Professor Roger Gibson from Wits University’s School of Geosciences, believes science belongs not just to labs and lecture halls, but to the people whose lives and environments it touches.
Wits University’s School of Geosciences Professor Roger Gibson with Collections Curator Geocommunicator Robyn Symons standing with the Nqweba Meteorite display.
Speaking at the Wits science mobile lab, brought to Nelson Mandela University as an outreach initiative, he explained why it was important to bring the story of a recently discovered meteorite back to the community where it fell.
“This event happened on your doorstep,” Prof Gibson reminded the audience, “and it is part of your environment, your history, and now, your heritage.”
The meteorite, which blazed across the skies of the Eastern Cape, is not just a scientific specimen but a piece of world heritage.
Local residents, including a nine-year-old girl, witnessed its dramatic fall and recovered fragments. Her discovery of a small piece set in motion an international study, placing the Eastern Cape at the centre of a global scientific investigation.
For Prof Gibson, Heritage Month was the perfect moment to return to the province with answers. The exhibition was more than a presentation of scientific findings; it was a way of paying back the community.
“Many people here contributed what they saw, what they heard, what they felt,” he said. “We want to thank them, and hopefully, through the schools, inspire young people.”
He explained to the audience that a meteorite is simply “a rock that is not of this world,” one that arrives on Earth in a spectacular ball of fire. While hundreds of tons of rock enter our atmosphere daily, most burn up before reaching the ground. To find even a fragment is rare and remarkable.
The Eastern Cape meteorite, Prof Gibson emphasised, was special not only for its scientific value but for the human story around it. “The story of the people of the Eastern Cape observing it, recording it, hearing it, all of that adds even more value.”
The Professor was asked about the intention of inviting schools? For Prof Gibson, the answer was clear. Science should ignite curiosity in the young and help them imagine futures in fields like geology, environmental science, and space research.
He spoke passionately about the role of geoscientists in tackling global challenges, from mining responsibly to understanding the Earth’s systems. “If we cannot grow it, we have to mine it,” he said, underscoring the need for young people who are both skilled and mindful of protecting the planet.
Prof Gibson’s reflections reached beyond geology. Carbon-rich meteorites, for example, may hold clues to the origins of life itself. “It’s a fundamental question every child asks: Who am I? Where do I come from?” he said.
Collections Curator Geocommunicator Robyn Symons, right, reminded the audience that public engagement is at the heart of meteorite science.
She explained that without the eyes, ears, and hands of ordinary people, discoveries like the Eastern Cape meteorite would not be possible.
“We would have never been able to find the meteorite without sightings, without people reporting it to us, and then following up with details of what they experienced,” she said.
For Symons, the collaboration between scientists and communities is not just valuable, it is essential, and it comes with a responsibility. “We are obligated to share whatever we research back with them,” she added, emphasising that the science belongs as much to the public as it does to researchers.
Mandisa Bisset, a geography teacher from Walmer High School, said the visit was eye-opening for her learners, many of whom had never believed meteorites were real until seeing the evidence firsthand.
“By today, they know that there is another life beyond Earth, which maybe in future, if they study further, they can explore,” she explained.
She added that the experience deepened their curiosity about geography and science. “I feel so glad because there are new things every day. For them, this will spark curiosity and make them want to explore more.”
One of her students Zanelisa Xoli, said she was there to learn more about geography and fossils. She said “the career I would like to pursue in this field is environmental planner and I’m excited to be here because I learnt about meteorite and I didn’t know that it happened”
A student from Kwamagxaki high school, Anathi Gxeko mentioned that “I am here to learn about different career paths in geography and my aspiration is to become a geologist.”
