Curiosity Cube inspires future scientists in Johannesburg with hands-on STEM experience
Powered by global science and technology company Merck and supported by local partner universities, the initiative aims to ignite curiosity in young learners and inspire the next generation of African scientists.
The programme targets children between the ages of eight and 13 – a crucial stage when many begin forming ideas about their future careers. By offering an immersive and fun learning experience, the Curiosity Cube helps demystify science and encourages children to see themselves in STEM fields that may otherwise feel out of reach.
Paulo Pinto, head of South Africa Plus at Merck, said it was incredibly rewarding to see learners light up as they engaged with the experiments.
'The Curiosity Cube shows them that science isn't just found in textbooks. It's all around us. This hands-on approach develops essential problem-solving and critical thinking skills, making science both understandable and relatable,' said Pinto.
A recent Merck-funded survey found that nearly half (48%) of middle school learners struggle to imagine themselves in STEM careers, despite daily interactions with science and technology. The Curiosity Cube aims to close this gap by making science visible, fun, and accessible.
After successful tours in North America and Europe, Merck is now expanding the programme to Southern Africa. Between June and November this year, the Curiosity Cube will visit 100 schools and community events across South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, and Eswatini, with the goal of reaching over 15,000 learners.
At each stop, local university volunteers support the programme by sharing their personal science journeys and encouraging learners to dream big.
To learn more about upcoming tour stops or follow the Curiosity Cube's journey across South Africa, visit TheCuriosityCube.com or follow @curiositycube_merck on Instagram.
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Daily Maverick
7 days ago
- Daily Maverick
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Daily Maverick
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- Daily Maverick
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Daily Maverick
24-06-2025
- Daily Maverick
SA charges into Antarctic talks — ‘Not a pacifist' but definitely pro-penguin
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Mining is banned in Antarctica, but one state concedes it has pursued the ' overwhelming majority ' of oil and gas resource prospecting there, citing both geopolitical intent and, when questioned by Daily Maverick, legal scientific research. That state is Russia, whose Rosgeo mineral explorer has actively searched for oil and gas in the Southern Ocean over decades — using Cape Town as a logistics port to announce in 2020 some 70 billion tons of hydrocarbons off East Antarctica. (It did not mention recoverability estimates.) In a recent Daily Maverick webinar, experts argued that these operations are ' mineral resource activities '. 'The science we conduct in the Antarctic must be done in a responsible manner,' counters Johnson, thus suggesting an environmental negotiating position that opposes such activities. 'And we would always then expect that from the other treaty members.' Revamping the South African National Antarctic Programme? On a recent demonstration cruise aboard the country's national polar research vessel, the SA Agulhas II, Minister George described himself as the head of the South African National Antarctic Programme. Every DFFE minister is, in fact, the head of the Antarctic division, but rarely have ministers in charge of this department since the advent of democracy in 1994 linked themselves to the polar portfolio in such direct terms. And so it is Johnson's job to report to George and sort out the infrastructure humdingers Daily Maverick flagged at South Africa's sub-Antarctic research station in March. Among others, we uncovered failing diesel generators at the Marion Island base, since replaced, and fears among scientists that fragmented management would be the death knell of the entire programme. When asked, Johnson says a streamlined approach for South Africa's operational and research interests is both practical and symbolic of a new chapter. 'The interdependencies are too big for them to be separated,' he says. 'The last few months have been used to create a process that is inculcated into the memory of the system, rather than being dependent on any one individual.' South Africa's ace: A top icebreaker and the Southern Ocean The thing that gets Johnson waxing lyrical more than any other is oceanography. Beneath the tip of the African continent churns one of the most scientifically prized ocean systems on Earth. It's here that warm and cold currents from the Indian and Atlantic Oceans collide, and massive eddies spin off into global circulation patterns. 'To deconstruct all that scientifically takes a lot of effort,' says Johnson. At the centre of this footprint is the SA Agulhas II, the country's icebreaking research and logistics vessel. Johnson says he wants to reposition the ship as a high-performance scientific platform and a diplomatic asset. 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But while South Africa, despite tectonic social problems, continues to invest in its polar footprint, the US — the treaty's architect — has proposed a 71% budget cut for polar research in the 2026 financial year. Given Trump's obsession with expanding the US icebreaker fleet, most puzzling is the decision to end the lease of the Nathaniel B Palmer — the sole back-up to the aging US Polar Star icebreaker. Usually cautious experts have suggested that the US may even withdraw from the treaty to claim and mine the continent. Asked about the US withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement, Johnson says: 'Irrespective of what the Trump administration thinks about climate change, South Africa's management regime is built on reliable science. 'I don't see why — together with all other member states who believe in what the science is telling us — we need to change our position on climate change.' Authoritarian allies in Milan The treaty is the only existing legal dam holding back a neocolonial land grab. On the other hand, the ATCM's insistence on holding its annual talks behind closed doors, and preventing the press from observing the substance of those talks, are reliable indicators of this system's insecurities. Make no mistake: the 'frozen' territories claimed by seven states may seem out of sight at the bottom of the planet, but to the claimants they are massively important. Canberra's wedge is almost three times larger than Greenland. The overlapping slice counterclaimed by Buenos Aires, London and Santiago? It also eclipses Greenland by about three times. It may be within the interest of these influential states, then, to keep critics outside the room. As the second country after the UK to ratify the treaty on 21 June 1960, Pretoria may be one such possible insider critic, as it takes a dim view of neocolonial ambitions in the southern regions. So, can it adopt a more assertive position in Milan — one that mirrors its tough stance on Israel's incursions into Gaza? Or does it remain compromised as long as it refuses to condemn Moscow's illegal actions in Ukraine, a fellow consultative party? President Cyril Ramaphosa received President Volodymyr Zelensky in April and Cape Town has served as the refuge for Ukraine's polar vessel, the Noosfera, since February 2022. For Johnson, South Africa's 'non-aligned' stance is a negotiating strength with the most obstructive actors at the negotiating table. 'We want a much more active engagement with the Russian and Chinese delegations,' Johnson notes. 'Perhaps we can edge them closer to a conservationist approach.' He is adamant: 'It's not going to change our position … 'We have always been peace brokers as a country — so what I'd like to do this year is find out what are those things they are prepared to give up in order to gain something else? And then see if South Africa is comfortable with it.' DM
