Yesterday I attended Feli Nandi's show at Hard Rock Café in Sandton, Johannesburg — and what a night it was. The show was epic. Just when we thought the legacy of voices like Chiwosino Maraire was gone, Feli reminded us that the genre lives on. https://x.com/NandiFeli?t=p7yxFWzqtvHM6HD13b-QPg&s=08 Feli Nandi is the real deal. The woman is good — her voice, her energy, her ever-smiling presence lit up the whole stage. She’s a true people’s person. The crowd fed off her vibe and she gave it right back. Flanked by friends and fellow artists like Joe Thomas (yes, the Joe Thomas of “I Wanna Know”), Makhadzi and others, she held her own and more. It’s worth it to attend her shows — you leave feeling uplifted. She performed to a fully packed café. Zimbabweans came out strong to support the gig. Some were dressed traditionally, proudly showing off culture. I remember one couple in matching colors — it was beautiful to see. Feli herself was dressed in white, glowing under the lig...
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Inside A ‘Nuclear Powered Car’ That Could Travel A Whopping 8000 Km At One Go
Imagine, a car traveling 5000 miles (over 8000 km) in one go until it reaches the next fuel station! The 1950s used to be a time when car-makers around the world were toying with such seemingly impossible ideas.
In 1958, American automobile giant Ford introduced its nuclear-powered car, Nucleon. Ford visualized Nucleon as a vehicle of the atomic-powered future.
It was based on the belief that future technology will reduce the weight of nuclear reactors and their shielding, thereby making the dream of using nuclear power in automobiles a reality.
The model consisted of a reactor, called the “power capsule”, which contained a radioactive core. The core could be interchanged by the driver, depending on the requirements of performance and the distance.
The Ford ‘Nucleon’ concept car. (via Twitter)
According to the concept, Nucleon would be able to travel 5,000 miles between two fuel stations. On the exhaustion of the charge, the car would have to be taken to a charging station.
It was believed that charging stations for the Nucleon will be as common and accessible as the present-day gas stations.
Interestingly, the car was conceived as 200.3 inches long, 77.4 inches wide, with a 41.4-inch high roof.
Nucleon was based on the same concept as that of a nuclear submarine. According to The Next Web, the nuclear reactor was expected to fission the uranium pellets, leading to heating of water and subsequent production of steam.
The pressure generated by the steam would then move the turbines, producing electric or mechanical power.
The uranium pellets are quite efficient in producing huge amounts of energy. There would be no emissions, and the vehicle would only generate radioactive wastes which could be safely removed from the reactor.
Nucleon now adorns the Ford archives of its mid-century concept cars and probable future designs.
Is The Feasible?
Dr. L. Dale Thomas, Deputy Director of Propulsion Research Centres, University of Alabama, said that with a nuclear-powered car, the real challenge was to manage the energy released by its radioactive core.
He said the major problem with the project was that of a string of energy conversions. The thermal energy generated by the nuclear reactor had to be converted into mechanical energy, then converted into electric, and again subsequently into mechanical force. The string of energy conversions thus added more inefficiencies.
“Mobile nuclear power on such a small scale was not feasible in the ’50s,” Thomas told TheDrive.
Following in the footsteps of Ford, a French car company, Compagnie Normande d’Etudes pour l’Application de Procedes Mecaniques, designed a model called Arbel.
It was an eight-seater hybrid petrol-electric vehicle, made of fiberglass. It could generate its own electricity. It had four separate electric motors and its chassis was made of uneven tubing, which was also used as a fuel tank. The company believed the vehicle could be later adapted to nuclear power.
At the 1958 Geneva Motor Show, a variant of the car was unveiled. Named ‘Symetric’, the vehicle was to be powered by a 40-KW nuclear thermal generator. The car was, however, not approved by the French authorities.
Simca Fulgur. (via Twitter)
Simca Fulgur was another French attempt at a nuclear-powered car. Along with its atomic engine, the vehicle also boasted voice-controlled handling and radar guidance. It is believed that the car could be assisted from a control tower. Though it had four wheels, the vehicle could maintain balance on two wheels as well.
American car company Studebaker Packard unveiled a concept car, Astral, in 1958. It was designed with a single gyroscopic balanced wheel. The nuclear-powered car could also be driven on water. It was put on display at various places before keeping it in the Studebaker Museum.
USINESS REPORT COMPANIES MultiChoice’s black economic empowerment scheme is looking for about 22 000 shareholders who owned shares and did not receive dividends of R207 million between 2006 and 2020. Picture: Karen Sandison/African News Agency(ANA) MultiChoice’s BEE scheme trying to find 22 000 shareholders who are missing out on millions By Edward West Feb 16, 2021 CAPE TOWN - PHUTUMA Nathi, the MultiChoice black economic empowerment scheme of more than 80 000 shareholders, is looking for about 22 000 shareholders who owned shares and did not receive dividends of R207 million between 2006 and 2020. “This money belongs to our shareholders. We’re calling on them to contact us to get their money. In these tough economic times we want to do everything in our power to give them what is rightfully theirs,” Phuthuma Nathi chairperson Mandla Langa said in a statement yesterday. Phuthuma Nathi has been paying dividends every year since the start of the scheme in 2006. Am...
Visual Capitalist Elements | September 15, 2021 | 8:58 am Intelligence Australia USA Coal The Countries With the Largest Coal Reserves Cheap and abundant coal remains one of the largest sources of energy worldwide, even as governments set out goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While jurisdictions in Europe and North America have been phasing out coal use in power generation, it has been on the rise in Asia. China and India are scrambling to provide electricity to a growing population and relying on coal power plants to meet demands despite the environmental costs. SIGN UP FOR THE ENERGY DIGEST Sign Up This infographic takes a look into the BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2021 , and the 11 countries that make up 89% of the coal reserves globally. Coal Reserves, by Country While countries need to phase out coal by 2040 to achieve the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5ºC, consumption in key ...
Being a resident of the South African Community, l have came to realize that in some cases we have Car hijackings that will leave one to wonder what will have happened and where did those robbers comes from. The events unfold in a very fast and violent manner which no-one will be prepared for. Its so traumatic, horrific and in some cases individuals end up loosing their lives. l realized that these individuals who carry out such bad things works with someone who either will be seeing you close by or else you will be drinking on the same counter in a bar and he is relaying the information to those waiting for you outside. It's so unfortunate that some people that we meet are not there for the social life that you go for. They are on a mission to take you down. It is difficult to raise public awareness and advise people to be vigilant. However a few tips can try to raise awareness such as if you see that you are being followed drive to the nearest police station. In publ...
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