NUGGET (25 APRIL 2025)
Nuggets! (Bite size updates on the real important stuff related to Tech, Trends, Business and the Planet.)
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Heard of the TAKARKORI PEOPLE?
I learned a little about them this past month and wanted to share an interesting article about them. They are from Africa… and they might be your family. Read here:
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/03/science/ancient-dna-green-sahara-mummies/index.html
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DO YOU BELIEVE THERE IS LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS? I do. How about Intelligent life? For sure. Will life be found in my lifetime? I am optimistic. I wanted to share an article on a subject I frequent: life out there! Before you read it, have you ever heard of the “three-sigma” level of statistical confidence? It’s mentioned in this article and means there’s a 0.3% chance the signal is a mistake. What signal? Well, you will need to read the article for that answer, but suffice it to say, we are getting more confident signs of life out there!
There is also a video to see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1A6WnUg_F8&t=59s
They call it the ‘POOREST CONTINENT.’
Scoundrels! This opinion is another example of the rubbish we might read on the internet about Africa. Nothing could be further from the truth. We have more resources than any other continent, and in spite of our many internal conflicts, we do show exceptional ethics in many important matters. For example, Africa will not be backtracking on climate goals even as the USA pulls away from key international commitments. Recommitment by us was confirmed by Kenya’s climate envoy ahead of COP30, which also had a few other points to note, and I wish to share with you now:
• The Trump administration exited the Paris Agreement and pulled out of clean energy partnerships, including those with South Africa, earlier this year.
• Africa’s lead climate negotiator, Ali Mohamed, said private investment in renewables continues to grow, making clean energy economically viable regardless of shifting politics. (Excellent!)
• African leaders will meet in Nairobi in July 2025 to finalize their COP30 stance, emphasizing climate finance and equitable global financial reforms.
Remember, our continent is home to over 1.4 billion people, and we have the world’s youngest population. We contribute less than 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet we bear the brunt of climate disruption.
Some interesting news about a Zimbabwean and one of their businesses: Cassava Technologies (from Zim) is planning to invest up to $720 million in Africa’s first artificial intelligence factory! This is in partnership with Nvidia Corp.
The factories will be rolled out in key markets, starting with South Africa, which will receive AI-powered data centers first.
Cassava was founded by Zimbabwean billionaire Strive Masiyiwa, who aims to implement Nvidia’s advanced computing systems and AI software across Africa, including in Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, and Morocco.
Here is their site: https://www.cassavatechnologies.com/about-us/
Credits: CassavaTechnologies.com
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South Africa pays R13,473 EVERY SECOND in INTEREST on ITS DEBT. That is just our repayment on interest, not capital debt! Yet our government remains comfortable with loaning more. Our children will be paying for this long after we are gone.
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‘HEMPERING’ sustainable development. Excuse the pun; it needed to be ‘blunt.’ I want to comment on our government’s recent proposed ban on all cannabis and hemp products in food. Our National Department of Health’s new regulation prohibits the import, manufacture, and sale of any food containing cannabis, affecting all parts and components of the plant, including hemp seed oil and derivatives.
Does the ban fail to differentiate between industrial hemp and cannabis for recreational use? Is there an oversight that will lead to the criminalization of safe hemp-derived products recognized for their negligible THC levels and lack of psychoactive effects? Will people stop using it regardless? Does this proposal hamper sustainable development and economic growth by restricting legitimate hemp-based products, resulting in many people suffering unnecessarily?
Many questions. I will keep my eye on developments around this. I am certain we could cover our 0.5% VAT increase if we didn’t cut this source of income for SARS.
ALL SUCCESSES, I believe, come down to consistency. This includes KINDNESS! It’s never too late to start doing good. Then repeat. I believe the best leaders are those who lead by example, so I want you to know about James Harrison, also known as the “Man with the Golden Arm.” He donated blood every two weeks for over 60 years, despite his fear of needles.
END RESULT? Well, James has saved 2.4 million babies! You see, he has a rare antibody, Anti-D, which helps create vital medication for pregnant women, preventing Haemolytic Disease of the Fetus and Newborn (HDFN). He started his donations at the age of 18, back in 1954, and has since donated plasma over 1,100 times. He recently passed away at the ripe old age of 88 in New South Wales, Australia.
I study the origin of life a lot, and I want to share some new information that has come across my desk. Some recent research suggests that life may have originated from tiny sparks generated by microlightning. Never heard of microlightning? Microlightning is formed through the collision of water droplets, rather than from dramatic lightning strikes from way above. Scientists discovered that when mist and sprays collide, they create electrical discharges capable of producing essential organic molecules. Researchers also found that water droplets can generate tiny electrical charges independently and create essential carbon-nitrogen bonds without requiring an external energy source.
What does this shocking news mean? Life might have rained down on us, then? Well, this new perspective suggests that life could have begun in environments like waterfalls or ocean and river waves. Their study, published in Science Advances, updates the Miller-Urey hypothesis, which proposed that lightning facilitated the formation of organic compounds in Earth’s early atmosphere through electrical interaction with water and gases. So, next time you shower, who knows? You might be creating building blocks for life! You can read more about this here:
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During my interview for the ICASA Information Parliamentary Committee, I was asked HOW TO SAVE THE SABC. I had less than 30 minutes to provide an answer. With that said, there is no answer that can genuinely save it—not the SABC as structured in 2025.
The SABC is on a list of failing TV and network dinosaurs (across the world) with no future. I did respond by stating that the SABC needs to survive. What I meant by that is that we need to protect the services it offers to citizens, and in part, the people it helps employ. I am not directly referring to actors, but rather to those within its four walls, including administration, executives, and so forth. I was very annoyed to read and article this month which shared how much they are earning. The latest annual report from the SABC indicates that the organization employs 2,234 individuals, with an average salary of R653,900 each for the last financial year. The top 11 management employees earned an average of R2.9 million annually, while senior management received an average of R1.6 million. The 239 middle managers at the SABC took home an average of R1.1 million during the last financial year.
In total, the state broadcaster spent R1.46 billion on its workforce, positioning them among the highest earners in South Africa. The directors of the SABC also received substantial compensation, with sixteen directors collectively earning R18 million over the past year.
The SABC can only survive if it sells advertising and marketing. This will only increase once viewership increases. Viewership will only improve once there is better content. Better content is only possible if we invest in it. Before any of this can happen, we need to invest in new technologies to reach future viewers. While we are doing all this, we need to reduce overhead costs and migrate viewers to a limited free service, followed by a tiered subscription system. Radio and TV must be separated and trade as their own entities. Both must harness the power of the internet.
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Imagine CHARGING YOUR ELECTRIC CAR for only 5 MINUTES and being able to DRIVE 500 KMS. It’s going to happen someday, right? Well, that day has arrived.
China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), the largest electric vehicle battery producer, has just announced and introduced its new Shenxing battery, which offers 514 KMS on a five-minute charge!
This new innovation was launched alongside a sodium-ion battery called Naxtra, which promises affordability and safety. CATL dominates the market, holding a 38% share of the global market and supplying major brands like Tesla and BMW. The new Shenxing is expected to power over 67 EV models this year and can charge from 5% to 80% in just 15 minutes, even in extreme cold.
Credits: Robert Way/Shutterstock
This achievement was inevitable. The question was whether Asia, the States, or Europe would achieve it first. Now we have the answer! This is one of the many green flag influences that will edge the entire world over to EVs. We best be practicing our Mandarin.
The End!
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Who is Jean-Pierre Murray-Kline?
Jean-Pierre is a South African serial e-entrepreneur, published author, and change champion who has worked in over 300 types of industries in some capacity or another. His own online businesses have generated millions of Rands and involved sectors such as law, web & app development, events & entertainment, property, technical services, media, and tourism.
He has traveled to over 180 cities worldwide and is extremely active as a business and environmental technologist. In addition to his own projects, he researches and consults on all things online: marketing, reputation, compliance, law, and e-security, and also offers strategy workshops and scenario sessions on future thinking with a key focus on technology, the environment, and global influences.
Jean-Pierre is often asked to be a guest speaker on a variety of subjects he continuously studies and writes about.
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