The Cosmic Savannah

Episode 84: Celebrating 10 years of IDIA

In this special episode of The Cosmic Savannah, we celebrate the 10th anniversary of IDIA(Inter-University Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy) with three very special

Episode 83: Celebrating 20 Years of SALT

Jacinta and Francois wrap up Season 6 of The Cosmic Savannah with this exciting and reflective episode, discussing the history, science and legacy of the Southern African

Episode 82: When Telescopes Think - AI and the Future of Astronomy

In this episode of the Cosmic Savannah, Dan and Francois sit down with Dr Nick Erasmus to discuss the ATLAS digital assistant and the use of Artificial Intelligence and M

Episode 81: One Last Burst - Gamma Rays and Afterglows

In this episode, Jacinta chats with Dr Simon de Wet about the discoveries he made during his Master's and PhD theses regarding mysterious gamma ray bursts (GRBs). Meanwhi

Episode 81: One Last Burst - Gamma Rays and Afterglows

In this episode, Jacinta chats with Dr Simon de Wet about the discoveries he made during his Master's and PhD theses regarding mysterious gamma ray bursts (GRBs). Meanwhi

Episode 80: The Mightee MeerKAT’s View of the Universe

with Prof Matt Jarvis, Dr Imogen Whittam and Dr Anastasia Ponomareva In this episode, Jacinta takes us back to Oxford to catch up with researchers leading one of the big

Episode 79: RADHIANCE research at the University of Oxford

In this episode, we hear from three postgraduate astronomy students from the University of Cape Town about their worldly adventures during a research trip to the Universi

Episode 78: Back Under The Stars – A New Dawn!

We are back with the second half of season 6! In this episode, we are joined by Kevin Govender, Chair of the National Organising Committee and Director of the Office of

Episode 77: Troublesome ‘Inkathazo’ and the Age of Giants

In this "mid-season special" episode, we introduce you to an extraordinary giant radio galaxy nicknamed "Inkathazo", meaning ‘trouble’ in isiXhosa and isiZulu. We speak w

A Heritage Day Special: Pulsars and possibilities – a conversation with Jocelyn Bell-Burnell (rerun)

This is a rerun of a previous episode (60) titled Pulsars and possibilities with Prof. Jocelyn Bell-Burnell. Firstly, The Cosmic Savannah is very excited to welcome a new

Episode 76: First ever Live Show debut at Astronomy Olympics

This week, join us for a special live episode from the IAU General Assembly in Cape Town, South Africa. Featuring black hole simulations expert Dr. Nicole Thomas and winn

Announcement: The Cosmic Savannah Live Show

Remember to get your tickets for the first ever Cosmic Savannah Live Show at the CTICC on Wednesday 14 August at 19:00. Tickets are free to the public but must be booked

Episode 75: Exploring the Universe at the SARAO Conference

In this double feature episode, Jacinta interviews two amazing astronomers at the SARAO (South African Radio Astronomical Observatory) conference. The post Episode 75: E

Special Announcement: The Cosmic Savannah Live Show

With Dr Nicole Thomas and Prof Brian Schmidt It is with great excitement that we announce the first ever Cosmic Savannah Live Show on the 14th Of August (19:00) at […] T

Episode 74: Simulating Cosmic Nurseries

This episode of Cosmic Savannah features Professor James Chibueze, a distinguished professor at the University of South Africa, discussing his research on star formation

Episode 73: Burping Black Holes

In this episode of The Cosmic Savannah, hosts Dr. Tshiamiso Makwela, Dr. Jacinta Delhaize, and Dr. Daniel Cunnama speak with Dr. Eli Kasai from the University of Namibia.

Episode 72: Exploring New Horizons in Astronomy

In this episode of The Cosmic Savannah, our hosts chat with Dr. Rojovola Zara-Nomena Randriamanakoto from the South African Astronomical Observatory about her transformat

Episode 71: Dark Side of the Universe

In this milestone episode of The Cosmic Savannah, hosts Tshiamiso, Jacinta and Dan celebrate the start of Season Six and the podcast's fifth anniversary. The post Episod

Episode 70: Season 5 in Review

The band is back together! In this episode Jacinta, Tshia and Dan sit together in the cupboard once again to catch up and to reflect on Season 5. The post Episode 70: Se

Mini Episode: Big data, big IDIA

In this mini episode Jacinta has a quick interview with Professor Russ Taylor, one of the founders of IDIA ( The Inter-University Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy).