Imagination and expertise result

in mind-boggling inventions

Dear alumni

In this edition of the NWU & U you can read about our university being listed as one of the top five innovative universities in South Africa, and in particular being among the top five patent filers.

In another article you can read more about 3D printing done by the Faculty of Engineering on the campus in Potchefstroom – something that decades ago only belonged to the world of science fiction.

That made me wonder how many modern-day inventions were inspired by science fiction writers. A search on the internet reveals there are quite a few, it turns out. In fact, it is said that the 3D printer, invented by Chuck Hull in 1983, was one of them – allegedly inspired by the writers of the movie Star Trek. (In the original series, the Enterprise space ship had a tool called the replicator that was capable of creating meals on demand and many other objects.)

Science fiction writer Jules Verne inspired the invention of the submarine and the helicopter, for example. Igor Sikorsky, inventor of the modern helicopter, was inspired by Verne’s book Clipper of the Clouds, and Simon Lake, whose company built the first submarine to operate successfully in the open ocean, was inspired by Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea in 1870.

Indeed, it seems as if the combination of imagination and practical expertise can result in mind-boggling inventions.

On a slightly different note, another mind-boggling combination of imagination, expertise and talent was the NWU’s annual talent festival. By watching the videos embedded in the article featured in this edition, you can enjoy some of these wonderful performances.

Who knows which bright stars will appear in the NWU sky next? After all, the NWU is one of South Africa’s top five innovative universities. Anything is possible.

Happy reading,

Nelia and the

NWU & U team