Journey through the decades | Cover voting

Celebrating 120 years of the South African Journal of Science!
 
As part of our anniversary celebration, we’re inviting you to take a journey through the decades with us!
 
Since the 1970s, each issue has featured a unique cover. We are looking for the best covers, and we need your help to find it! We’ve shortlisted 10 covers from each decade, and soon, you’ll get the chance to vote for your favourites in our upcoming polls. Plus, we’ll be highlighting something of interest from each decade.
 
Stay tuned to learn more about the SAJS over the years, and to vote for your favourite covers!
 
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Polls will remain open until 29 September 2024.
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2020s

Vote for your favourite cover here:  https://buff.ly/3ziieYt

*The 2020s... It's hard to talk about this decade without mentioning COVID-19 and its impact on all of us. For this throwback, we're highlighting the special issues we've published related to the pandemic. See our compilation issue, More Eyes on COVID-19 (https://buff.ly/4gzSCGX), and our full issue, How to Do Social Distancing in a Shack: COVID-19 in the South African Context (https://buff.ly/3t1iHYy). We've also published standalone papers in our regular issues, including COVID-19 Amplifies Urban Inequalities (https://buff.ly/3Xx2BEx), which received significant attention online. This paper provides original evidence of the unequal impact of COVID-19 on livelihoods and well-being across different types of urban areas.

2010s

Vote for your favourite cover here:  https://buff.ly/3XkjfH6

*Looking back at the 2010s…
 
In 2019, Odes et al. presented the earliest identifiable case of cancer in a human ancestor from South Africa’s Swartkrans Cave, dated to 1.8–1.6 million years ago. The diagnosis was made possible by advances in 3D imaging technology.
 
Of all the South African Journal of Science articles published and tracked by 'Dimensions AI', this article has received the most online attention to date.
 
Read the full article here: https://buff.ly/47rqUIq

2000s

Vote for your favourite cover here: https://buff.ly/3ML39Br

*Looking back at the early 2000s, Fairbanks et al. documented the procedures and results of the National Land-cover (NLC) Database project—a comprehensive land-cover database for South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho. This project was designed to support various regional modelling, monitoring, and analytical efforts. Before the implementation of the NLC Database project, no standardised database of current land-cover information existed for South Africa as a whole.

Accurate and up-to-date land-cover and land-use information was crucial for strategic planning, sustainable resource management, and environmental research. The aggregated results from the NLC Database at that time revealed the following general surface types in South Africa:

34.1% shrubland and low fynbos; 21.3% grassland; 17.6% thicket and bush land; 12.2% cultivated lands; 5.8% forest and woodland; 4.9% degraded lands; 1.5% forest plantations; 1.1% urban/built-up lands; 0.5% wetlands; 0.4% water bodies; 0.3% forest; 0.2% herbland; 0.2% barren rock; and 0.14% mines and quarries.

The accuracy of the database ranged from 51% to 93%, depending on the geographical area, with kappa index values ranging from 35 to 88.

Read the full article here: https://buff.ly/4dT6NoR

1990s

Vote for your favourite cover here: https://buff.ly/4dDsw49

*In 1990, Henschel reported on dune spiders, Carparachne aureoflava, that have a unique escape strategy—wheeling. Use of the wheel by animals was not reported in scientific literature at the time. These spiders, found in the central Namib Desert, roll down sand dunes to evade predators. Their rolling motion blurs their outline, making it harder for predators such as wasps to catch them. This fascinating behavior showcases nature's ingenuity in survival tactics. Read the full article here: https://buff.ly/3MzdvUU

1980s

Vote for your favourite cover here: https://forms.gle/2uh1XyKJ8fG3gjYb7

*In 1985, Russell tells us more about PRECIS, the herbarium specimen database developed by the Botanical Research Institute. At the time, it was recognised as the largest of its kind in the world. This innovation provided the first complete inventory of all plant taxa in Southern Africa, including synonyms and literature references, as well as checklists for specific localities and regions. It also enabled the sorting of specimen data in various ways for different purposes. Read the full article here: https://buff.ly/4fZHaUQ

The use of early computer systems like this transformed how botanical data was accessed and managed, and paved the way for the comprehensive databases that exist today.

1970s

Vote for your favourite cover here: https://forms.gle/ddzNigXQnbRK7gFC7

*In 1978, Feast provides insights into the advancements in South African astronomy during this period. According to Feast, South Africa's involvement in astronomical research increased significantly, marked by the establishment of national observatories. The South African Astronomical Observatory and the Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory offered state-of-the-art facilities, paving the way for substantial research and future growth. Read the full article here: https://buff.ly/3AroSeR.