Popular Mechanics South Africa

The South African edition of Popular Mechanics was launched in 2002 and has fast become the acknowledged voice of science and technology in South Africa. Underpinning its rich sci-tech content is an ever-changing mix of articles covering everything from automotive news and outdoor adventures to DIY projects. In essence, it explains how our world works

CREATIVE OUTLETS

Popular Mechanics South Africa

Toy story

CRACK THE CODE

ON THE HUNT

CALENDAR • UPDATE YOUR DIARY • THIS DAY IN HISTORY

Experience gaming innovation beyond boundaries with LG • Introducing two brand-new LG UltraGear monitors to up your game

TIME MACHINE • It made perfect sense at the time

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The world’s first fusion reactor is (almost) ready to turn on

Is NASA working on a warp drive?

5 TECHNOLOGIES WE FIRST SAW ON STAR TREK

Could a cosmic lasso divert extinction-level asteroids?

MASS EXTINCTION, SIMULATED • A 2017 study in Geophysical Research Letters analysed the causes of death from 50 000 computer-simulated asteroid impacts both on land and at sea. The results were not pretty.

Flight plan • A World on the Wing details the advancements in bird migration science, looking into how big tech has helped unravel decades-long mysteries of this fascinating behaviour.

Headphones that turn down the volume on excess noise

HOW NOISE CANCELLATION WORKS

GEAR & GADGETS • Must-have hardware for humans on the go

ESPRESSO COFFEE MACHINE

A74 5G SMARTPHONE

ZONE WIRELESS HEADSET

8.3 5G SMARTPHONE

WYZE • SCALE

UNDER ARMOUR • GLOBAL HERO RANGE

POWERSTICK VACUUM

BAND 6

NUCLEAR ENERGY’S REPUTATION IS ON THE EDGE OF MELTDOWN.

Russia’s floating nuclear power plant

‘MAD MIKE’ HUGHES REJECTED SCIENCE AND CHASED FAME. IT KILLED HIM.

HOW MIKE AND WALDO’S ROCKET WORKED • The steam-powered rocket operates on the same principle as a jet engine, creating thrust by expelling gas behind it. It’s Newton’s third law of motion: Every action (shooting steam) has a reaction (flying rocket).

HOW HOLLYWOOD SET DESIGNERS HID AMERICA’S WWII AIRCRAFT FACTORIES

The WWII aircraft that camo protected • Production numbers from January 1940 to August 1945 at the six largest US West Coast factories.

READER PROJECT: Make something old into something cool • The mission was simple: Grab old junk and repurpose it into a brand-new creation. This is what was built.

LEARN TO MAKE A HALF-LAP (OR HALVED) JOINT • Joints are a crucial part of woodwork. Our new series of ‘how-to’ articles will explore a variety of traditional wood-joining methods, all aimed at making your own furniture. Techniques for making half-laps all remain the same, and with that in mind, we kick off with the T half-lap joint.

WOOD FOR THE JOINT • Superb French sycamore and kiaat boards were generously sponsored by Rare Woods SA (rarewoods.co.za) for this project. These contrasting wood species clearly show the structure of the half-lap joint.

MATERIALS

TOOL LIST • The selection of tools required to create these joints by hand is relatively small.

BUY YOUR WOOD HERE: RARE WOODS SOUTH AFRICA

THE RIGHT (FES)TOOL FOR THE JOB • A Festool plunge-cut saw is a versatile addition to your workshop. Add ‘cordless’ to the equation, as well as Festool’s rail system, and you have a highly capable all-rounder that’s suited to a range of cutting applications.

CONSTRUCT AN EASY-TO-BUILD BOOKCASE

KREG PRIZE GIVEAWAY

Jaguar • E-Pace R-Dynamic HSE D200

Volvo • XC40 D4 Geartronic AWD R-Design

HURRY UP. WE’RE DREAMING • BMW believes its new F 900 XR is more...