was Carl Sagan, remember when Cosmos hit the airwaves? Possibly the only worthwhile series ever to emanate from the SABC. 50/50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eugene Posted May 15, 2018 Share Who remembers this guy?Didn't he die recently Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andymann Posted May 15, 2018 Share Didn't he die recentlyI know back in 1989 there were a few times I wished he had! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uni Posted May 15, 2018 Share Who remembers this guy? OMG I'm old enough to remember Star Schools - you guys watched him on TV - i attended lectures on a Saturday morning - if memory serves - it was at Wits. You had to put your name on a piece of paper over the desk so when you started falling asleep he's shout out your name. Scary man that! Fruity and Gen 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kosmonooit Posted May 15, 2018 Share .......and that's why you became a cosmonaut, Kosmonooit? kosmo ... nooit getid? Maybe in another life. Back to school .. I maintain that generally the syllabus at schools here wrt to maths & science do more harm that good, Torture for most. without essence or meaning. People developing the material (and I know a few of them) actually know fokall,. I say science in particular should be taught generally as the narrative of discovery. That's the interesting story that will leave an impression, and also what must be taught is the alternative theories or hypothesis (ie geocentric vs helocentric 'worlds') - also the relationship to culture and society - 'context' Sure. if you have a good teacher they will paint the big picture and you can join the dots and it might mean something to you. Guess that is confined to expensive private schools now. DJR 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kosmonooit Posted May 15, 2018 Share 50/50 Okay besides Cosmos, 50/50, what did the SABC ever do? Twin Peaks... ?. I did enjoy that 50/50 outdoor / nature programme, it was unique because back in the day, the evenings (the only time TV broadcasts happened) were strictly split between English and Afrikaans sections but here was something that had both English en Die Taal, 50/50 though! Actually another gem was 'Northern Exposure' which was dubbed and named "Goie More Alaska", but you could get the Engels original sound track on Radio 2000 Edited May 15, 2018 by kosmonooit DJR 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kranswurm Posted May 15, 2018 Share Okay besides Cosmos, 50/50, what did the SABC ever do? Twin Peaks... ?. I did enjoy that 50/50 outdoor / nature programme, it was unique because back in the day, the evenings (the only time TV broadcasts happened) were strictly split between English and Afrikaans sections but here was something that had both English en Die Taal, 50/50 though! Actually another gem was 'Northern Exposure' which was dubbed and named "Goie More Alaska", but you could get the Engels original sound track on Radio 2000The aquaducts? intern 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIB Posted May 15, 2018 Share Apparently my dad had an Anglia in his young days, of course that was before I was born Of course the Anglia was the only car ever issued with a life-long guarantee.....There will never be any birdsh!t on the rear window Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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