30 April 2007
End
It's really a time to take a good breather. Today I've just finished my last exam for this semester. At last I can take a short break. There are still things I have to do (mainly projects extending from my ISM). But for now, rest.
25 April 2007
Kryptonite Discovered!
From BCC News via Slashdot, some researchers have discovered a mineral in the mines in Serbia. Chemical analysis identifies this as sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide, which is quite similar to the museum's label for kryptonite in the movie Superman Returns: "sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide with fluorine".
It is not green and it doesn't emit a cool glow. Instead, it is white, powderful, and mostly harmless ("mostly" is the qualification for the statement, as it is harmless to human beings but maybe not to one man). In any case, there doesn't seem to be any use for it at the moment.
In any case, I suppose now researchers can go ahead and discover Superman.
It is not green and it doesn't emit a cool glow. Instead, it is white, powderful, and mostly harmless ("mostly" is the qualification for the statement, as it is harmless to human beings but maybe not to one man). In any case, there doesn't seem to be any use for it at the moment.
In any case, I suppose now researchers can go ahead and discover Superman.
24 April 2007
MM Lee Questions Homosexuality
It so happens that MM Lee has spoken out against the ban of gay sex in Singapore. However, deep inside his words were embedded the implication that, even if gay rights were to come, it will come slowly.
Ah well... at least that is somewhat an improvement from the stagnation we are seeing today. But somehow I wished I read this earlier, because just hours ago in my SSA1202 Southeast Asia: A Changing Region exam, one of the questions I attempted was on how globalisation changed notion of gender and sexuality in Southeast Asia.
From what I know (and what I wrote), during pre-colonial times, or in areas that have little colonial influence, homosexuality is a pretty much accepted lifestyle in Southeast Asia. It was only when the colonial masters brought in their Western ideas then did homosexuality became "unnatural" and "sinful". And globalisation today is introducing the old ideas - that homosexuality is fine and acceptable - back into our society. If I had just this little piece of news to drop into my essay... "As a matter of fact, just yesterday, Singapore founder Lee Kuan Yew has questioned Singapore's gay laws." How nice would that be?
It's the same sense of déjà vu.
Ah well... at least that is somewhat an improvement from the stagnation we are seeing today. But somehow I wished I read this earlier, because just hours ago in my SSA1202 Southeast Asia: A Changing Region exam, one of the questions I attempted was on how globalisation changed notion of gender and sexuality in Southeast Asia.
From what I know (and what I wrote), during pre-colonial times, or in areas that have little colonial influence, homosexuality is a pretty much accepted lifestyle in Southeast Asia. It was only when the colonial masters brought in their Western ideas then did homosexuality became "unnatural" and "sinful". And globalisation today is introducing the old ideas - that homosexuality is fine and acceptable - back into our society. If I had just this little piece of news to drop into my essay... "As a matter of fact, just yesterday, Singapore founder Lee Kuan Yew has questioned Singapore's gay laws." How nice would that be?
It's the same sense of déjà vu.
23 April 2007
Earth Day
Today is Earth Day. Today I convinced someone not to buy takeaway, thereby reducing the world's usage of styrofoam box by one. Hooray for me, hooray for Earth! Anyway, Google has a nice logo for Earth Day:
Sweet.
Sweet.
21 April 2007
20 April 2007
Tasks for You
As I've mentioned, I'll be trekking over the wild in Australia for about two months. From the description of the Lonely Planet guide, the difficulty ranges from a relaxing stroll across grassland for a few hours to a tedious journey through mountains and hills over a few days. (Say, why does that sound familiar?... but fortunately without any unnecessary weights! I might carry a radio... a transistor radio, that is.)
From an objective perspective, my chances of dying seem higher than before. For much of the journey, I'll probably be going alone. So, you'll never know if I'll miss a step and dive into a ravine, or if some poisonous snake finds my butt highly delectable. Or if I got lost in the jungle and ends up as dinner for vultures. Or if I'll stumble upon Blair Witch or Wolf Creek.
And therefore I think it serves well to write a list of things for you my dear blog readers to note in the event of my untimely disappearance. And this list need not just apply if I die in wild down under; it kicks into effect if I get dissected by Bus A1 while crossing the road, or blown into smithereens by incoming bombs, or get gunned down in NUS.
So here goes, in no order of priority:
1) No coffin for me please, assuming my body is recovered in the first place. For goodness sake, I find it such a waste of wood to put a dead, useless pile of organic molecules inside a huge wooden box and then set it on fire. Why not just throw my body into the stove and be done with it? Wouldn't that be more efficient?
2) And following from the previous point, no paper money or paper houses or paper whatever. In my opinion, it is a foolish thing to do. Sure, I don't really mind doing it, but for myself I find it excessively wasteful. Why not save those trees? And at the same time avoid a disgusting mess of ashes and smoke and carbon dioxide?
3) If my body was recovered and its individual parts still functional, then please take them out and install them in another person who needs them. However, chances are that my organs are probably not suitable for any transplant if I die in the forests, but in the fortunate event that I managed to hang on until I reach the hospital, then my organs will be fresh and useful.
4) I always have the worry that people who seldom keep in contact with me will wonder where I disappeared to if I die without their knowledge. So do let these people (whom I seldom keep in contact) know: my secondary school friends in Catholic High (1997 - 2000), some of my less contacted friends in NJC (2001 - 2002), and, oh yeah, PlanetDiablo Forum, since I post there perhaps far too often that I should.
5) I have a small collection of physics textbooks myself, and I think it'll do the best good when donated to the SPS library when I have no more need for it.
6) I also maintain a neat collection of personal notes for some of the modules I took. Anyone who finds them useful can feel free to re-use them. Remember, environmentalism is the way to go!
I'll add in more if needed. This list will also be posted on my website.
From an objective perspective, my chances of dying seem higher than before. For much of the journey, I'll probably be going alone. So, you'll never know if I'll miss a step and dive into a ravine, or if some poisonous snake finds my butt highly delectable. Or if I got lost in the jungle and ends up as dinner for vultures. Or if I'll stumble upon Blair Witch or Wolf Creek.
And therefore I think it serves well to write a list of things for you my dear blog readers to note in the event of my untimely disappearance. And this list need not just apply if I die in wild down under; it kicks into effect if I get dissected by Bus A1 while crossing the road, or blown into smithereens by incoming bombs, or get gunned down in NUS.
So here goes, in no order of priority:
1) No coffin for me please, assuming my body is recovered in the first place. For goodness sake, I find it such a waste of wood to put a dead, useless pile of organic molecules inside a huge wooden box and then set it on fire. Why not just throw my body into the stove and be done with it? Wouldn't that be more efficient?
2) And following from the previous point, no paper money or paper houses or paper whatever. In my opinion, it is a foolish thing to do. Sure, I don't really mind doing it, but for myself I find it excessively wasteful. Why not save those trees? And at the same time avoid a disgusting mess of ashes and smoke and carbon dioxide?
3) If my body was recovered and its individual parts still functional, then please take them out and install them in another person who needs them. However, chances are that my organs are probably not suitable for any transplant if I die in the forests, but in the fortunate event that I managed to hang on until I reach the hospital, then my organs will be fresh and useful.
4) I always have the worry that people who seldom keep in contact with me will wonder where I disappeared to if I die without their knowledge. So do let these people (whom I seldom keep in contact) know: my secondary school friends in Catholic High (1997 - 2000), some of my less contacted friends in NJC (2001 - 2002), and, oh yeah, PlanetDiablo Forum, since I post there perhaps far too often that I should.
5) I have a small collection of physics textbooks myself, and I think it'll do the best good when donated to the SPS library when I have no more need for it.
6) I also maintain a neat collection of personal notes for some of the modules I took. Anyone who finds them useful can feel free to re-use them. Remember, environmentalism is the way to go!
I'll add in more if needed. This list will also be posted on my website.
17 April 2007
Incoming!
The killer bomb!
PC3130 Quantum Mechanics 2
23rd April, 1700
Huh? What exam?
SSA1202 Southeast Asia: A Changing Region
24th April, 1300
No, not a nuclear bomb, this one...
PC3232 Nuclear and Particle Physics
25th April, 1300
Yay! MCQs!
PH1101E Reason and Persuasion
26th April, 0900
And then I'm free... not!
An oral exam... what? Oral?
SP3173 The Theory of Open Quantum Systems
Sometime in May
PC3130 Quantum Mechanics 2
23rd April, 1700
Huh? What exam?
SSA1202 Southeast Asia: A Changing Region
24th April, 1300
No, not a nuclear bomb, this one...
PC3232 Nuclear and Particle Physics
25th April, 1300
Yay! MCQs!
PH1101E Reason and Persuasion
26th April, 0900
And then I'm free... not!
An oral exam... what? Oral?
SP3173 The Theory of Open Quantum Systems
Sometime in May
16 April 2007
The People's OB Markers
Yes, it's another post on the ministerial salary hike on this blog's sister. Wow, this issue has brought about sustained anger much longer than I thought it would.
15 April 2007
Donkey Kong Storms UCSC
What happens when you get a bunch of engineering students who have too much money and too much time? This:
Formed out of 14000 Post-It notes, these students from UC Santa Cruz simply have too much time in their hands. Why can't they be like NUS students and mug all day? Read more about it or even watch a time-lapse video on the website.
Formed out of 14000 Post-It notes, these students from UC Santa Cruz simply have too much time in their hands. Why can't they be like NUS students and mug all day? Read more about it or even watch a time-lapse video on the website.
12 April 2007
Google Earth's Global Awareness
From PC World via Slashdot, Google Earth and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has came together to bring attention to the Darfur conflict in Sudan. You can view it under the latest version of Google Earth, marking the checkbox of "USHMM: Crisis in Darfur" under the Global Awareness section.
I must admit it was a pretty neat combination. Not only does it provide interactive icons for more information, it also has some photos and accounts of the refugees. It's pretty scary once you zoom in and find the icons (which usually indicate disaster spots) multiply. And mind you, you can zoom down to icons of burnt villages to see the ruin yourself.
It's quite an impressive job by Google Earth and USHMM. If this successfully raises awareness, I think Google Earth will serve as a great tool for highlighting regions of trouble.
I must admit it was a pretty neat combination. Not only does it provide interactive icons for more information, it also has some photos and accounts of the refugees. It's pretty scary once you zoom in and find the icons (which usually indicate disaster spots) multiply. And mind you, you can zoom down to icons of burnt villages to see the ruin yourself.
It's quite an impressive job by Google Earth and USHMM. If this successfully raises awareness, I think Google Earth will serve as a great tool for highlighting regions of trouble.
11 April 2007
10 April 2007
Two Weddings on Two Extremes
Just attended Don's wedding dinner yesterday. It was, of course, wonderful. So glad it didn't turn out like this:
06 April 2007
Two Side Issues from the Minister Pay Hike
(Oh no, not) another post on the hottest topic in the blogosphere!
04 April 2007
A Respite
The chain of deadlines just ended: tests completed and essays handed in. Now, it's a nice time to take a nice short break, before the mad exams charge in. Oh, and it's literally a chain of exams: my exams fall on consecutive days.
01 April 2007
A Case for Ministerial Salary Increase
An article at the Feynman Boson that discusses the latest (angry) buzz in the blogosphere.
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