We are on the brink of the fourth industrial revolution. Our modern Western lifestyle leads to an alarming increase in diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. But maybe revolutionary advances in the medical sciences will enable us to create designer babies and a disease free future?  With Dave Pepler as moderator Science Café Stellenbosch at Woordfees 2018 is looking at what the next one hundred years hold in store for us.

Here comes the fourth industrial revolution

Monday 5 March, 18:30-19:30, Plataan, SU Museum, 37 Ryneveld Street

Tonight we go high tech with computers, artificial intelligence and whether universities as we know them today are still going to exist in the future? Dave Pepler talks to computer scientist Willem Visser, a specialist in artificial intelligence, Bruce Watson, and SU's vice-rector for research, innovation and postgraduate studies, Eugene Cloete.

Sugar and stress: here comes trouble

Tuesday 6 March, 18:30-19:30, Plataan, SU Museum, 37 Ryneveld Street

What is the relationship between high sugar intake, stress and the increase in diseases such as cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers' and Parkinsons?  Dave Pepler finds out from endocrinologist Dr Graham Ellis (Synexus), and from SU's Department of Physiological Sciences: Anna-Mart Engelbrecht, Resia Pretorius and Theo Nell.

Genetic manipulation of human embryos

Wednesday 7 March 2018, 18:30-19:30, Plataan, SU Museum, 37 Ryneveld Street

New technologies enable us to create better life forms and even manipulate human evolution on the level of embryos. Do these new advancements in the medical sciences offer new hope, or are we playing with fire? Dave Pepler tackles this controversial topic with geneticist Louise Warnich and a specialist in bio-ethics, Anton van Niekerk.

Lessons out of Africa

Thursday 8 March 2018, 18:30 I SU Botanical Garden

We take time to appreciate the present. Dave Pepler reflects on his experiences in Africa, and shares a few stories about the extraordinary plants in the SU Botanical Garden's collection.

Science Café Stellenbosch is an initiative of SU's Faculty of Science to promote the public discussion of science in a language that everyone can understand.

For more information, contact sciencecafe@sun.ac.za or follow us on Facebook.