Wei Guang's Online Journal

《无拘无束》

2011-12-05T20:01:00.001+08:00

Here is one of my original Chinese song compositions titled 'Wu Ju Wu Shu', which literally means free and easy or unrestricted. This is the first time I wrote both the lyrics and tune for a Chinese song entirely, and sung it myself. Hope you will like it. Do check out my other songs on Youtube as well! :)

这是我独创的一首中文歌曲。若想看到我的其他作品请到Youtube观看。希望你们会喜欢与支持！:)

Music and lyrics written by Ong Wei Guang
Performed by Ong Wei Guang
The pictures used in the video are my personal pictures.
Copyright © Ong Wei Guang

In today's fast-paced and stressful society, we often wish that life could be less hectic. When was the last time you gazed at the clear blue sky, longing to be free like a bird? I hope this song can imbue in us a sense of optimism and provide us with temporary respite from our worries.

《无拘无束》

词曲：王伟光

演唱：王伟光

Verse 1: 每一天睁开双眼

温暖的阳光透过窗帘

清新的空气悦耳的音乐

我弹着吉他尽情歌唱

Chorus:

如果能够穿越时间

如果可以回到从前

相信一切都能改变

让未来变得更加美好

如果能够飞往天边

如果可以看到永远

抛开心中所有顾虑

每一天充满着无限希望

Oh...oh...yeah

Verse 2:

躺在草原上仰望着蓝天

多想和鸟儿飞向天边

自由自在无拘无束

伸出双手就能碰到天

(repeat chorus)

La la la... Oh...oh...yeah

如果能够飞往天边

如果可以看到永远

抛开心中所有顾虑

每一天充满着无限希望

《追梦》

2011-12-05T19:43:00.003+08:00

I have finally decided to update my blog after so long. Haha. So what have I been up to during my blogging hiatus? Well, I picked up a new found hobby - song composing. Actually I tried composing my own songs way back in primary and secondary school but I didn't know how to play any musical instruments then and had no formal music training, so the songs which I wrote back then weren't nice and I gave up. I picked up the guitar after my A levels and after I was able to play and sing, I decided to give song composing another shot. So, here's one of my original chinese song compositions titled 'Zhui Meng', which translates into 'The Pursuit of Dreams'. Hope you will like it! :)

大家好，想和你们分享我和我的朋友的作品《追梦》。这是我第一次尝试写一首有rap的歌喔！希望你们会喜欢！:)

Title (English translation): The Pursuit of Dreams
Composer: Ong Wei Guang
Lyricists: Ong Wei Guang, Lim Wan Yi
Performed by: Yeo Kea Yee, Ong Wei Guang
Guitar played by: Ong Wei Guang
Video edited by: Ong Wei Guang
The pictures used in the video are my personal pictures.

Copyright © Ong Wei Guang

We all have dreams and aspirations, but many a times we do not pursue them because we are afraid of failure. More often than not, we regret things which we have not done rather than things which we tried but failed. There will definitely be trying times in life, but failure is just a test. No one can predict the future and there is no use harping on the past. We should instead focus on the present. I hope this song will inspire people to stop procrastinating and boldly pursue their dreams, because opportunities seldom come twice. :)

"As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters." - Seneca

《追梦》

作曲：王伟光
作词：王伟光，林宛仪
演唱：杨嘉仪, 王伟光

（Verse 1）
Oh...oh...
世界分秒在改变
无人能预购明天
理想今天没兑现
昨天也已经走远

（Verse 2）
人生里挫折难免
不要让逃避出现
唤醒起勇气面对
失败只是种考验

（Pre-chorus 1）
未来的路也许遥远
遇到挫折笑脸面对
黑夜里星光闪闪
点亮了心中的梦想

（Chorus）
期待不一样的未来
不要一直徘徊
要追求梦想不要再等待
爱让生命更精彩
心田里有你在
所有的烦恼全都被抛开
抛开。。。抛开。。。
(Pre-chorus 2）
挥霍的光阴取不回
已没时间继续浪费
抱紧每个难逢机会
让生命绽放光和彩

(repeat chorus)

（Rap）
世界是我的舞台
每天上演自己的编排
我的宇宙由我主宰
梦想的未来都要勇敢去摘
让所有想象的阻碍
全从心中抛开抛开
鼓起勇气把梦想赢回来
1，2，3 Oh yeah

(repeat chorus and rap)

The Meaning of Prayer in Buddhism

2011-02-09T13:08:00.005+08:00

The below article was written by Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda.

Nature is impartial; it cannot be flattered by prayers. It does not grant any special favours on request.

Man is not a fallen creature who begs for his needs as he awaits mercy. According to Buddhism, man is a potential master of himself. Only because of his deep ignorance does man fail to realize his full potential. Since the Buddha has shown this hidden power, man must cultivate his mind and try to develop it by realizing his innate ability.

Buddhism gives full responsibility and dignity to man. It makes man his own master. According to Buddhism, no higher being sits in judgment over his affairs and destiny. That is to say, our life, our society, our world, is what you and I want to make out of it, and not what some other unknown being wants it to be. Remember that nature is impartial; it cannot be flattered by prayers. Nature does not grant any special favours on request.

Thus in Buddhism, prayer is meditation which has self-change as its object. Prayer in meditation is the reconditioning of one's nature. It is the transforming of one's inner nature accomplished by the purification of the three faculties?thought, word, and deed. Through meditation, we can understand that 'we become what we think', in accordance with the discoveries of psychology. When we pray, we experience some relief in our minds; that is, the psychological effect that we have created through our faith and devotion. After reciting certain verses we also experience the same result. Religious names or symbols are important to the extent that they help to develop devotion and confidence.

The Buddha Himself has clearly expressed that neither the recital of holy scriptures, nor self-torture, nor sleeping on the ground, nor the repetition of prayers, penance, hymns, charms, mantras, incantations and invocations can bring the real happiness of Nibbana.

Regarding the use of prayers for attaining the final goal, the Buddha once made an analogy of a man who wants to cross a river. If he sits down and prays imploring that the far bank of the river will come to him and carry him across, then his prayer will not be answered. If he really wants to cross the river, he must makes some effort; he must find some logs and build a raft, or look for a bridge or construct a boat or perhaps swim. Somehow he must work to get across the river.

Likewise, if he wants to cross the river of Samsara, prayers alone are not enough. He must work hard by living a religious life, by controlling his passion, calming his mind, and by getting rid of all the impurities and defilements in his mind. Only then can he reach the final goal. Prayer alone will never take him to the final goal. If prayer is necessary, it should be to strengthen the mind and not to beg for gains. The following prayer of a well-known poet, teaches us how to pray, Buddhists will regard this as meditation to cultivate the mind:

"Let me not pray to be sheltered from danger, but to be fearless in facing them.
Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain, but for the heart to conquer it.

Let me not crave in anxious fear to be saved, but for the patience to win my freedom.
Sadhu ...... Sadhu ....... Sadhu ......."

Clearing some misconceptions in Buddhism

2010-02-27T22:32:00.003+08:00

In light of the recent brouhaha in Singapore over senior Pastor Rony Tan's insensitive comments about Buddhism which reflected gross ignorance and misconceptions, I felt that it is my duty to help clear misconceptions in Buddhism. Promoting inter-faith discussions is an integral aspect of a truly multi-religious society. True religious harmony cannot engender beneath the veneer of mere tolerance of religions other than one's own; having at least a basic understanding of other religions is a necessary ingredient.

Below is an article from Metta Lodge which I felt is suitable as a basic introduction to the fundamental concepts in Buddhism for non-Buddhists. I have also added a few other points in it:

Like in many religions, among Buddhists are many who are joss-stick Buddhists, coming to the centres only during festivals or when in need. Many who "inherit" their religion are merely paying lip service to it. The ones who discovered the religion by themselves and who studies it well are usually the more serious students of the Dhamma. (BTW many centres have already done away with joss-sticks as this has Nothing to do with the Buddha's teachings!).

To help you understand, the Buddhist world view can best be understood if we see it as being based upon five major teachings:

I. MUTABILITY or CHANGE

All objects, conditions and creations are in a continuous state of change. Nothing that came together because of causes and conditions is eternally fixed or unchanging. Birth, growth, decay and death are inevitable for all material objects, men, societies and states of mind. Herein lies the answer to the mystery of creation; new forms arise out of the old; each new condition is determined by that which preceded it. When asked "who created the world?" a Buddhist will have to ask back "which world are you referring to because before this world was another and before that another ad infinatum!". The present "Big Bang, Big Crunch and Big Bounce hypothesis" is very much in tune with what we are taught ie before this universe was another and that all universes come about and expand, then reaches a period where expansion equals contraction, and then contraction occurs till it all 'crunches' and from that a new universe re develops in an endless cycle. The Buddha on the night of his enlightenment could look back 91 such cycles and yet that was not the beginning as there were more!

II. CAUSE and EFFECT

This process of change, however, is not chaotic but rather is regulated by cause and effect. Cause and effect is impersonal, impartial and unchanging. We drop a glass cup and it breaks no matter who we are. Just as an apple falls to the ground from the tree even though it knows nothing about Newton's laws of motion, likewise even those who do not know about or accept Buddhism are still subjected to the laws of kamma for that is the verylaw of nature. Everything that comes to be, came about because of causes and conditions that are ceaselessly changing. At every moment in time, our response to the present conditions changes it again, and hence our path, our destinations and our lives are in our hands based on what we do at every moment. We create our kamma at every moment in time by changing it moment to moment. There is NO predestination or Fate for at every moment our destination or fate is adjusted, fine tuned by our acts in respond to the present. What we are now depends on our past and what do now will determine the future. This is why Buddhist mediation trains the mind to focus on the present.

III. SELFISHNESS and SUFFERING

Cause and effect includes not only the principles of physics and chemistry so familiar to the modern world; it also includes moral or psychological cause and effect known as kamma-vipaka, or more commonly, “kamma”

Kamma acts through time, and thus the full effects of one’s thoughts and deeds may not become manifest until some years later.

“Not in the sky, not in the midst of the sea, nor if we enter into the clefts of the mountains, is there known a spot in the whole world where a man might be freed from an evil deed.”

“Not in the sky, not in the midst of the sea, nor if we enter into the clefts of the mountains, is there known a spot in the whole world where death could not overcome a mortal.” (Dpd. 17-8)

One important aspect of kamma is that selfishness results in suffering for the selfish party in proportion to the amount of wrong that has been committed. Conversely, love, compassion and other virtuous states of mind create proportionate amounts of happiness and emotional well-being. Often this is stated as, “Desire is the cause of suffering”. And in this context the word which has been translated into English as “Suffering” is the Pali word Dukkha.

Dukkha is a term which includes all types of unpleasant experiences such as worry, fear, sorrow, dissatisfaction, disharmony, etc. When the mind is craving pleasures or is strongly motivated by greed, hatred or egotism it becomes predisposed to dukkha.

A paradox is noted in that happiness is best found by those who are not preoccupied with looking for it.

Thus we find in Buddhism no eternal punishment or eternal reward, but rather happiness and sorrow in proportion to one’s own thoughts and actions. Both Buddhists and non-Buddhists can be reborn in the heavens depending on their kamma. Buddha has never said that only those who accept his teachings will have higher rebirths. It all depends on one's kamma, which is determined by one's actions and thoughts. Nevertheless, the ultimate aim in Buddhism is to attain enlighenment, and not to merely reside in heavens because nothing is permanent.

IV. Nibbana

Since all which is born must die, since all conditioned phenomena must change, the only thing immortal, infinite, and unchanging is that which was never born and is not compounded.

This is Nibbana. Since it is neither matter nor energy, and since it does not exist within space and time, it is completely unrelated to anything with which we are familiar. Thus, it cannot be described, conceptualized nor understood by the normal human mind. It is known only by direct experience beyond sense perception and is the end of all dukkha.

When Nibbana is experienced, egotism has died, for Nibbana comes only with the abolition of all selfishness and craving.

Yet one does not vegetate but continues to act and work as long as the body remains alive. This is Buddhist salvation, and it is found by the training of one’s mind and a maturing of the personality. Since it can never be known or comprehended except by direct experience, one should not concern oneself with looking for Nibbana per se, but rather one should seek to abolish selfishness from his own personality, and this is a rewarding endeavour regardless of whether or not the highest goal is reached. Said the Buddha:

“Liberated, the wise are indifferent to the senses, and have no need to seek anything; passionless they are beyond pleasure and displeasure.”

V. Finally,

the above four premises can be verified by one’s own reasoning and experience with no dependence on external authority. Blind faith is certainly not encouraged and is in fact antithetical to Buddhism.

“Just as people test the purity of gold by burning it in fire, by cutting it, by examining it on a touchstone, so exactly should you, my disciples, accept my words after subjecting them to a critical test and not out of reverence to me.” - Lord Buddha

--
A flower falls,
even though we love it;
and a weed grows,
even though we do not love it.

Science As An Impetus For Change Towards A Better World

2009-12-08T10:33:00.005+08:00

Science, being a body of knowledge that is based on empirical observation and logical deduction, has always prided itself as the light of reason which illuminates the darkness of ignorance shrouding the world. It is a catalyst of change and the impetus for technological advancement.

As the most important prerequisite for technological improvements, science undoubtedly has a far-reaching influence and plays an important role in society. Enhanced understanding of the various phenomena in nature has enabled us to create a multitude of devices and machines to improve our lives. Indeed, without science, technological marvels such as the now ubiquitous computers, mobile phones, air-conditioners and countless other devices which we have taken for granted would not have been possible, let alone construct skyscrapers and entire cities. Advances in medical science have also given us a plethora of medicine and vaccines in our battles against diseases and extending the average lifespan of humans. Yet in the same breath, science has also led to the invention of the machinery of modern warfare and weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. A scientifically-inspired technological society is thus not necessarily a better world.

Blindly supporting science without a moral compass would only lead to more problems. What is needed in the face of the mounting challenges in the 21st century is a science that is bold and creative, yet ethical, compassionate and inclusive. For too long we have narrowly focused on utilising science for the betterment of the human race alone, even to the extent of neglecting the environment we live in. We have exploited animals for research on human diseases, deforested vast swathes of land, polluted the environment and destroyed the natural habitats of countless creatures in our quest to gather ever more resources to feed our insatiable consumerism. Who are we to proclaim ourselves as masters of nature and that it is our right to exploit the environment and other sentient beings for our sole benefit? We have misused the name of science in our misguided pursuit of improving our quality of life. Such a cold and egocentric kind of science is untenable in the long run. It is time to rethink our place in the universe and treat all sentient beings as equals.

Nevertheless, in a world griped by numerous grave problems such as global warming, climate change, pandemics, wars, impending oil, food and water shortages, science remains our best hope of solving them. Green technology, a field which I am personally interested in, holds the promise of ameliorating environmental problems such as global warming and pollution. Clean, renewable alternative sources of energy such as solar, wind and hydroelectric power will not only help avert the impending energy crisis due to declining reserves of non-renewable fossil fuels, but also shift the balance of the control of energy resources away from the hands of a few countries to the rest of the world, paving the way towards a more level global playing field and peaceful world where wars would no longer have to be waged over oil.

More than merely being a driver of technological improvement, science is also a candle in the dark which shines the path towards a more enlightened future. Science serves as a bulwark against blind faith and dogmatic mysticism. Entrenched ways of thinking and an aversion to trying out new ideas are impediments to alleviating the problems we face. The essence of science lies in the openness to new ideas and willingness to modify or discard old theories and ways of thinking in favour of more productive ones which are consistent with empirical observation, coupled with a healthy dose of scepticism and relentless scrutiny. Adopting such an attitude in tackling the global problems looming before us would enable us to find efficacious solutions. To quote the late astronomer and populariser of science, Carl Sagan, “Science by itself cannot advocate courses of human action, but it can certainly illuminate the possible consequences of alternative courses of action.”

The onslaught of progress and wave of change is inevitable. Instead of trying to resist it, we should embrace science as an impetus for change. Science is like a double-edge sword; it has the potential to do much good and help us build a better world, but if misused, it can spawn more problems and lead to deleterious consequences. What is clear is that science alone will not be the answer to all our problems. Science has to be checked by ethics and an appropriate amount of regulation. Unbridled pursuit of science and technology is dangerous, but so too is an overdose of moralistic or religiously-guided regulation which would only stifle the progress of science as well as our chance of finding solutions to tackle the problems we all face.

Safeguarding Secularism in Singapore

2009-06-02T12:20:00.004+08:00

With the increasing religiosity in our society, pockets of self-righteous religious zealots who seek to impose their beliefs on others have also engendered. This is a cause for concern, for it threatens one of the fundamental tenets on which our society is built upon – secularism. It is not a fluke that Singapore has managed to come thus far and maintain racial and religious harmony. Rather, our harmonious multiracial and multi-religious society, which is the envy of many countries, is due largely to the fact that we have ensured secularism to be the prevailing tenor of our society. It is with this conviction with which I disagree with NMP Dr Thio Li-ann’s parliamentary speech “A Recipe for Disharmony”, in which she mentioned that “…militant secularism is an illiberal and undemocratic vice in seeking to gag religious views in the public square and so to privilege its atheistic values, as in communist state.” That Dr Thio made the speech not long after the AWARE saga seemed to imply that she has directed much of the vitriol to those were against the old ‘new guard’ exco of AWARE, though she did not explicitly mention this in her speech.

For those who have not been following the news, the AWARE saga started in April this year when a group of Christians hailing from the same church took over leadership of AWARE (a secular voluntary welfare organisation) by getting fellow church members to sign up as new members and vote the former in through sheer numbers. It is no surprise that the use of such underhand tactics to gain leadership of a secular civil group in Singapore has resulted in a public backlash. The old ‘new guard’ of AWARE led by Ms Jocie Lau claimed to champion for mainstream values such as ‘anti-gay’ notions. Nevertheless, the fact that her team only comprised of people from her faith and church begs the question of their true agenda. If what they were really pushing for were mainstream values, should they not have found it prudent to include people of other faiths and free-thinkers as well? Surely there is no dearth of capable people from other faiths in Singapore? The reticence of Ms Lau and her team in announcing their goals and directions for AWARE after gaining leadership only served to add to the public unease. It was even more astounding that Ms Lau had the temerity to suggest that the press harboured hidden motives in its reporting of the story when she and her team resorted to stealthy tactics of gaining control in an organisation and then keeping mum about their motives. People who live in glass houses should not throw stones. Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, has mentioned the importance of having a ‘rainbow coalition’, which means including people from various faiths and races, in political and civil activist groups which claim to be secular. Doing so would be far more effective in allaying public unease about the ability of the organisation to ensure that a plurality of voices and opinions of those from other faiths and races would also be heard and considered in the decision-making process, as compared to mere rhetoric.

It would be naïve to believe that religious tensions in Singapore are completely non-existent. The public backlash following the AWARE saga has showed us how easy it is to stress the fabric of our society’s cohesiveness. We need to exercise caution when dealing with matters of religion in the public sphere. Religious leaders must also be prudent when addressing their followers and not misuse the pulpit like what Pastor Derek Hong, from the same church as Ms Lau and the rest of the old ‘new guard’ exco of AWARE, did when he called on his fellow church members to rally behind Ms Lau and her team. While I agree with Dr Thio that “religiously-informed views” can contribute positively to public debate, we must not condone any self-righteous mentality by any particular religious group. No religious group should unilaterally claim that it alone represents the mainstream and impose its ideology and beliefs on others. Only then can we ensure a pluralistic society where religious freedom is the order of the day; a society where no one would be coerced into subscribing to beliefs and convictions imposed by others. It is reassuring to know that the various religious leaders in Singapore have readily come forth to express their commitment in upholding secularism in our society after the AWARE saga.

Incidents such as the AWARE saga serve as a timely reminder for us that politics and religion should be segregated instead of being conflated. Parents, schools and religious leaders have to inculcate in their children the importance of having respect towards those from other faiths. Only when the various religious groups discard the notion that their religion is the one and only one ‘right’ religion, or to paraphrase Obama in his recent speech in Cairo that “the measure of one’s faith (is not) based on the rejection of other faiths”, can true respect for each other’s faiths engender. Otherwise, the religious harmony which we have will only be skin deep and go no further than mere religious tolerance, without much understanding of the other faiths; it would only exist as a façade under which mindsets harbouring religious superiority and self-righteousness would take hold, and this would be the real “recipe for disharmony”.

Speculations on First Contact

2008-12-16T21:59:00.014+08:00

After watching the movie "The Day The Earth Stood Still", I could not help but keep revisiting the topic of alien encounters with the human race in the back of my mind. The topic of alien encounters is a very frequent one in science fiction and has been brought up countless times, both in novels and movies. However, I think novels tend to fare better than most Hollywood films in depicting the realism of possible alien encounters with mankind.

Most Hollywood films such as Starwars, Star Trek, Alien, Species and Predator tend to portray aliens as having humanoid bodies, having two arms, two legs, a head and body. The usual differences between humans aliens in such movies are the alien skin colour, number of limbs, eyes, etc. All these superficial differences reflect a lack of creativity. Even most other lifeforms on Earth such as insects and animals will look more different from humans than the aliens in the films. Or maybe the film producers want to cut costs by using human actors for the alien roles instead of creating robots or using computer animation.

The probability of any alien lifeforms resembling anything close to humans is extremely low, far lower than the probability of anyone striking the lottery consecutively for his/her entire life! Anyone who has read and understand the theory of evolution should come to this conclusion. Life on Earth is the way we know it because of eons of accumulated chance mutations which were then sieved out by natural selection so that only those best suited for the particular environment in the particular locales on Earth will thrive. The complex interplay of numerous factors in the evolutionary history of Earth is certainly not something that will likely be repeated elsewhere in the universe. As such, there is no reason to believe that life on another planet would take exactly the same evolutionary path of Earth life, even if the conditions are the same. Famed scientists Carl Sagan, Paul Davies and Richard Dawkins, as well as numerous others have written books on this topic and it is worth reading them.

The main problem why most people think aliens will look like humans or some other Earth-like creature might be due to our current narrow definition of life. Our definition of life is only based on Earth life, and is certainly not representative of life throughout the cosmos. Why must life be restricted to solid forms? It is physically sensible for alien life to manifest in other physical states such as liquid and gas. Or alien life may be non-coporeal and take on exotic forms such as being composed of pure energy or electromagnetic fields. Science fiction novels such as "2001: A Space Odyssey" by Arthur C. Clarke, "Beyond Infinity" by Gregory Benford have postulated such possibilities. Another hot favourite is that many scientist think that water is necessary for life and thus they focus their search for alien life to worlds which contain water. Water is a good solvent for many inorganic substances and has high heat capacity which allows the stabilization of temperature within a relative small range, as well as other properties which make it suitable for Earth life. Water may be necessary for Earth life, but why must this criteria apply to aliens too? There are other solvents which can dissolve many substances as well. It is high time we re-look at our current definition of life and update it, before we miss recognizing alien life in future space exploration missions.

Another point to consider is that of collective consciousness. Aliens could also behave more like a hive than as separate individuals. As such, any attempt to communicate with them may prove even more difficult, due to the different ways of thinking. Imagine what would a person say to an ant or termite hive. I suppose the natural tendency for humans is to look for the leaders in the alien race, but a hive has no leaders; the queen ant or termite does not give instructions to the other ants, each individual ant merely carry out its own job. When each eat follows its own simple set of 'instinctive instructions', the self-organised collective behaviour of an entire ant colony can be markedly different from that of the individual ant itself. Clearly, a single ant or termite may not be as intelligent as a human (then again it depends on our definition of intelligence), but an entire ant or termite hive is far from stupid. Just look at the engineering marvels such as 5 meter tall termites hives which African mound termites are capable of building. Hives follow a bottoms-up approach, in contrast to our usual top-down approach.

As a class 0 civilization, chances are that a more advanced civilization will make contact with us rather than the other way round. Furthermore, we have only started exploring space in the last few decades, and the cosmos being such a unimaginably huge space, it will probably take us eons to find signs of alien life, if there is any. Given that the universe is around 17 billion years old, it is plausible that there are much older and advanced civilizations out there among the stars other than ours. And they would probably have reached class 3 or even 4 if they can reach us on Earth. From the history of mankind, every time a more advanced civilization makes contact with a less advanced one, it almost always resulted in a war of civilizations with the more advanced one triumphing. The same may or may not occur with our contact with extra-terrestrial intelligences. We do not know yet. Even if the aliens came here with no intention of harm, I think the result would still very much turn out to be a war, due to the territorial nature of humans, a behavioral relict of our evolutionary past. We would probably be the first to attack the aliens. This is where the film " The Day The Earth Stood Still" is probably right. Perhaps precisely because of this, the aliens have kept themselves invisible from us on purpose, assuming that they exist and are benevolent. This is just one of the many theories behind the Fermi Paradox.
(I will probably write an article on the Fermi Paradox in the future. I think I shall stop here for now, I could go on non-stop on the topic of aliens.)

Thoughts will soon be secrets no more

2008-12-16T13:01:00.002+08:00

It was reported that researchers at the ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories have succeeded in processing and displaying images directly from the human brain. The team has only managed to reproduce only simple images from the brain but they believe that the technology could eventually be used to figure out dreams and other secrets inside people's minds. (http://www.physorg.com/news148193433.html)

It seems like we have opened yet another Pandora's Box. The potential of technology which allows others to read people’s minds is simply mind-boggling and its potential dangers are anyone's guess. It is only a matter of time when such mind-reading devices become as ubiquitous as mobile phones. There will undoubtedly be useful applications of such technology such as in solving crime cases and creating drawings and animations directly by visualizing them in the mind. However, in such a future, personal thoughts will no longer be private anymore as our very last sanctuary of privacy is encroached upon.

Already there are companies which sell commercial brain-computer interfaces (BCI) products such as headphones, based on electro-encephalogram (EEG) technology. Such devices allow the user to control the computer using their thoughts alone; they could control the cursor on the monitor screen, a computer game character or even a robot in the real world. Such technology will make it possible for people who have lost their limbs or wheelchair bound patients to be replaced with robotic prosthetic limbs which can be controlled by their mind. In fact, there have already been patients fitted with such BCI devices such as blind people who have partially regained their sight using electrodes implanted into their visual cortex and linked to an external camera. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain-computer_interface) With the aid of BCI devices, doctors will be able to perform surgeries with better accuracy for longer hours with less physical fatigue from their hands, and astronauts can manipulate tools and conduct delicate experiments in space more efficiently using thought-controlled robotic arms instead of their bulky spacesuit gloves. BCI devices can also contribute a positive impact in the education arena and will enhance the learning experience for students. Uses of BCI in treatment of psychological disorders such as depression, phobias and attention-deficit disorder are also possible. Other applications include marketing uses, advertising, consumer electronics, and entertainment.

In the near future, it is highly possible that there will be groups, organizations or even governments willing to utilize such BCI devices to control others as well. Just as we can control computers and robots using our thoughts, the reverse could probably happen also. The prophetic vision of the future portrayed by the film The Matrix might not be too far-fetched after all. Initially there might be many people resisting the use of such devices for ethical or personal reasons, but the inadvertent tide of science and technology will nevertheless remain an unstoppable force. I foresee a future where even normal people would fit themselves with such BCI devices to enhance their physical and even mental abilities. This may sound repelling to some right now but it may be perfectly acceptable to people of the future. People of the past may never have thought that our generation would be so dependent on electronic devices such as computers and mobile phones, where people carry them along everywhere they go, so much so that some of these devices have become something of an extra limb or appendage to us. It is only a matter of time before mobile communications technology and even computers become available as chips which can be embedded in our brains. There will be no need to carry mobile phones or laptops then, and we will not even need to talk to communicate for our thoughts can be directly transmitted to each another. Perhaps, that is how we will achieve extra-sensory abilities such as telepathy in the future.

BCI technology, as with many other nascent technologies, is progressing at a rate too fast for comfort for many and has engendered numerous ethical issues and controversies. We live in an age of rapid technological advances and must to learn to live with the ever-changing technologies that arise continuously. Technology is a double-edged sword. Will we lose our sense of identity and become mindless cyborgs immersed in the virtual world controlled by others or computers or will we be able to utilize and maintain control over technology for the greater good of mankind in our quest to achieve utopia?

F1 - Frivolous Number 1?

2008-09-30T22:31:00.011+08:00

With the recent hype surrounding the highly successful staging of the first ever Formula 1 night race in Singapore, it might seem a little inappropriate for me to label F1 races in general as frivolous. Nevertheless, the environmental impact of F1 races is understated and given insufficient attention in the media and I shall explain why I feel such races are frivolous.

Amid skyrocketing fuel costs and growing concerns about global warming everywhere in the world, the incongruity of wasting massive amounts of petrol on fuel-guzzling race cars for Formula 1 races is glaringly imprudent. It was reported in the Straits Times that a F1 team typically uses around 200,000 litres of petrol per season. Personally, I feel that this is a vast wastage of our rapidly declining reserves of oil. Instead of squandering away this important non-renewable resource on races for entertainment, we should save it for more worthy uses such as transportation, power generation and as raw materials for the petrochemical industry for the production of plastic materials.

F1 races are also widely known for its large numbers of affluent fans, many of them being millionaires and billionaires. It probably does not come as a surprise that the affluent would enjoy extravagant leisure activities like F1 races, for it is a reflection of their spending habits. However, for the majority of us, there is no compelling reason why we should support such a profligate sport.

While it is true from the economic viewpoint that staging F1 races is a boon to the host country in terms of global publicity of the city and increasing tourist arrivals and spending, we should not just be concerned about raking in revenues and relegate environmental concerns aside. As fellow inhabitants of Earth, it is time we exercise prudence in managing our resources and do away with unnecessary and prodigal entertainment activities such as F1 races which do more harm than good to our planet with their high carbon footprint, no matter how appealing or economically viable they may be. There are many other ways to generate revenue which are environmentally sustainable. One may argue that the F1 race has helped to portray Singapore as a more vibrant city, but is it the only way and at what cost? If Singapore is to showcase itself as an example of sustainable development and a green country, we must place more importance on adopting green policies and walking the talk. We have to decide what is it that we really want to portray ourselves as to the rest of the world.

Nepal Holiday Trip

2008-07-20T18:21:00.010+08:00

After spending 10 days in Nepal with my parents for holidays, I arrived back in Singapore on the 19th of July. Instead of writing my travel experience in the usual journal format, I decided to spilt this post into different sections - cityscape, scenery, transportation system, food, culture, people and others.

Cityscape:

Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, is a historical city. At around 1400m above sea level, Kathmandu is filled with endless rows of 2-3 stories shophouses, some of them more than 100 years old, unlike the jungle of towering skyscrapers that we are see so often in Singapore or other metropolitan cities, In fact I haven't seen any building taller than 10 stories apart from a tower, which according our tour guide is the tallest structure in Kathmandu. The cityscape probably resembles Singapore in the 1960s. Crooked windows and huge prominent cracks in some of these surviving old buildings are scars of the destruction of a devastating earthquake about 70 years ago (if I remember what my guide said correctly). Peering out from her exquisitely carved wooden window which seemed on the verge of giving way, an old lady watched us strolling through the streets of the city, seemingly nonchalant about the danger of living in such a dilapidated building. It was definitely to my surprise that such buildings were still inhabited. The people continue to do so because they simply cannot afford a better place.

(Above: Patan Dubar Square)

Transportation System:

I think the road conditions in Nepal are rather similar to that in India. You can see cows walking and sitting in the middle of roads and vehicles are expected to give way to them as they are considered sacred in the Hindu religion, which comprises around 80% of the population. The drivers in Nepal seem to have a penchant of sounding the horn, as frequent as every 5 seconds, and their horns even have melodies, like the sound of trumpets. Given the chaotic traffic conditions where motorists weave in and out of lanes ever so frequently even in narrow 2-way lanes, coupled with the fact that animals and people also walk on the roads, such incessant horning is understandable. Nevertheless sometimes I wonder perhaps the sounding of the horn is a form of greeting by cheeky drivers. Traveling on the roads by vehicle can be quite a bumpy ride as not all the roads are tarred or properly maintained, with potholes and rocks all over the roads, especially the mountain roads.

Strikes are also very common in Nepal and I was 'lucky' enough to experience the transportation strikes first-hand. Our tour van was caught in a massive traffic jam about 3km long and after waiting for around 3 hours, we decided to haul our luggage and walk on foot. At the site of the blockade by the protesters, the cameraman of a television crew filmed us dragging our luggage amid stares by onlookers, protesters and the police. Not long after we passed the blockade by foot, the strike ended, leading me to wonder if the sight of tourists being affected by the strike caused the protestors to relent. For those who do not know, the tourism industry is one of the largest economic sector in Nepal. Thus, it is of utmost importance for the Nepalese to ensure a quality experience for the tourists during their stay.

(Above: The crowd of protesters marching off)

(Above: Me dragging my luggage)

Scenery:

(Above: Hilly slopes and rice fields in Nagarkot)

We took the Yeti Airlines Everest Flight on 13/07/08. The view of the Himalayan mountain ranges is breath-taking.

(Above: Takeoff from Kathmandu Airport for the Everest Flight on board Yeti Air)

(Above: Picturesque view of the Himalayan ranges)

(Below: A slide show of the pictures taken from the window and cockpit of the plane. The mountains in the pictures are actually larger than they seem as some parts of the mountains are covered by cloud, so you can only see the peaks clearly, much like icebergs.)

Food:

The traditional Nepalese food is shown in the first picture. Luckily, we also had other types of food in Nepal apart from the usual dahl and chapati which is not really suited for my taste buds.

Culture:

There are more than 70 different ethnic groups in Nepal, each with its own culture and traditions. My family and I were lucky to witness and participate in a Nepali wedding ceremony in one of the villages en route to one of our destinations.

(Above: The wedding ceremony site)

People:

Most of the Nepalese people that I encountered are friendly and would greet tourists with 'Namaste'. We were lucky to have a very friendly, helpful and experienced tour guide, Mr Jeevan.

Others:

Below is a video clip of an ayurvedic 'singing' bowl, so called because it resonates after being hit or rubbed with a wooden stick wrapped with leather (shown in the video). In the video, you can see the water spraying about at four sides along the circumference in the bowl and rotates with the encircling motion of the stick. My guess is that the phenomenon is caused by standing waves in the water created due to the vibrations in the bowl. The four sides from which the water spray originate would correspond to the anti-nodes, and the calm regions are the nodes. The person explaining the use of the ayurvedic bowl is my tour guide, Mr Jeevan.

We got cheated by a group of snake charmers in the streets of Pokhara when we took photos and a video of them, unaware of the fact that we have to pay them $4 for just a few seconds of video. Luckily our tour guide stepped in to handle the situation so we ended up paying $1.

The Hedonic Treadmill

2008-07-09T22:17:00.005+08:00

I believe most people want to be rich, strive for fame, status and money. It may not be their intrinsic desire to do so, but rather a result of societal, parental and peer pressure. Nevertheless, a life based on the ceaseless acquisition of material possessions, wealth and accomplishments is not the answer to everlasting happiness. This is explained in a theory called the 'hedonic treadmill', a term coined by Philip Brickman and Donald Campbell.

So what is the hedonic treadmill? It is an analogy of someone running on treadmill to illustrate the point that we need to keep striving in order to maintain the same level of happiness, akin to someone running at the same speed just to maintain the same position on a treadmill. If we want to increase our happiness, we need to strive even harder. Psychology researchers have found that the level of happiness of lottery winners increased initially but returned to their original levels quickly. The reverse is also true - the level of happiness of those recently handicapped fell initially but climbed back to original levels subsequently.

"In all of these situations, despite a massive shift in standard of living or achievement of major life goals, after a short period of time the life-satisfaction levels return to normal. Despite the fact that external forces are constantly changing our life goals, happiness for most people is a relatively constant state. Regardless of how good things get, we'll always report about the same level of happiness. It is believed that the baseline of an individual's happiness is at least partially genetic. For example, identical twins are usually equally prone to depression. "-quoted from Wikipedia

So if you think that striking the lottery, snagging the President's scholarship or winning some prestigious award will give you prolonged joy, think again. But then I am sure, many people would have had first-hand experience of the effects of the hedonic treadmill themselves, yet they still strive for even more material wealth, fame or higher status in the hope of attaining the elusive everlasting happiness. As the internationally acclaimed author J.K. Rowling has aptly put it: "...personal happiness lies in knowing that life is not a check-list of acquisition or achievement. Your qualifications, your CV, are not your life, though you will meet many people of my age and older who confuse the two." (http://harvardmagazine.com/commencement/the-fringe-benefits-failure-the-importance-imagination)

I have had relatives and friends asking me why I did not choose to study medicine or some other courses which more lucrative in nature. Being a doctor will allow me to save lives. Yes, it is a noble thing, but my passion still lies in Physics. Nevertheless, there are many people who wish to become doctors and lawyers not for lofty ambitions, but for the high pay. Last year, there was a spate of articles in The Straits Times which highlighted the trend of general practitioners in Singapore offering cosmetic surgery to boost their income. Plastic surgeons and cosmetic specialists earn much more than an average GP, and this explains why cosmetic courses are so hot in medical school. This merely drives home the point that many doctors are more interested in making big bucks rather than saving lives and earning less. As much as I would like to believe that people of such intellectual calibre would be enlightened enough to realise the trap of the hedonic treadmill, it is not to be. Well, maybe the fault is not theirs alone. It is not easy to overcome the strong societal, parental and peer pressure to achieve the so called 'success', which is defined shallowly in terms of monetary wealth and societal status.

Before the current financial crisis, business and finance courses in universities were all the rage given the high salaries of those working in these sectors. However, reality sunk in upon the unfolding of the Subprime Crisis and many graduates are now finding it an uphill task to get a job or even an internship. As a result, more students are now turning towards the engineering and other faculties. Several years back, there was also a sudden wave of interest in the life sciences industry after the government's exhortation that it is the 'next-big-thing'. As with all fads, the life sciences craze fizzled out some time as well. Sounds Déjà vu? My point here is that we should not just follow where the money seems to be, for it may very well turn out to be the wrong path. Neither am I advocating that one should always blindly follow one’s interest, for we have to feed our families and ourselves. Nevertheless, monetary remuneration should not be the salient and over-riding factor in determining one’s career path. A balance between pragmatism and idealism has to be struck.

When I was younger, I wanted to be a great scientist and aspired to win the Nobel prize. However, as I grew older and wiser, I realised that winning prizes is not the most important thing in life and it will only give me temporary happiness. I still wish to be a scientist, but my main aim now is to help people through science research and development, as well as through other forms of community service. I am not advocating that everyone should give up their ambitions to be bankers or superstars or even the President of United States. It is good to have aspirations, for you will then have something to work for and life becomes more meaningful. But making money and attaining status should not be the ultimate aim in life. We must exercise caution in threading the fine line between sinking into complacency and being overzealous or 'kaisu', or we would only be the ones to suffer.

'We do not need magic to change the world'- J.K. Rowling

2008-06-24T14:43:00.011+08:00

I was very inspired after watching J.K.Rowling's recent speech at Harvard. I highly recommend everyone to watch it. It is probably one the best inspirational speeches I have heard so far. In her address to graduating Harvard students, she touched on two themes- the importance of failure and the importance of imagination. My favourite part of her speech is this: "If you choose to use your status and influence to raise your voice on behalf of those who have no voice; if you choose to identify not only with the powerful, but with the powerless; if you retain the ability to imagine yourself into the lives of those whoso not have your advantages, then it will not only be your proud families who celebrate your existence, but thousands and millions of people whose reality you have helped transform for the better. We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imgaine better."

Part 1:

Part2:

Part3:

Hope you enjoyed and learned something after watching the clips. I have never read any of the Harry Potter books but now I know why J.K. Rowling is such a great writer.

"As is a tale, so is life, not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters." -Seneca

My wall light has a new look!

2008-06-19T17:23:00.003+08:00

Check out my latest design for my house wall light.
You are probably wondering why the cover looks like a truncated plastic plate. Well, it is. It looks rather austere and I decided to keep it that way as it blends in better with the colour of the wall. The original glass cover was nicer and more elegant, but my mother dropped and broke it accidentally last week while trying to chase out a lizard hiding in the cover, despite my advice to leave the lizard alone. Haha. Luckily my father was bathing at that time so he didn't know, or he would blow his top. I quickly modified a plastic plate and supplanted the broken glass cover with it before he came out from the bath room. Well, he didn't notice it for more than a week despite the prominent positioning of the wall light. Haha. Maybe I can become an interior designer. :) Anyway, my father only realized it after my mother decided to tell him what happened as she couldn't stop laughing for days. So I was wondering if we didn't tell him, he would probably never find out. My design is cool right? UNIQUE.

Artificial Gravity in Space?

2008-05-28T22:28:00.010+08:00

Artificial gravity has been portrayed in many sci-fi movies and novels by the use of giant rotating cylinder-shaped spaceships to generate acceleration. According to Einstein, acceleration is equivalent to gravity. However, I have been wondering what happens when a person jumps in a rotating spaceship. Thus, I decided to do a little thought experiment.

Assume we have a giant cylinder-shaped spaceship that rotates at a constant angular velocity w. A person standing inside the spaceship will experience centripetal acceleration directed towards the axis of rotation (or the centre of the spaceship in that particular cross-sectional frame) and the resulting normal force acting on him/her will cause a sensation of gravity. However, if the person jumps in the direction towards the centre, he/she will lift off the surface with 2 velocities components- the tangential velocity and initial velocity towards the center. The resultant velocity can be calculated and he/she will 'fly' in a straight line towards the inner surface of the spaceship at an angle as seen in the video and end up landing at a different spot from where he/she lifted off. This is because once the person is off the surface, there is no longer any resultant force acting on him/her (neglect air resistance), unlike on Earth where gravity continues to act even when you are airborne.

(PS: Does anyone know how to upload flash animation files onto blogger? I had to convert the flash file to .avi format which is much larger in file size)

Applying the same reasoning, objects 'falling' in a rotating spaceship will not 'fall' in a straight vertical line but will end up hitting the ground at some horizontal distance away from the point at which is starts 'falling'. This apparent curved motion of objects is called Coriolis effect. In this respect, artificial gravity is different from real gravity and may lead to many problems living in space.

Prolonged exposure to weightlessness can cause health problems in astronauts such as loss of bone mass, muscle atrophy, dehydration, anemia and weakened immunity, among others. Such adverse effects can be countered by rigorous exercise or by inducing gravity. Currently, a significant amount of time on exercising by astronauts while on space missions. This is not very economical as it results in less time for conducting experiments. In the future when people live in space colonies, we cannot expect everyone to spend so much time exercising. Thus it is of utmost importance to find a way to create artificial gravity that is as close to the real thing as possible. Currently, the only way to create real gravity is to use mass. In order to create 1g, we will need the mass of the Earth, so clearly that is not a viable option for space missions. So for now, we will just have to stick to the idea of large rotating spaceships and put up with large Coriolis forces.

Happy Vesak Day!

2008-05-19T20:17:00.001+08:00

Wish everyone a very happy Vesak Day! While we celebrate the birth and enlightenment of Buddha here in Singapore, we should not forget about others who are suffering. Let us pray for the victims of the two recent major natural disasters- the Sichuan earthquake and cyclone Nargis. Amidst our relatively sheltered life in Singapore, which is free from natural disasters, it is easy to forget that there are so many people in other parts of the world whose lives have been wrecked by such calamities and their daily existence have become a ceaseless struggle. It is heartening to know that countries and people all over the world have provided humanitarian aid and monetary donations to the afflicted countries. While we may not be able to help out with the relief efforts, we can donate and pray for the victims. Let them know that the world is still full of compassion.

Do electrons really spin and do quarks really have colour?

2008-05-14T12:16:00.010+08:00

Do electrons really spin and are quarks really coloured? Well, the answers to both are no. Why then do scientists come up with such terms? To deliberately obfuscate people? I do not think so. The limitations of human languages in describing the quantum world have made it difficult for us to assign appropriate words to describe properties of subatomic particles. As such, analogies such as spin and colour are used to create a more intuitive understanding of reality. What do scientists mean by the spin of electrons and colours of quarks then?

Before I explain electron spin, imagine a classical spinning top. If you look at the spinning top from the top or bottom, you will see that it is either spinning clockwise or anti-clockwise. If you view it from the side, you will not observe any spin. (Note: Spin is defined to be the rotation of an object about an axis which passes through it.) In order to understand the spin of an electron, we have to move away from the classical notion of spin. The electron is actually not a point-like particle but rather, it is a probability cloud. The spin of an electron is just a name used to describe one of its properties. This electron spin is a result of its intrinsic angular momentum. If you view the electron about any axis in 3-dimensional space, you will always observe either a clockwise or anti-clockwise spin, and the value of the spin is defined to be 1/2. It is difficult to imagine how this can happen, for the quantum world is totally different and exists on different scales from the macroscopic world on which we live in. It is only natural then that we will have trouble visualizing the world of the subatomic, just as a bacterium would have much difficulty in comprehending the human world.

Now let's move on to quarks. Quarks are the constituent particles of hadrons (a class of subatomic particles which interact via the strong force) and come in six different flavours called, 'up', 'down', 'top', 'bottom', 'strange' and 'charm'. These are not names of some newfangled ice-cream flavours but are merely names of different types of quarks. Apart from flavours, quarks also posses another property called colour and come in red, blue and green. A hadron is colour neutral as it consists of three quarks from each of the colours, just like mixing the three primary colours of light produces white light. In a meson, there are two quarks of similar colour but each being the matter and anti-matter counterpart of each other.

Quarks themselves are not coloured in the classical sense in which we see macroscopic objects in different colours. We can see and perceive colour from macroscopic objects because incident light or photons on the objects are absorbed by electrons in the atoms and then re-emitted or transmitted to our eyes. In the simplified model of an atom, bound electrons 'orbit' the nuclei in shells of fixed distances from the nuclei. (Note that electrons are actually probability clouds which flow around the nuclei of atoms and this flow is called a probability current.) Whenever a photon with the right amount of energy (corresponding to the gap between two energy levels of an atom) is incident on a bound electron, it will be absorbed by the electron and cause the latter to become ‘excited’ and jump to a higher orbit. The excited electron subsequently re-emits a photon as it falls back to a lower state. (Note that the excited electron may return to the ground in a single or multi-step process.) Since different atoms and molecules, and thus different objects, have different gaps in energy levels, they reflect different frequencies of visible light, resulting in our perception of colour. Anything smaller than an atom will not possess colour in the classical sense. Hence, it makes no sense to ask how quarks look like.

In trying to understand and describe the quantum world, we are inevitably bogged down by our limited sensory perceptions, preconceived notions of the world and semantic limitations. Nevertheless, we have come very far in building a scientific model of the world since the dawn of civilization. Will we ever be able to fully comprehend the world? Some say that it is impossible for mere human minds which are constrained by the limitations imposed by our physical senses to comprehend the universe. I personally think that Science alone will not be able to fully explain every aspect of reality. However, many people have been wrong countless times in predicting the limits of Science. Thus, only time will tell.

Complexity Theory

2008-04-02T17:03:00.002+08:00

In my previous post, I mentioned about complexity theory. It is actually a branch of science which explores how simple instructions governing individual units of a system consisting of a large number of these units can give rise to complex behaviours without the need for a leader or intelligent being in control. Examples of complex systems include schools of fishes swimming in unison, flocks of birds flying in formation, the weather, formation of hurricanes, the human brain, the stock market, and even the behaviour of liquid water. Another thing about complex systems is that they possess properties that cannot be predicted from the individual properties of their constituent units, just like you cannot predict the properties of macroscopic water such its boiling point or density merely by studying the individual properties of the water molecules.

Check out the links below for more information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex_system
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/3410/03.html
http://complexity.orconhosting.net.nz/intro.html

Book Review: Climbing Mount Improbable - Richard Dawkins

2008-04-01T22:13:00.003+08:00

Ever wondered how the theory of evolution could explain the existance of the dazzling array of complex biological creatures on Earth? If your anwer is yes, then you should read this book. Apart from explaining that, Richard Dawkins also tackled the favourite target of creationists - the eye.

Creationists believe that only an intelligent being could have created something as complex as the eye. The book goes to great length to explain how complex structures like eyes can be a product of the forces of mindless random mutations and natural selection, thereby removing the need for intelligent design. In fact, eyes evolved no less than 40 times independently and taking only around 500 thousand years in some cases, which is really just a 'blink of the eye' in terms of geological time. What most people fail to realize about the theory of evolution is that complex biological structures can be evolved through a series of gradual steps; they do not have to be evolved in a single huge step. Richard Dawkins used the analogy of climbing a mountain to explain this: when faced with an insurmountable clift, one can find another longer route which has gentler slopes and is easier to climb, just as evolution tends to seek these gentler slopes towards increasing complexity. Thus, seemingly impossible structures can arise in nature without the intervention of any intelligent being. Do read up on complexity theory if you wish to find out more about how complex systems can arise out of numerous simple interacting sub-units.

Even if you already believe in the theory of evolution, this book still has much to offer you. It provides deeper insights into how and why different creatures took on separate evolutionary paths and evolved different body structures to serve the same or different purposes. For instance, bats use echolocation for navigation whereas most other creatures rely on sight. It also explains why only some creatures evolved wings for flight but not others. It is actually due to the practicalities of the required wingspan, speed of flapping, stresses on the wing material, etc, that will be needed to lift the weight of the creature. Richard Dawkins also mentioned about the high level of complexity that exists in creatures with five-fold or higher symmetry such as the Radiolarian and starfish. There are plenty of other interesting stuff in the book, not to mention the numerous pictures in it.

Radiolarian Haeckel Polycyttaria (from Wikipedia)

Arthur C. Clarke’s Final Odyssey

2008-03-27T23:08:00.010+08:00

It was indeed a loss to the world that one of the world's most visionary and renowned science fiction author has passed away. Arthur C. Clarke, one of my favourite sci-fi authors, passed away on 19 March 2008 at the age of 90. I started reading his books when I was in secondary 1 and it was through his vastly imaginative and thought-provoking stories that cemented my love for sci-fi. Contrary to general sentiments, sci-fi is not just totally nonsensical ideas. Rather, most ideas in sci-fi stories are based on scientific theories (especially those sci-fi stories written by scientists or engineers). Contemporary sci-fi also explores a variety of issues ranging from philosophy to psychology and even politics. It is no mean feat to reconcile the schism between mainstream literature and hard core science and to bring across scientific ideas to the masses in an accessible manner through stories. Few can claim to be able to do this as skilfully as the late Arthur C. Clarke. Indeed stories have been around since the dawn of civilization and have tremendous power in disseminating ideas and influencing the masses. What better way to spread scientific ideas and stretch the imagination of human minds than through stories? Herein underscores the undervalued importance of science fiction in the modern society.

Arthur C Clarke wrote 100 books, more than 1,000 short stories and essays over 60 years. Some of his best-selling novels include ‘Childhood's End’ (which is my personal favourite), 2001: A Space Odyssey (The Oscar-nominated movie of the same title was based on this book), ‘Rendezvous with Rama’ and ‘Fountains of Paradise’. Trained in physics and mathematics, Sir Arthur also wrote many books and essays of non-fiction on space travel, communication technologies, underwater exploration and future studies.

It is widely believed that Clarke's most important scientific contribution is his idea of using geostationary satellites as ideal telecommunications relays. He wrote a paper titled ‘Extra-Terrestrial Relays — Can Rocket Stations Give Worldwide Radio Coverage?’, which was published in Wireless World in October 1945 delineating how the concept of geostationary orbit can be put to practical use. The geostationary orbit is now sometimes known as the Clarke Orbit or the Clarke Belt in his honour. This shows why we should pay attention to sci-fi writers, for we never know if some wacky idea which is deemed impossible today will be possible and useful tomorrow. Jules Verne’s idea of an underwater submersible ages before the development of the first submarine is another example of the prophetic power of science fiction. Indeed, Arthur C. Clarke once said that ‘in order to find out the limits of the possible, we have to venture a little way past them into the impossible’. Never has the words of someone had such a profound impact on my thinking than those of Arthur C. Clarke’s.

Before his death, Clarke said: "I’ve had a diverse career as a writer, underwater explorer, space promoter and science populariser. Of all these, I want to be remembered most as a writer – one who entertained readers, and, hopefully, stretched their imagination as well." Well, he has undoubtedly stretched my imagination and I believe that of many other people too.

“It may be that the old astrologers had the truth exactly reversed, when they believed that the stars controlled the destinies of men. The time may come when men control the destinies of stars.” -Arthur C. Clarke, First on the Moon, 1970

As a leading proponent for space travel and exploration, Clarke has also chaired several space advocacy organizations. I do believe the day will come when mankind will advance into a stage 2 or even stage 3 civilization and alter the destinies of stars as Clarke prophesized.

Arthur C. Clarke’s even came up with 3 ‘laws’ of prediction which he called it Clarke’s 3 Laws:
1. When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.

2. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.

3. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
As a fitting eulogy, I decided to name the title of this article ‘Arthur C. Clarke’s Final Odyssey’ after one of his books in the Space Odyssey series, ‘3001: Final Odyssey’. I highly recommend you to read his novels and be inspired by one of the greatest masters of sci-fi. Arthur C. Clarke may no longer exist on this world, but his legacy will forever live on in his books and be immortalized in the minds of his fans.

My recommendations:
• Childhood's End

• The Light of Other Days

• 2001: A Space Odyssey

• 2010: Odyssey Two

• 2061: Odyssey Three

• 3001: Final Odyssey

• Rendezvous with Rama

• Against The Fall Of Night

• Time's Eye

• Sunstorm

What I want to achieve in this life.

2008-03-04T22:07:00.005+08:00

As a child, I have always pondered over the question "What is the purpose of life?" Till now, I still can't answer it. But this question has served as an impetus which drives me to keep asking questions and learning as much about the world we live in as possible. This burning desire to understand the world explains my passion for science. I believe most children ask many questions but most of the time when adults are unable to answer them, they reply: "that's the way things are", "God made it that way" or "stop asking stupid questions". This merely kills their inquisitiveness and creativity by instilling a fear of asking "stupid questions" and teaching them to accept things blindly without questioning. I have also been a victim of such 'teaching methodology' to a certain extent but I am trying my best to reverse the effects now.

If the human race is to understand the world we live in, Science and Mathematics are insufficient. This is why I adopt an open mind towards many stuff, including paranormal stuff. Some people might find it strange that someone who loves science, reason and logic would bother about the paranormal but I see no contradiction. In order to fully comprehend the world, we will need to integrate all the knowledge from every intellectual field, be it literature or psychology, into a coherent framework. Complexity theory will play a major role in this herculean task. The world cannot be understood just by studying things either at the fundamental subatomic level or at the intergalactic scale alone, just like you cannot predict the properties of water from the individual properties of its molecules. A philosopher called Laplace once said that if we know the positions and momentum of every particle in the universe, we will be able to predict the future and find out about the past state of the universe. Obviously he is wrong, not just because we cannot know both the momentum and position of a particle simultaneously due to Heisenberg's Uncertainty principle, we also cannot predict the macroscopic properties of the particles when they interact with one another. We have to study things at every different level and every different field if we are to understand the world we live in.

What I want to achieve in this life is to hopefully be able to understand the world. And if I can do that, I would probably have attained Enlightenment. I am not saying that I would climb a mountain and meditate in a cave for months, shying away from worldy affairs and all human interactions. This is not quite feasible in the modern context. Furthermore, there are more ways than one to the path to Enlightenment. Helping others, adopting an inquisitive and life-long learning attitude is one way. Nevertheless, I recognize that fact that we all have physical bodies, need to eat and earn money to support our families and ourselves. So how far can I go in accomplishing my goal? I do not know. But I suppose if I become a research scientist, I can work and learn at the same time, fulfilling both my needs and wants. If I cannot achieve my goal, I hope that my time and effort devoted to this quest will help future generations towards discovering the Theory Of Everything.

"If I have seen farther, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." - Sir Issac Newton

Singaporeans An Ungracious Lot? Think Again.

2008-02-21T11:42:00.002+08:00

There have been numerous articles on newspaper forums written by foreigners complaining about Singaporeans being ungracious. Among their usual complains include people not giving up their seats to the elderly or pregnant ladies when using public transport, ‘reservation’ of seats at foodcourts and hawker centres using packets of tissue paper, the way some people treat their maids and rushing to board trains during rush hours. Foreigners are quick to point their fingers at Singaporeans but I am sure in many such instances the culprits are not locals. According to the demographic statistics for 2006 (http://www.singstat.gov.sg/pubn/reference/yos/statsT-demography.pdf), about one fifth of our nation’s population comprises of foreigners. Most of these foreigners hail from Malaysia, China, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other South-east Asian countries, so at first glance one might not be able to tell them apart from the locals. It is only when they speak do they reveal their identity through their accent. However, a foreigner might not be able to discern between the local and foreign accents and might end up mistaking another foreigner for a local. Most foreigners have a tendency to assume that almost everyone they see in Singapore is a Singaporean but it is clear that given our high percentage of foreigners living and working here, this line of thinking is fallacious.

While there are indeed Singaporeans who are guilty of being ungracious, making sweeping generalizations and pushing all the blame to us is illogical. Through my own personal experience, I have encountered many incidents whereby foreigners here behaved in a manner falling short of civic-mindedness too, such as spitting on pavements for pedestrians, blocking entrances to trains, cutting queues, littering, talking loudly in public places like the libraries, etc. There are also many people in other countries who behave ungraciously so I see no reason for foreigners to single Singaporeans out. My message to foreigners in Singapore is this: The next time you see someone behaving in an uncivilized manner, do not jump to the conclusion that he/she is a Singaporean. He/she may very well be one of you or a permanent resident.

ORD loh!

2008-02-18T13:00:00.005+08:00

Yeah, finally ORD loh! Not only that, my ORD also fell on Chinese New Year Eve! It's a double celebration - celebration for my new-found freedom and the start of a bright new year! The past 22 months seemed to be longer than usual for me but my friends and relatives (those who did not serve National Service) said it was like a blink of the eye. It must have been relativity at play. My NS story is quite long and I don't feel like writing it here anyway. Though my NS experience wasn't as fun as I hoped it would be, I still learned many important things from it. My greatest takeaway was that I made a new bunch of friends who went through thick and thin with me. They are the ones who added colour and laughter to my NS days. Thankfully I had so many 'cockster' bunkmates and chinese pop music followers so we could have frequent spontaneous 'k-bunk' sessions to wind out. Haha.

During my NS, I also got to meet and observe people from different backgrounds; people whom I may never have met within my usual social circle. As such, I got the opportunity to learn more the way different people think and behave. And one thing about NS is that during the difficult times, you get to see the true colours of people and understand more about the nature of human character and behaviour. This is probably something that you won't learn in school. So well, I suppose these takeaways have in some ways compensated my 22 months of sacrifice and being forced to do some things that I dislike.

I have crafted a short poem for my NS experience:

My NS life

So many days of anguish,
Silent with no tears of cries.
All the work we have done,
But who would recognize?

Outfield, saikang, and parades,
Only serve to give us more headaches.
Prowling the camp in the middle of the night,
So that others can sleep peacefully at night.

Buddies who stayed by my side,
In times of adversity we fight.
Jokes, songs and laugher,
We'll cherish the time spent together.
Now that we have finally ORDed,
But still have to go back for reservist.
Bo bian because we are male Singaporeans,
And the price of freedom is eternal vigilance.

To all my NS buddies out there, do keep in contact regularly and I wish you guys all the best in your future endeavours. :)

Hip hop song by 蔡淳佳 & 陈伟联?

2007-10-20T23:06:00.000+08:00

I was pleasantly surprised when I heard the interesting new song 《犯错》by 蔡淳佳 & 陈伟联. These two Singaporean singers, better known for singing more traditional chinese pop and oldies, were the least of all singers who I would expect to sing a hip hop song together. 犯错 gives the two singers a refreshing new image and is testimony to the need for singers to keep up with times. While the catchy song was a good effort, I still prefer the two singers singing their classic melodious tunes like 陪我看日出 (by 蔡淳佳) and 触摸 (by 陈伟联), which is undeniably their forte.

Blog Action Day poem

2007-10-15T21:26:00.003+08:00

Today is Blog Action Day. It is an event in which bloggers all over the world shall post something related to the environment on this day in a bid to raise awareness of environmental issues. To find out more about Blog Action Day, visit http://blogactionday.org/

For my little contribution to the cause of Blog Action Day, I have penned a poem and I hope you will like it.

The Flight of the Last Seabird

Autumn’s coming to an end
The leaves have begun to turn yellow
Before long the chilly Northern winds have come
Presaging the arrival of the impatient winter
But the winter has come too soon, too abrupt
Something has gone wrong with the weather

The time for the Migration has come again
Yet it seems only yesterday when the seagulls settled here
The hatchlings were still too young to fly
But the lake would freeze soon and only death awaits
Leaving the young and the old to their fate
The seagulls reluctantly took off to the skies
Embarking once more on a journey in search for food, warmth and breeding sites
Little did they know that it would be their last flight

The terrain has changed beyond recognition
The forests have disappeared and mountains denuded
Flying over the parched and desiccated land seemingly devoid of life
The sea came into sight much earlier than expected
The coasts and sandy beaches have all but gone
And the land mass shrunken at an incredible rate
Giving up the fight against the relentless encroaching sea

Fishes abound in the never-ending sea
It might have been a seabird’s paradise
But it was not to be
Water was everywhere but not a sip to be had

Having flown for months without rest
Yet not a piece of land in sight
Battling thirst, aching muscles and sudden violent storms
Only a handful of seagulls have survived
Even so the numbers are rapidly declining
Till there was only one last bird flying
Striving against all odds to keep the hopes of dry land alive
But her efforts proved futile
As she finally succumbed to fatigue and plunged into the abysmal sea

The poem illustrates a possible scenario of Earth in the future plagued by global climate changes, unpredictable violent storms, widespread desertification and most prominently rising sea levels which inundate vast swathes of land. The plight of the seagulls trying in vain to find suitable land to rest during their migration highlights the possibility of mass extinction of numerous species of plants and animals, due to the destruction of natural habitats caused by rising sea levels. All these could happen if global warming is left unchecked as man continues exploiting the natural resources of Earth and pumping ever-increasing copious amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere without restrain.

As the concentration of greenhouse gases build up in the atmosphere, more sunlight is trapped and reflected back to the Earth’s surface, raising global temperatures and melting glaciers and polar ice caps. As more ice melts, less sunlight is reflected back into space and this result in a positive feedback cycle, accelerating global warming. While some scientist have dismissed global warming as alarmist and believe that the Earth will be able to cope with the influx of greenhouse gases caused by the activities of man, there have been increasing evidence in recent years of the manifestations of the dire consequences of global warming all over the world. The Gaia hypothesis proposes that the Earth’s biosphere is a complex non-linear dynamic system and as such, rising global temperatures could reach a certain critical tipping point after which run-away sudden cataclysmic climate changes ensue, as in the movie ‘The Day After Tomorrow’. But of course, do watch the show with a pinch of skepticism as Hollywood movies tend to exaggerate things.

Back from Taiwan

2007-10-13T17:58:00.002+08:00

Just came back from my holiday with my parents in Taiwan yesterday. It was quite an eventful trip. Our flight to Taiwan was diverted to Hong Kong halfway into the journey due to typhoon Krosa. Too bad we didn't have much time to explore Hong Kong as we reached the hotel in the evening and stayed for a night there.

After wasting a day in Hong Kong, we finally arrived in Taiwan on 7th Oct in the afternoon. On our bus journey to the hotel I spotted electric windmills along the sea coast, and that's something you can't find back in Singapore.

Our main purpose in visiting Taiwan was sight-seeing and it was much to my chagrin when we realized that we were unable to visit Hualien and Taroko Gorge as the roads there were destroyed by the typhoon. The tour guide told us that the best scenery in Taiwan could only be found there but well, unforeseen circumstances do happen and we just have to change our plans. In the end we spent most of our time in Taiwan travelling on the tour bus, visting night markets and temples. The night markets there are similar to the Pasa Malams in Singapore except that they are permanent and sell different stuff. The stuff there are not as cheap as I expected so I didn't buy much. Food was aplenty but I had difficulty finding food in the night market that suited my taste as they mainly sell pig's organ soup and dried squid which I don't eat. I am not so adventurous in trying out exotic food. The melange of smells in the night markets proved to be quite overwhelming to me, especially that of the smelly beancurd or known as "Chou Tou Fu" and the exhaust fumes from the numerous scooters. The crowded night markets and endless jostling of people was a nuisance to me for I dislike crowds. Walking along the streets in Taiwan can be quite dangerous and irritating as scooters and motorcycles zip pass you every few seconds haphazardly. The motorcyclists in Taiwan do not seem to make any distinction between pavements meant for pedestrians and roads. You have to be constantly on the lookout least you get knocked down. I noticed that the percentage of scooters in Taiwan is much higher than that in Singapore, probably because it is more convenient to use a scooter than a car in negotiating narrow alleys and crowded streets illegally.

Our tour bus broke down on the fourth day on the highway en route from Taichung to Taipei. Seated near the back of the bus I detected acrid fumes that smelled burning rubber and the engine made loud rattling noises. Initially I thought the tyres were on fire but it was actually the engine that was emitting those noxious and suffocating fumes. The bus driver continued driving for a few minutes before the engine died and we were left stranded along the shoulder of the highway. The driver should have stopped the bus and opened the doors immediately instead of continuing driving. After trying in vain to start the engine for more than an hour, the driver gave up and another tour bus was sent to pick us up.

We visited Jiu Fen and Yeliu the next day. Yeliu was nice. It was almost surrealistic standing amidst the peculiar natural stone formations caused by weathering and sea erosion over millions of years. When viewed from certain angles, some of those rocklike protrusions bore an uncanny resemblance to the head of a queen wearing a crown or even the head of the alien E.T. in Steven Spielberg's film.

(That's me squatting on an egg-like stone in a ring-like rock outcropping)

(And that's me hugging E.T. the rock)

The second last day of our tour was free-and-easy. Strolling around aimlessly in the streets, we decided to take a MRT train to Taipei 101. However just as we were about to do so, the train service got disrupted due to an earthquake. So we went to Wulai mountain instead and was treated with the sight of a beautiful waterfall. We also got to see the aborginal dance of the Atayal tribe.

Thought not as fun as I expected, my trip to Taiwan was quite an interesting and refreshing experience away from the rigours of army life.

Why are the rich more selfish?

2007-09-05T20:42:00.002+08:00

I have always had the nagging feeling that rich people are less generous when it comes to charity giving. Well, it seems that I am right after all, based on the results of NVPC (National Volunteer and Philanthropic Centre) 2006 survey on philanthropic giving in Singapore. The results were published in The Straits Times article ‘In aid of the poorer or richer?’ by Willie Cheng (Sept 04, 2007). The survey results showed that lower-income earners donated a larger proportion of their income compared to higher-income earners. For example, those earning less than $1000 monthly donated 0.65% of their annual income while those earning in the range of $9000-$9,999 donated only 0.12% of their annual income. But it is not only the rich in Singapore who give less proportionately compared to the less well-off. In Britain, a study by Banks and Tanner showed that the richest 20% of households donated less than 1% of their expenditure while the poorest 10% donated 3%.

It seems counter-intuitive that the rich should give less compared to those who are poorer. Having their basic needs met and left with so much surplus wealth, the rich would feel much less pinch to donate some of their money compared to those who are struggling to make ends meet. Yet the reality is stranger than what our logic dictates.

So what might explain the tighter string-purses of the wealthy when it comes to charity giving? Perhaps the more affluent one is the more detached from the other segments of society, such as the needy and less fortunate, one becomes. As one grows richer, one’s circle of friends and acquaintances evolves as the rich tend to clique among themselves. This might result in the inability of the rich to fully comprehend the difficulties faced by the needy and less fortunate or become ignorant of the extent of the problem. This is especially true for those who grew up with silver teaspoons in their mouths. One might think that those among the rich who came from poor backgrounds would be more inclined to donate to charity. This may not always be true. Even those who saw their fate turn from rags-to-riches might forget what it meant to be poor with the passage of time or due to other social factors like peer pressure, and as a result be less generous than expected.

The parsimony of the rich toward philanthropic causes may also be a reflection of the apathy of the rich towards the less fortunate. The rich may feel that the suffering of the less fortunate is in no way attributable to their actions and thus should not be compelled to help them. They may argue that the poor and less fortunate only have themselves to blame or it is just their fate that they are mired in their unfortunate situations. However, such an argument is devoid of morality. As part of the larger society, the rich has an obligation to contribute back to it and help the other segments of society that require assistance. I am not suggesting that the rich has to support the needy and less fortunate financially all the way for doing so would be counter-productive. Donations from the rich should be used to fund education or programmes that will equip the needy and less fortunate with skills to enable them to break out of the cycle of poverty. As the saying goes “Give a man a fish and he will only live for one day, but teach him how to fish and he will live for a lifetime.”

It is inconceivable that the rich might be willing to splurge thousands or even millions on Lamborghinis, Rolexes and personal yachts or even planes but donate so little of their wealth to charity. Recently, there was a newspaper report of a late British tycoon who left one million for the upkeep of her dog. The rich has definitely got their priorities wrong. Such money could have been put to better use if donated to charities. I wonder what is the purpose of amassing so much wealth when one can only live finitely and that material possessions are merely transient. Is it because one becomes blinded by wealth the richer one gets so that they become only concerned with amassing ever-increasing amounts of wealth? Or is it the lack of moral guiding principles among rich people that has led to this perceived apathy towards the needy and less fortunate?

Whatever the reasons may be for the selfishness of the rich towards philanthropy, we should take heart in the fact that there are many out there who give whatever little they have to help the needy and less fortunate. It is this kind of spirit of giving and selflessness that should be encouraged.

Hostages - The Currency of Terrorists?

2007-09-05T20:28:00.000+08:00

There has been much controversy over the recent South Korean hostage crisis in Afghanistan which began on 19th July and I would like to add my two-cent worth. The Saemmul Presbyterian Church from which the 23 South Korean hostages hail claimed that they were only doing aid work such as teaching English and hospital work in Afghanistan. Nevertheless, their aid work was only a veneer for their main motive to proselytize their religion to Muslims in Afghanistan. One must question if such an aim was sensitive to the Muslim community there, or to those of other religions in other parts of the world. The South Korean missionaries only intended to stay for a short-term and this places doubt on the sustainability of their aid work. Their prudence in traveling to such a troubled region despite a travel ban to Afghanistan by the South Korean government and without necessary protection is also questionable. Thus, it is only natural to expect ambivalent feelings of sympathy for the two hostages who were killed and relief for those who were freed and flaming criticisms for the 23 missionaries by South Koreans and the world at large.

While the hostage crisis has ended, the political crisis is not over yet. The Taleban claimed that the South Korean government has given them US$20 million and promised to withdraw South Korean troops in Afghanistan by the end of the year. The Taleban also went as far to claim that they would use the money received to buy more weapons and conduct more suicide bombings and other terrorist activities. In their over-zealous evangelistic zeal to ‘spread the word of God’, these missionaries have not only put their lives in danger, but also the lives of others, as well as the political situation in Afghanistan. The readiness of the South Korean government to give in to the Taleban’s demand have merely emboldened them and boosted the morale of terrorists all over the world. It seems that hostages are the new currency for terrorists these days. Well, the South Korean hostage crisis was not the first of its kind and I do not expect it to be the last either. There have been hostages from other countries such as Germany and Italy taken by the Taleban in the past too. The South Korean government has promised to withdraw all missionaries in Afghanistan but this is not enough. There are still many South Korean missionaries in other dangerous regions who are at risk of being kidnapped by terrorists. Other countries should also ban missionaries from visiting troubled regions and withdraw those already there. I wonder when these foolhardy people who take unnecessary risk will stop visiting such troubled regions and leave the aid and relief work to the experts and correct agencies. It would indeed be foolish for these missionaries to think that just because they are doing good deeds or proselytizing, they would be protected by God, and when they face trouble God would save them. One must not be blinded by the desire to spread his or her religion or do good deeds without careful consideration of the risks involved, otherwise one may end up doing more harm than good.

I wonder what action the Singapore government would take and what the public reaction would be if any Singaporean was so unfortunate to be taken hostage by terrorists in another country. If he or she is personnel of the SAF and doing peacekeeping work in the country then I believe the public’s response would be of sympathy for they would understand the purpose of his or her presence in the country. But would the public be as sympathetic if he or she was proselytizing in that country despite a travel ban by the Singapore government?

Magic VS Technology

2007-07-28T18:57:00.000+08:00

I just watched ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix’ today and can't help seeing the obvious parallels between magic and technology. Harry Potter's world portrays an alternate reality. In his world, newspapers (The Daily Prophet) could display movie clips and photographs show moving pictures instead of static ones. Mails and envelopes could fly to their recipients and even talk and disintegrate automatically after delivering their messages. These ideas may not be as far-fetched as they seem. There is already much research done on thin, flexible active matrix displays for several years by companies such as Siemens, Philips and Plastic Logic. These displays are as thin and as flexible as paper and can display moving images and store thousands of pages of text. Some of these displays are already in the prototype stage and we can expect to see them in the market in a few years time. As for flying and talking mails, I do not think that will be necessary, for we already have e-mails which are faster and allow us to add file attachments such as voice or movie clips.

In the realm of transportation, Harry Potter’s world depicts wizards and witches riding on flying broomsticks and using port-keys, which transports people to another place in a somewhat fashion to teleportation. Well, we may not have flying broomsticks but we do have flying cars. Yes, you did not read wrongly. There is a company called Moller International that produces personal commuter Skycars which as the name suggests, take you to the sky. The Skycar is a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicle and does not need a runway. In the recent ‘Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer’ movie, the Silver Surfer rides on a flying ‘surf board’, but the difference is that the ‘surf board’ is supposed to be a piece of advanced alien technology and not magic. As for teleportation of human beings, such technology may not exist now but that does not preclude such a possibility in the future. Scientists have already succeeded in teleporting a single photon via a process called quantum entanglement. But to teleport a macroscopic object like a human which consists of trillions of atoms is far beyond our technological abilities currently. In the process of teleportation, the object to be teleported is to be split into the individual constituent atoms and sub-atomic particle and then the quantum states of all these particles are recorded and the information transmitted to the designated teleporter to be reconstructed. So effectively, the teleported object is destroyed and then reconstructed. In Harry Potter’s world, doors could lead you to another place or rooms that are much larger than they look from the outside. To achieve something like this, we will have to enter other dimensions. String theory states that there are 10 dimensions, 6 of them being spatial dimensions and the remaining 4 are time dimensions. In M-theory, there are 11 dimensions. We are unable to see the other dimensions because we exist in three dimensions and it is difficult for us to visualize a higher dimensional reality. By moving in another dimension, we will appear to disappear and enter another place. We do not yet know how to move in these other dimensions or whether it is possible to do so in the first place, so extra-dimensional travel will remain a fantasy for now.

The ability to move objects without physical contact is also a prominent aspect in Harry Potter’s world. In fact it is possible to do so, using a method called acoustic levitation. However, scientists have only been able to lift very light loads using acoustic levitation till now. Perhaps in time we will find some ways of moving larger and heavier objects without physical contact. A professor called John Hutchinson has reportedly claimed to have devised a way of doing so by tapping into vacuum energy. However, there have been much doubt and controversy over his claims.

Metamorphosis is another thing which caught my eye while watching the Harry Potter movie. In the movie Sirius Black could transform into a dog and back into the human form. This reminded me of ‘Transformers’, which I watched recently too. The idea of machines that could transform might not seem too far-fetched but living organisms that could transform into other things stretch the mind. I have been thinking how this may be done in a scientific way but have not been able to think of any satisfactory idea. A cluster of nanorobots could do the job by reconfiguring themselves into any desired structure but it will be impossible for a living organism to do that as all the cells have to be reorganized.

There are many other things in the movie which I might have left out in my discussion but my main point here is that fantasy serves as a source of inspiration for invention and technological progress. The renowned science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke stated in his 3rd law that ‘Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic’. Indeed our current technology might seem like magic to cavemen and perhaps in time the magic depicted in Harry Potter’s world will become something common in our everyday life.

Where have the Confucius teachings and moral values gone in China?

2007-07-17T12:12:00.000+08:00

Recently I have been seeing more and more news reports of fake food products, slavery and large-scale environmental pollution in China. Unscrupulous people intent only on making more money have thrown aside their moral values and sold themselves to the devil, doing unthinkable things such as selling fake baby milk powder which caused the deaths of 12 infants in China and other food products contaminated with or even made from inedible poisonous substances like paint which was used to manufacture fake toufu. The vegetables grown there are also tainted with pesticides and the pigs there force-fed with waste to make them grow fat faster and cheaper. Even more shocking and saddening is that such cases are not isolated but rampant.

There have also been reports of slavery practices in numerous brick kilns in China where children are abducted and sent to work in harsh working conditions for more than 15 hours a day and fed nothing more than mere porridge.

Large-scale pollution of the environment is also common-place in China where factories spew noxious fumes into the air without proper treatment and discharge toxic effluents into rivers and lakes, contaminating the water supplies of millions of people. Countries which share the same contaminated rivers like Russia were also affected.

Lost and blinded by greed, people can become inhumane monsters without regard for the lives and well-being of others. It is indeed unthinkable that China, the country that gave birth to the Confucius teachings would become the state that it is in now. Corruption, lack of a proper system of checks and the difficulty in implementing such checks has helped to perpetuate such irresponsible acts. Amid the increasing pressure from both its citizens and international environmental watch groups, the Chinese government has recently pledged to redouble their efforts to put an end to such egregious acts. Well it is certainly in their best interest to do so, for such acts tarnish the ‘made-in China’ brand and will have detrimental effects on their trade exports and image of the country. Already countries like the United States have banned some products from China as they failed to meet the required safety and quality standards. It looks like in their quest to make more money, those unscrupulous Chinese have only lost more.

Individual Responsibility in Reducing Usage of Plastic Bags

2007-06-22T21:18:00.000+08:00

Every year, Singapore uses about 2.5 billion plastic bags a year for bagging purchases. This translates into 1.7 bags per person each day. While this is better than Taiwan's 2.4 and Hong Kong's 3.7, it is still a very high figure. The National Environment Agency (NEA) wants to bring down usage down to the levels in countries such as Australia (1.0), the United States (0.9) and Ireland (0.8). The ideal level would be zero but that is not possible, especially in a society plagued by mass consumerism. Achieving this target is not easy, and it will take the concerted effort of every individual to realise it. No longer can the responsibility of environmental conservation and protection be solely placed on the government or industries. It is now clear that every individual has a part to play in environmental protection and can make a difference.

Plastic, which is made from crude oil is a non-renewable resource, and should be used wisely. Current practices of throwing away plastic bags after use are far too wasteful and unsustainable for the environment in the long run. Being non-biodegradable, plastic bags have to be either incinerated or dumped in landfills. In Singapore, the incineration option is usually chosen as dumping in landfills is not a viable permanent alternative in our land-scarce country. However, incinerating plastic bags produces toxic fumes such as carbon monoxide which can kill in high concentrations.

The improper disposal of plastic bags also poses additional problems to the environment. Carelessly discarded plastic bags can end up as litter and clog up drains or collect rainwater, becoming ideal sites for the breeding of mosquitoes and other pests. This would promote the transmission of vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue-fever. The sight of plastic bags strewn all over the place is an eyesore and mars the beauty of our living environment and taints the image of Singapore as a “Garden City”. Not to mention the additional costs incurred in clearing up the mess. Plastic bags can also harm wildlife and have a strong tendency to suffocate marine and land creatures.

The best solution to these problems is to reduce the usage of plastic bags and reuse them as much as possible. However, this is easier said than done in a society where the “use-and-throw” mentality is so deeply ingrained. Efforts have been made by the government, mass media and environmental watch-groups to enlighten the masses of the consequences of unrestrained and rampant usage of plastic bags.

Recently, Singapore launched the “Bring Your Own Bag Day” (BYOBD) campaign on 18th April 2007 to generate awareness of the importance and need for individual responsibility in environmental protection. The BYOBD is held on every 1st Wednesday of the month. On this day, customers are expected to bring their own shopping bags to participating outlets to hold their purchases. They can also buy reusable bags at these outlets or will have to donate 10 cents for every plastic bag they use to the SEC, which will use money to fund other environmental programmes. While the intention of this campaign is noble, its effectiveness in promoting the intended message remains in question.

I wonder how many shoppers actually know the purpose and message of the BYOBD. For many of these heartlanders are ordinary ‘aunties’ and ‘uncles’ who are illiterate and do not read the newspapers. This is where the message of individual responsibility in environmental conservation fails to reach its intended audience. What I suggest is that television advertisements highlighting the purpose of the BYOBD, not just mere details of when it is held, be screened often during prime air-times. Cashiers at participating outlets could also take some time to explain the message of the campaign to customers. If this is not possible (for fear of holding up queues), perhaps schools could send students as ambassadors to explain the message to customers at these outlets as part of their community involvement programme. This way, we could kill two birds with one stone.

Another shortcoming of the BYOBD is that it is only held once a month. Doing so would cause people to shop on other days to avoid the inconvenience of having to bring their own bags or ‘paying’ for plastic bags. While I understand that it might take some time for consumers to wean out this practice of the provision of free plastic bags by shops, I feel that holding BYOBD once a month is far too rare and insufficient to drive home the importance the message to the public. In other countries such as Japan and South Korea, it is a daily practice to charge their customers for every plastic bag they use at certain retail stores and supermarkets. Singapore still has a long way to go towards emulating these societies in terms of good environmental practices.

The BYOBD should also be extended to all shops instead just a few supermarkets and retail stores. Why limit the BYOBD when the purpose is to reduce usage of plastic bags on a national scale? However, this must be done carefully with sufficient checks in place to prevent shopkeepers from profiteering from ‘selling’ plastic bags and causing consumers to incur extra costs.

The BYOBD is a good start and is the right direction forward for Singapore in empowering individuals with the responsibility in environmental conservation and protection. Nevertheless, the campaign has room for improvement. We must not let up in our efforts in protecting the environment and I hope there will be more campaigns to educate the masses and imbue them with the individual responsibility to care for the environment.

Points to take note of the next time you go shopping:

Do not ask for a bag for small purchases
Always ask cashiers to pack more purchases into bags
Avoid double-bagging
Carry and use reusable bags where possible

The Return of the Poet

2007-05-31T22:33:00.003+08:00

I was flipping through one of my files today when I chanced upon a poem which I wrote for a class assignment in sec 4.

Title: The Beginnings of Life
Date composed: 29/07/2003

Created from nothing,
Yet it contained everything.
One big bang started it all,
Quarks, atoms and all.

The superforce split into four forces,
And photons became free.
Matter triumphed over antimatter,
Baryonic life became possible.

Stars formed and illuminated the Stygian void,
Along with them came galaxies and planets.
Life there was,
At least on one planet - Earth

Evolution occured,
And gave rise to intelligence.
Why are we here?
Are we alone?
Questions left unanwered.

Copyright © Ong Wei Guang (Note: Please seek my permission before replicating any part of my poems elsewhere)

Reading the poem refuelled my interest in writing poems after 4 years and I suddenly got an impulse and inspiration to write another one today.

Title: Time
Date composed: 31/05/2007

It can flow quickly like a river,
But it can also inch like a glacier.
Our percpetion of time is relative,
For that is part of our reality.

Intricately entwined with space,
Relativity comes into play.
The faster you move through space,
The slower it will be for time's pace.

Just as flowers bloom but do not unbloom,
Water spills but do not unspill,
Glass shatters but do not unshatter,
The arrow of time will always fly in one direction.
Such is the irreversible nature of time.

Stretching into infinity,
Every moment etched in eternity.
Cherish it we must,
For every second passed,
Will forever be the past.

Copyright © Ong Wei Guang

Both poems are about science, space and the way we percieve reality. Though I am not an arts student, I also enjoy reading and writing poems, for poetry is a tool which helps me to express my thoughts. Hope you like my poems and I hope you will also be able to again deeper insights about the world we live in after reading them. Feel free to give me feedback about my poems.

Happy Vesak Day!

2007-05-31T21:54:00.000+08:00

Wish everyone a Happy Vesak Day today!
Vesak Day celebrates the birth of Buddha is also a time for great joy and happiness. Buddhists are reminded to live in harmony with people of other religions and to respect the beliefs of other people as the Buddha had taught.
May everyone be blessed with good health and happiness. :)

New posts coming up.

2007-05-30T20:55:00.000+08:00

Yes, I am finally going to put my writing skills into use once again after a 2-year haitus. I have been busy for the past 14 months serving National Service in the army and I didn't have the mood nor urge to write anything serious. But well, I will going to university next year and I still got 8 months to ORD so I might as well spend the time polishing my critical thinking and literal skills before they get too 'rusty'. Actually I thought of writing some serious articles a few months ago but somehow I lost the drive amidst all the outfield training and other 'saikang' which we have to do in the army. There are a lot things that I have wanted to write about but did not do so. However, seeing my good friend Lin Yi starting to blog recently prompted me to start writing once more. I will not be blogging often for I am a stay-in personel in camp. Hopefully I will have the time to sit down and crystalise my thoughts and write them in my blog. Do check out my blog from time to time for new entries. (Note: This blog is actually my General Paper Blog when I was in JC but I will use it as my personal blog from now on as I do not want to create too many blogs.)

“If you or your loved ones are stricken with an illness and your only hope of being cured is therapeutic cloning, will you go for it? Why?”

2005-05-23T19:35:00.000+08:00

Yes, I will go for it. Buddhism's stand on therapeutic cloning is that if the stem cells obtained from the embyros are intended to be used for saving lives or finding cures for diseases, then it is acceptable. As a Buddhist, one might say that I would naturally be inclinded towards supporting such a stand. However, I would like to make it clear that I do not support the stand blindly, for I have made an independent assessment of the logic behind the stand and found it to be rational, logical and yet morally sound. Other religious groups have differing stands on the issue of therapuetic cloning. For example, the Catholics are strongly opposed to therapeutic cloning as they believe that life begins at the instant of conception and thus destroying embyros is tantamount to murder.

So much for the religious and moral viewpoints, now let's consider the issue from a scientific viewpoint. If science is to make progress, we must be daring to try new things and explore the unknown, but of course we must also be rational and exhibit good judgement in our quest to discover the unknown. Thus, science should not always give in to moral and religious opposition. As history have shown, religious views are not always correct. Take Galileo for example, he was killed because he believed that the Earth revolved around the Sun while the Catholic Church thought otherwise. Thus, my point is that science should not always give in to moral and religious viewpoints. Therefore, despite what others might say about therapeutic cloning, I will still support it and use it if need be.

(Definition of therapeutic cloning: Therapeutic cloning is a technique that would be used to produce cloned embryos, but only to create stem cells that can in turn be used to repair damaged or defective tissue in the parent of the cloned cells. Such stem cells could theoretically be used to grow replacement livers or hearts (or any of a variety of organs) for transplant without fear of rejection. They might be used to create healthy nerve cells for people with Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. Skin cells could be derived from cloned stem cells for burn victims.)

GM Food

2005-05-01T22:57:00.000+08:00

Scenario 1
1．As one of the country’s decision makers, would you advocate the use of GM crops? Why or why not?

The use of genetically modified (GM) crops meant that we have already taken the first step down the slippery slope of genetic engineering and there is no turning back Scientists claim that using GM crops can boost yields, reduce use of pesticide, create more nutritious food and a multitude of other benefits. In light of the ever-growing global population, GM crops are poised to bring about the second agricultural revolution to meet the burgeoning food demands of the future. However, GM crops are relatively new inventions, and thus their effects on human health and the environment are not yet fully known. Advocating the use of GM crops without any restriction may engender undesirable consequences. Thus, if I am one of my country Singapore’s decision makers, I would advocate the use of GM crop, but there will be a system of strict regulations in place to minimize the detrimental consequences of using GM crops.

Scenario 2
2． Would you buy products that contain GM foods for consumption by your family? Why or why not?

I will buy products that contain GM food for consumption by my family as these foods have undergone rigorous checks and tests by the Arigfood Agency of Singapore. If we look at the food that we consume, we will realize that most of them contain GM food. This means that we have already been consuming GM food for quite some time, but there have been no reports about anyone suffering from health-related problem due to the consumption of such food. Nevertheless, we must not be too quick to dismiss all the concerns about the adverse effects on health due to long-term consumption of GM food. Studies have shown that animals fed with GM food suffered adverse health effects and this is prove that GM food is not totally safe. However, before we ban GM food, we should step back and take a look at the effect of a non-GM food diet. Studies have also shown that eating too much of something will cause harmful effects on our health. Thus, we should keep an open mind about GM food.

"What are your views on abortion?"

2005-03-07T15:55:00.000+08:00

There has been much controversy surrounding abortion, or the act of prematurely terminating a pregnancy. Views on abortion are varied, ranging from pro-life to pro-choice. Pro-choice proponents argue that women should have the right to abort their pregnancies, while pro-life proponents are against the idea of killing unborn foetuses as they feel that abortion is tantamount to murder. The world's main religions are inclined towards pro-life ideology and are firmly against abortion.

Personally, I am against abortion, but in exceptional cases such as pregnancy of rape victims, it should be allowed. Abortion should not be used as a means of birth control. By not legalising abortion, couples will have to think twice before giving birth and make sure that they are financially capable of raising the child, instead of making impulsive decisions to have babies without careful thought and planning. Some couples do not want to have babies but do not have the habit of using contraceptives and use abortion as the easy way out. Making abortion illegal will force them to take precautions and use birth control methods, resulting in fewer necessary loss of lives.

While scientists have not been able to determine exaclty when does life begins, most of them agree on the 14 day cut-off point for embyro research. This can be taken to be tacit agreement that life starts form the 14th day of coneception onwards. Religious leaders adopt a more conservative stance in believing that life begins immediately at conception. Thus, this supports that abortion is equivalent to murder as the unborn foetus has the potential to fully develop into a sentinent being.

"In the modern world, image is everything." Discuss

2005-01-23T17:26:00.000+08:00

In the modern society of today, people have become increasingly image-conscious. Image refers not only to the outward physical appearance but also the demeanor of oneself. 'Looking good has become so deeply entrenched in the modern societal psyche that many people, both man and women alike, are willing to fork out thousands of dollars to lavish themselves on expensive designer clothing and beauty treatments and products, but are unwilling to donate an equally impressive amount to the charity. It is clear that the values and priorities of the modern generation are based on image rather than the heart. In this modern world where people increasingly judge and assess others based on first impressions, it has almost become a necessity to project a good and favorable image of oneself in front of others, and this has resulted in many people subscribing to the notion that image is everything. But is it really so? While a good image is a highly valued asset in today's context and can help one attain success, there are other things which are just as important, if not more important that it, such as having good moral values and the ability to think critically.

Image is so important to people of the modern generation that many do not mind burning a hole in their pocket to buy designer clothes and beauty care products. To them, wearing designer clothes and spending thousands of dollars on beauty treatment such as facials and body hair removal are no longer things restricted to the rich and high-class socialites, but have become the norm. In some universities such the Singapore Management University, students have to attend etiquette courses so that they know how to 'peel prawns using forks and spoons' in order to boost their image. Lasik surgery, a laser surgery used to correct myopia has seen demand soar over the past few years as more myopic people turn to it as the answer to wean them off their spectacles so that they will look better. Plastic surgery, which is usually used for correcting severe facial anomalies such as replacing a broken nose or charred facial skin, has in recent years become a popular cosmetic treatment. An increasing number of people with perfectly normal faces but are unsatisfied with their appearance have gone under the knife, hoping that plastic surgery can correct their perceived 'flaws' and transform the ugly ducklings in them into beautiful swans. American reality shows such as "Extreme Makeover" and "The Swan" and 'Man-made beauty' contests in China show that the obsession with image is growing into a global phenomenal. The fact that so many people now view plastic surgery as an ordinary cosmetic surgery and are willing to take the risks of undergoing surgery for vanity sake, on top of having no qualms about spending so much money to improve their outward appearance shows that image is indeed everything to them. In light of the obsession with image, people are starting to embrace artificial 'plastic' beauty and discard traditional notions of natural beauty, thinking that a good image is a necessary ingredient in achieving success. But they have failed to realize that having a good image without substance and good character will not lead them very far in whatever their endeavors.

“There are no permanent friends, only permanent interests.” Comment. (Holiday Journal Topic 2)

2004-11-27T14:43:00.000+08:00

I beg to differ with the statement: “There are no permanent friends, only permanent interests.” While the statement may be true for international relations and the corporate world, it may not always be true down at the person-to-person relations. For nations and companies, interests are permanent while friends may not be so. However, for people, permanent friends do exist, even though interests may change.

Friends are formed when people with similar interests meet each other. While it may be argued that friends are forged as a result of similar interests and thus when interests change, friends also change, this argument is flawed. Interest is not the only binding factor among friends; fate is another factor. People have feelings, unlike entities like nations and companies. A friendship formed from the bottom of the heart is usually hard to break. True friends are those who go through thick and thin with you and stand by your side when you are down, not those who only make use of you and leave you when you cannot serve their interests anymore. Interests may change, but friendships can still last. You do not become enemies with your friends just because he developed a liking for a particular sport which you do not like, do you? There are indeed permanent friends, albeit rare. The have been cases where people do not mind getting themselves into trouble or even sacrificing their own lives in order to save their friends in times of need. This goes to show that there are people who put their personal interests behind them when it comes to helping their friends.

Nations do not become friends in the same sense that people do. The people of one nation may have good feelings for the people of another, such as people of US and UK, because of common cultural or familial links. But nations do not define their relationships by the feelings they have for one another. Instead, nations have permanent interests, for they have to further the well-being and security of their citizens. When nations perceive that an alliance with another nation will secure those interests, they enter into one. During World War II, even nations that are fundamentally hostile to one another allied themselves when their perceived interests dictated that they do so. That is how the USSR ended up allied with the US and Britain. Another example is the recent Iraq War in which France, a hitherto staunch ally of the US, did not support the US-led war. This was in stark contrast to the US-led war in Afghanistan a few years ago, in which France supported the US in their war efforts. Thus it is clear that when the interests of allied nations no longer converge, the reason for their alliance disappears, and the alliance splits apart. The former allies do not necessarily become enemies, but each becomes freer to pursue its own interests. The merger and separation between Singapore and Malaysia in the 1960s also serves to illustrate the point that friendships between nations are transient. Therefore, nations do not have permanent friends, only permanent interests.

In the dog-eat-dog corporate world where business interests come first, there is no such as thing as permanent friends or enemies. Sometimes rival companies may enter into a merger with one another if doing so is beneficial to their business interests. Such mergers between companies are not uncommon. An example would be the recent merger of two local media giants, MediaCorp and SPH MediaWorks. After several years of rivalry and competition for viewer-ship which left them bleeding in their finances, they decided that it was better to work together and tap on the synergy of the merger. Multi-National Companies, Sony and Ericsson, have also merged to jointly develop mobile phones. It is without doubt that companies only have permanent interests and no permanent friends.

In conclusion, the statement “there is no permanent friends, only permanent interests” does not apply to all levels of society. The statement is the defining equation in relations between nations and companies, but it is not so when it comes to person-to-person relationships.

Should gifted children be allowed to skip grades? (Holiday Journal topic 1)

2004-11-15T23:00:00.000+08:00

I agree most with Dr Lee Siew Peng in not supporting grade-skipping for gifted children. I agree with her on the point that ‘gifted children are not spectacularly more successful than their peers who are of 'lower' intelligence as children.’ She also cited evidence from Mr Lewis Terman’s study who found out that 'children with very high IQ did not necessarily make any mark in science, business, arts or commerce'. Thus, I see no reason to allow gifted students to skip grades since doing so may not enable them to make a mark in any area.

If gifted children are allowed to skip grades, the only benefit they will get is that they get to complete their education and probably start work earlier. But why cram two decade’s worth of education into a span of several years for gifted children and deprive them of a wonderful childhood? Childhood should be a time when children can play and enjoy, not studying all the time. As Dr Lee has said “All-round development is important.” While a child may be academically gifted, he may not be good at his social skills. Development of social skills of gifted children is important for it will help him or her to network with others and this will become increasingly important as he grows up. What better way to develop a child’s social skills than to place him/her in a class of children his/her age and allow him/her to interact? Thus, I feel that gifted children should not be allowed to skip grades.

Allowing gifted children to skip grades is not without risk. If the child is unable to cope with the higher level of academic performance that is required of him when he skips grades, he might become too stressed and suffer from stress-related problems and depression. Worst still, he/she might have to revert back to the normal academic curriculum for his/her age and that would waste a lot of time. Surely, this risk is not worth it when the potential benefits of doing so remains obscure. Recently, there was news on The Straits Times about a gifted teenager currently studying at NUS and he has not done as well as he has expected and regretted taking things so fast. This goes to show that skipping grades does come with a price.

Some may argue that not allowing gifted children to skip grades may stymie their maximum learning potential. Thomas Anthony said that ‘sticking to the current curriculum would only cause such a whiz-kid to become laid-back and complacent and, in due course, he might become so complacent that his current level of achievement takes a dip.’ Mdm Lai Ee Sa said that ‘the gifted child spends many hours in school and these hours would be better spent doing work that challenges and intrigues him, rather than on lessons on topics that he already has a good grasp of.’ To prevent this from happening, special exceptions could be made for the gifted pupils such as allowing them to do their own self study in class at faster pace than their peers. This way, the gifted child can not only mix around with children of the same age and develop his social skills but also challenge himself/herself intellectually.

Should marriage be a legal contract between individuals or a non-binding relationship based on love? Why?

2004-09-05T23:34:00.001+08:00

In light of the changing social circumstances in today’s world, where women are no longer financially dependent on men, views on marriage have also changed with times. In traditional societies, there is a social stigma associated with singles who cannot find a mate but polygamous relationships are usually frowned upon, except for some Muslims who believe that it is the religious obligation of men to several wives. However, the increasing trend of singles preferring to stay unmarried in developed countries these days shows that it is now socially acceptable to remain single.

People marry for a variety of reasons; some marry as a culmination of love while others marry for money and there are those who are forced to marry against their own will as in the case of forced match-making in some traditional societies. In the modern context of today’s world, more and more feel that it is superfluous to make marriage a legal contract if the relationship is rooted on love. Nevertheless, it would be an idealistic thinking to assume that marriage based on a non-binding relationship rooted on love would work out for all couples as not everyone marries for love. A more realistic approach would be to make marriage a legal contract.

A recent survey in Singapore this year showed that couples who have been married for more than a decade made up most of the divorce cases. With trends and statistics in developing countries pointing to increasing divorce rates, it is clear that some couples do fall out of love. Thus, a non-binding marriage would engender social problems as people can simply walk out of their marriage as and when they like and throw away their responsibilities. In the end, the ones who would suffer the most are young children of the couples.

By making marriage a legal contract, one would have to abide by the laws and take responsibility in their relationship. One would then think twice about divorcing as it is a long and complicated process, not to mention the legal costs involved. As a result, couples would be more willing to reconcile rather give up on each other. Also, couples will also be less likely to engage in extramarital affairs as they would not want to endanger their relationship which could lead to divorce.

However, the consequence of making marriage a legal contract is that more singles may choose to remain unmarried as they do not want to be tied down by marriage for this would entail curtailing their social activities. Nevertheless, after weighing the pros and cons, I think marriage should be a legal contract between individuals.

My views on advertisements

2004-07-31T23:59:00.000+08:00

Advertisements help businesses to sell their products or services by generating awareness about them. Advertisements can come in different forms, such as in newsprint, flyers, television, radio and internet advertisements.

What makes a good advertisement?

A good advertisement should be one which can capture the attention of the target audience and influence them to buy or use the advertised products or services. It need not necessarily be sophisticated or glitzy. The styles of advertisements have evolved over the years as they need to suit the changing preferences and psyche of the target audience. In the past, telco television commercials would usually contain a commentary on the pricing of the different phone plans, but nowadays some of the telco television commercials do not contain such commentaries. A recent M1 advertisement in Singapore had a short animated clip of a ‘paperclip man’ prancing about the screen with two bikini-clad ladies to convey the company’s catchphrase “Anywhere anytime under the Sun.”

Most people nowadays are busy and are already tired of putting up with constant barrage of advertisements they encounter in their everyday lives. As such, advertisements have to creative and stand out from the rest in order to capture the attention of the target audience. The recent Carlsberg beer television commercial had a group of people ‘humming’ to the tune of a catchy song (Can’t Take My Eyes of You) using beer bottles. The advertisement drew warm response from people because of its catchy song. Using superstars in advertisements can also help to capture the attention of the target audience as in the numerous sports commercials starring sports stars like footballer David Beckham and basketball player Michael Jordan. The clever use of graphics, music and even positioning of texts and layout can have a subliminal effect on the minds of the target audience and influence their purchasing decisions. Condominium advertisements in newspapers are usually uncluttered and contain as little text as possible to project an impression that the condominium is spacious. Some bank advertisements in newsprint take up an entire page but only have a single line of text in the center of the page to catch the eye of the reader.

Do you think the money that companies spend on advertising is worth it?
Some people think that certain companies spend a disproportionate amount of money on advertising which could instead be used to manufacture more products or refine the products or services. However, one must realize that though the product is important, the awareness of the product or service is important as well. Without awareness of the products or services, how would people buy or use the products or services? Thus, it is important for companies to invest equally in their product research and advertising.

Should unsolicited advertisements be banned?

With the advent of the Internet, unsolicited advertisements in form of emails and pop-up window advertisements have become ubiquitous. Some companies send a myriad of emails using random email generators to Internet users, even if they have never released their email addresses to those companies. This is known as ‘spamming’. Spamming has been on the rise and it has become such a big problem that Microsoft, a software giant, has paid attention to it and even suggested introducing email stamping, that is an email user has to pay a fee to send an email. Currently, sending emails is free and that is what makes spamming so attractive to companies. Tracking down the spammers is not an easy task and thus it is difficult to prevent spamming.

Unsolicited advertisements, whether in the form of flyers or spam emails, are a source of nuisance to people. Instead of promoting the companies products or services, unsolicited advertisements may lead to a public backlash and irritated people may even boycott the advertised products or services. Thus, banning unsolicited advertisements is necessary not only to protect the interests of the recipients but also that of the companies.

Should advertisements be restricted in any way?

Some advertisements contain explicit violence and sex content and exposure to such materials may corrupt volatile young minds. In order to prevent this from happening, it is imperative to impose restrictions on advertisements. In Singapore, the Media Development Authority (MDA) regulates media content, including advertisements.

What is one value or belief which you hold on to in life?

2004-07-11T09:28:00.000+08:00

I believe that fifty percent of what happens in life is determined by fate and the other fifty percent by our actions. As a Buddhist, I believe in Kharma, that is what you do now will affect you in the future, including your next life. A person who has done numerous bad deeds in his past life will suffer in his next life.

However, not everything is entirely decided by fate alone. We have to make numerous decisions every day, including small and insignificant ones such as whether or not to eat or got to the toilet. In almost every decision that we make, we have a choice. Thus, we can control our lives to a certain extent. One may argue that whatever decisions one make had already been decided by fate and whatever that happens is predestined. But if this true, then there is no purpose in life.

Since everything that we do will eventually affect us, we have to be cautious about what we do and do what is right. We should help others around us and have compassion towards all sentinent beings. If we want to achieve our goals, we have to work hard and not just wait and let fate decide everything.As the saying goes, "You reap what you sow."