South Africa is in the grip of nationwide electricity blackouts. So how are people coping? With humour, of course. Image source South Africa's monopoly electricity supply utility, Eskom, has seemingly

Many fans and critics thought that Led Zeppelin had stumbled with their third album. Stung by the criticism, the group produced something extraordinary. Image source In Led Zeppelin: Part 5, Led Zeppelin

Sometimes you come across images that are so unexpected and mysterious that you don't know what to think about them. Here are a few that look like crazy pieces of art. This abstract piece looks kind of

Robert Plant, Led Zeppelin's frontman, has one of the most recognizable voices in the world and remains a musical force to this day. Image source In Led Zeppelin: Part 5, Led Zeppelin III, Robert Plant

Led Zeppelin had achieved considerable fame and success with their first two albums. But they were exhausted by the continuous touring. Image source In Led Zeppelin: Part 3, Led Zeppelin II I wrote about

The Mars Opportunity rover is officially lost—it hasn't answered the many messages sent to it over the last eight months. NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity looks back toward part of the west rim

Charles Darwin visited South Africa when his ship, HMS Beagle, docked in Cape Town in 1836. Image source Darwin Day was celebrated yesterday, as it is every year on his birthday, 12 February. The following

Forests are highly complex ecosystems. Trees stand away from each other, although their roots form an underground network. Can they communicate? Image source Underground networks Suzanne Simard is an ecologist

Transnistria is a small country that proudly flies the hammer and sickle but goes completely unrecognised by the rest of the world. Victory Day in Transnistra. Image source Where in the world? Transnistria?

Jimmy Page is one of the greatest guitarists of all time. As the founder and driving force behind Led Zeppelin, he became an international star. Image credit In Led Zeppelin: Part 3, Led Zeppelin II which

Getting to Heaven seems like an awfully good idea—as opposed to going to Hell, of course. Are there any shortcuts? Image source Getting to heaven seems to preoccupy a big slice of the world's population.

There is no doubt that chimpanzees share a number of human emotions, a product of our shared evolutionary history. Image source Can you look at this picture and not get a lump in your throat? You can just

Just how confident are you in your abilities? Is your performance above average or do you doubt your ability to perform well? Image source An overview We all know the guy at work—a software programmer,

After the success of their debut album, the pressure was on Led Zeppelin to record another one—even if they were touring fulltime. Image credit In Led Zeppelin: Part 2, The First Album, I wrote about how

Who makes the decision when a driverless car is in a situation where there is a choice of who gets killed in an impending crash? Image source The quest for Level 5 Self-driving cars have clocked up millions

Led Zeppelin had recorded their first album within weeks of coming together as a band. How would this album be greeted? Image source Page takes charge In Led Zeppelin: Part 1, The Making Of, I described

The effort it takes to maintain a swimming pool hardly justifies having one. Or does it? Pools are nice, but... Swimming pools are nice to have. Especially if you're a kid when you can splash around all

Led Zeppelin became “The biggest band in the world”. In this series, we'll look at the band and their music. John Bonham, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, 1968. Image source Coming of age

The average size of elephant tusks is rapidly shrinking among most elephant populations. Image source Surviving the slaughter Elephant populations are under enormous pressure from poachers. Although the

The race-obsessed South African businessman/politician, Jimmy Manyi, slides into the arms of a crime family. Jimmy Manyi with Jacob Zuma. Image source The first part of this article: Jimmy Manyi: A Primer