Wholesome solution is lacking

A recent experience on the imbalance of modern medical therapy approach. Son is coughing and some kind of smoke treatment is given, but son doesn't like it. However, as the nurse stressed we have to insist, and anyway, the medicine has already been dispensed, i.e. paid for. Thus, we forcefully held son throughout the process.

Later, we were asked to buy a very simplify and easy to use equipment, which is also used for asthma, for the similar purpose. Too bad, we didn't manage to use it because the earlier incident has left a terrible impression and son is unwilling to sniff it. We are also very unwilling to hurt our bond with him.

Between spiritual/social and physical, I value the former much more.

Education as a science

Do you agree that education is a science? I think so. Then, I think a problem in education of arts subject is the difficulty in finding people who are good in arts yet can also master the science of education.

I was lucky ... to have a British English teacher who likes computer programming during my sec 3 and 4. I always feel that those were the 2 years where I learnt more than 90% of my English, although my English is still quite bad.

Thus, I think it is not a good idea to just find people who are good in a arts subject to teach the subject because typically, when someone is good in arts, he/she is usually quite bad in science.

Alpha Brain Waves

Just read about something new to me, but it was discovered some decades ago together with the invention of the EEG. I first read about the Alpha Brain Waves from an advertisment of The Silva Method^TM. Later, I searched the Internet and learned more about it.

So, seems like science is showing more and more evidence to things that were once thought to be "spiritual" ... such as yoga and meditation. In a recent scientific seminar I attended, researchers have observed rise of temperature at the hands of a Qi-Gong Master when he was asked to concentrate his Qi at his hands.

Amazing! Actually, Science doesn't negate many spiritual phenomena. It is the misconception of many who wrongly think that whatever Science hasn't proved is false. Ooops, by the way, Science can never prove anything absolutely, but just to state how impossible something is not true.

Now I know them

Who are they? I bet most Malaysians know who are they. However, I didn't know about them as I am not a Malaysian. Now I know who they are. However, I didn't know who they are because of their ... professions. I know who they are because of their passion to help bring more peace to the world.

They are appointed ambassadors for the upcoming Global Peace Festival 2008, Malaysia.

Nevertheless, for the non-Malaysian readers, let me introduce. They are Malaysia’s first Angkasawan (astronaut) Datuk Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor and Malaysian Idols Jaclyn Victor and Daniel Lee.

How do computers socialize?

Just a couple of days ago, I attended a talk about fMRI and the speaker mentioned the difference between brain and computer. Both have different levels, from quantum mechanics to computer networks in the computer technology, and from biochemistry to sociology, which is about how people relate to each other. However, the main difference is that in computer, each level is affecting mainly its neighboring levels. Whereas in the brain, a cup of coffee triggers some biochemical responses that will affect how a person responds to others subsequently. Also, on listening to a sad piece of news may trigger some biochemical responses.

The era of computer is quite short, yet to reach a century. Yet, there were vast technological improvements in all levels from quantum mechanics and material engineering to architecture, software and computer networks. Unlike the brain, we don't need to know all levels of the computer ... in order to work with it. Currently, even though computer networks have been in lime light since the birth of Internet about two decades ago, this is still a very hot and potential area. Thus, for people interested in walking down an IT career path, this is a very important subject to study.

Cisco certification offers the environment to equip one with knowledge and skills from entry level IP Connectivity, to associate level such as Security, professional level such as Service Provider, expert ones such as Storage Networking, and specialist certifications like Unified Communications.

My basic degree is in computer science. However, I realized a little late that you don't have to be a computer scientist to ride on the then uprising IT industry. Yet, holding on to one certification is not enough. The continuously changing IT industry requires one to be always learning. At this moment, and in the many years to come, I believe knowledge on how computers socialize -- computer network technologies, is very valuable.

Try sneezing with your mouth tightly covered

The article, Taming volcanoes, in world-science.net, a researcher pro­poses dump­ing lime­stone blocks in the way of stream­ing la­va as a way to slow it down, lim­it its reach and save lives.

Good idea? I don't think so. Imagine someone is going to ... sneeze, and in order to save the people around from exposing to what he is going to expelled out into the air, lets stuff cloth into his mouth! What would happen? He probably will still sneeze. However, since the mouth is blocked, whatever needed to be expelled from his body has got to go through other channels, such as the nose, ears, and even the eyes! This guy won't be happy with this!

I bet the Earth and Mother Nature would not like to be treated this way too!

It is not volcanoe eruptions that kill lives, but the lack of freedom, be it political or otherwise, for people to choose to live away from volcanoes.

Just as the recent earthquake in China. Which kills more people: the earthquake, or the badly built schools? I am curious to know how many animals are killed?

I think from science, we understand more about nature so that we can live with it, but not to distort it for our selfish conveniences.

Cruelty or Teamwork

Many times we see beauties in nature. Some times we see disturbing happenings in nature. For example, the parasite practice described in the article Parasite turns host into bodyguard.

At the end of the article, it highlighted there were some sacrifices by some par­a­sitoid larvae for their brothers and sisters. How are these few being chosen? Whatever the way is, is it fair? ... Nevertheless, because they benefit those who we perceive as their "brothers and sisters", so we use the word "sacrifice".

In the case of the caterpillar, as the par­a­sitoid larvae were not perceived as their "brothers and sisters", its death is a sad and cruel one. What if we see them as a team, can we then sense some beauty in how the caterpillar had "lived for the sake of others".

From a smaller unit, we see unfairness. From a bigger unit, we may see teamwork. E.g. in a family, the husband or the wife can see unfaireness as they are tied down in different ways, one to work and one to house and kids. Alternatively, from the family perspective, there can be beauty of a harmonious family.

Be careful how you ask a question

A JC friend returned from US to this region recently for a short visit. He is into research on student's thought process when learning math. I took a quick browse of his PhD Thesis and found an experiment by Cramer, Post and Currier (1993). I tested it out at Yahoo!Answers. However, it doesn't work as expected the first time. Then, I rephrase the way I present the question, and ... it works the second time.

I suggest readers to try it out first and see the results I got from Yahoo!Answers.

Sue and Julie were running equally fast around a track. Sue started first. When she had run 9 laps, Julie had run 3 laps. When Julie completed 15 laps, how many laps had Sue run?

Link to my experiments: Does your answer make sense? (for students)? and Quick, how many laps Sue ran?

Indeed, even in normal life events not necessary mathematical, the way we ask does affect the way the other party responds.

A plaster on a face means...

A scene from a cartoon show a little kid with a plaster on his face. The character is some kind of heroic type. Thus, by drawing that plaster on his face should mean to suggest that he is rugged.

However, to me, I think otherwise ... . Drawing a cut on his face should suggest rugged, while a plaster suggests he requires care for little wounds.

Knowing the ideal and trying to do achieve it are good. However, ensuring the ideal at all instances may be unwise. After we, humans, learned about germs and bacteria, we know that what seems clean is actually not. Now, we know the ideal of clean is when even these invisible to naked eyes germs and bacteria aren't around.

Then, we behave in more hygienic ways. Keeping clean has quite a different meaning since then. So, we have been trying to achieve the state of clean.

Then, we invented ways to kill all these. By pasting plaster over little cuts so that any germs there can be killed by the chemicals, we achieve the ideal at the wound. That, I think is somehow over doing it.

I think that behind all the sciences is the acknowledgment that all existences are results from design. I trust our designer much more than human inventors and inventions.

Nature has its reasons

A research found that preterm birth tied to lifelong problems. The researcher said the re­search raises an im­por­tant ques­tion con­cern­ing the long-term ef­fects of ad­vanc­es in pre­na­tal and ne­o­na­tal care. “Preterm sur­viv­al is im­prov­ing now be­cause of in­ter­ven­tions we have in preg­nan­cy and ne­o­na­tal care. How­ev­er ... something looks good may not be good.
, it may be that we’re im­prov­ing sur­viv­al while ad­versely af­fect­ing the over­all health and qual­ity of life in the long run.”

In many things, Nature has its reasons, which many of them we are not aware and even dislike them. Recently, I think more people start to realize that fever is not a bad thing as it is the way our body handle illness. Getting rid of fever might be an act welcome by the causing agents of the illness.

Thus, for people who want to act smart by giving birth earlier for conveniency, think thrice to the power of many thrices! If ending our life prematurely is wrong, terminating a life in the womb prematurely should be equally wrong!

Spending your money on others is good for you

There is this saying in Chinese, 助人为快乐之本, which roughly means the basis of happiness is generated by helping others. A research shows that money might buy happiness—when you spend on others, which makes the above more correct scientifically.

However, the first two results from surveying how do people spend their money might have the cause and effect in the other way. ... Why do I suggest so? The people who gave more to charity are probably already happy people who have or feel that their own needs are satisfied, and therefore see a part of the money they have as extra and are willing to give to charity. Of course, I don't deny that the acts probably makes them feel happier and they'll continue to do so.

The third result from an experiment, where some people were given money and also told how to spend them, specifically shows that it is the way they spend money that influence their level of happiness.

Be skeptical

Few days back I received an email claiming link between drinking cold drink after meal and cancer. Another friend did some research and responded with another email claiming the above is a myth.

Today I received another email forwarded by a friend on some claims that some hawkers melt plastic such as drinking straws or plastic container into hot oil so as to have fried crispy snacks remain crispy for hours. I didn't manage to find strong arguments that this is untrue, but ... may be that's because it was just reported in a newspaper quite recently, near end of February. Or may be it is true, but I doubt so.

I don't mind reading such emails. False information is still a piece of information. However, I mostly don't forward them to others. Especially if the article encourage one to do so.

In this information explosion era, we have to be skeptical with all these information. Not only those myth-like information, but also those myth-buster type. Take for example, in the above first case, the argument against the link between cold drink and cancer is that there isn't scientific evidence. This only say that the first claim is not based on scientific evidence. It doesn't make the claim false. Note that there are many truths that have existed, and some are still existing before any scientific evidence is discovered to support them.

Do we need to see a tumor to recognize danger?

Just minutes after reading an advertisment on getting mobile line for your child, I open up a scientific article "Study links heavy cell phone use to cancer". What a coincident! ...

When I first started using mobile phone, I consciously keep my phone away from kids, whomever kids. However, as I notice more and more parents letting their children play games on their phones, I have not been so cautious on this. Nevertheless, I always put my phone away from me whenever possible.

Just about a month ago, my colleague besides me highlighted to me a scientist, who were hired by the phone companies to prove the safety of mobile phone, has actually proven otherwise, or failed repeatedly to find supporting evidence years ago, but only recently managed to get funding to further the research in the opposite objective than the earlier study. Also, the colleague has since started putting callers on hold while attaching the hands free gadget.

Although there are studies showing no significant relations between tumors and mobile phone usage, the above article's author only suggests that "Chil­dren may be more sus­cep­ti­ble," and a single study is usually insufficient to draw good conclusion, it is still better to act safely than to subject to risks unnecessarily.

I wonder, does it help to use VoIP phones, or using applications such as Fring through wifi enabled phones such as my Nokia N80? I think so as the signal strength should be much lesser since wifi range is smaller than GSM.

Even the devil can cite Scripture

Shakespeare said it this way: "Even the devil can cite Scripture for his purpose."

I think it happens in this research: A function for "gay genes" after all?

Just because gay men do not have their own family to take care of, and therefore ... are available to offer more time and care for their nieces/nephews, the researchers suggested this as an evolutionary support for gay way of life.

Rather than suggesting an obvious common sense that children with more adults who, regardless of sexuality, are available to take care of them are better than those with only their own parents, the researchers seem to have preset what their conclusion should be and designed a limited research for their purpose.

Furthermore, this is done with the knowledge of many other similar failed research attempts to make such conclusion in modern societies. Instead, they argue, or rather blame and accuse that, it is due to "an­ti-gay bi­ases", gay men couldn't do the same as in the selected "relatively un-westernized land", Samoa. By the same logic, I say it is because the modern societies lack "tra­di­tion­al, tribally-based cul­tures, that of­ten have tighter-knit fam­i­lies," such that little support for adults, regardless of sexuality, to take care of their nieces/nephews.

It is not "anti-gay biases," but "family and marriage unfriendliness" in modern societies that we should focus on!

Correctness

I just learned from friends that an elder we know often say these words, roughly: "It is not about I am correct or you are correct, but what is correct?"

In science, those theories and hypotheses supported by many experimental results are taken to be more likely as correct. It is not about if any of those experimental results are correct. Rather, it is about whether the hypothesis is correct. Logically, if results from one valid experimental say otherwise, then the hypothesis correctness would be discounted, or invalidated.

Thus, if a concept is correct in the views of a group of people, but validly incorrect to another group of people, then the correctness of this concept is questionable. Arguing or fighting over which group is correct is fruitless.

However, when a hypothesis is invalidated in science, it is not thrown away but fine tuned to become a better hypothesis.

Similarly, neither of these two camp of thoughts is to be discarded, but should be fine tuned. De-emphasize the contradicting and different portions and enhance the similar and parallel portions of the concept. The latter approach is to work towards bringing about concepts that are universally correct to all people. In other words, such concepts may be called the truths. These truths will demolish the walls between these groups, especially racial and religious groups.

Change heart

Just read this news, Hearts from cadavers beat anew: study.

How about temporarily replace one's heart with an artificial heart, decellularise it, get it back to life, put it back into the body.

It is getting less incentive for doctors to teach the public how to live healthily.

It's real!

What is real? What is not real? Recently heard a speech suggesting that our sub-conscious mind cannot differentiate between real and unreal events. However, if an event occurred, then why is it unreal? Even if it is a dream. Instead of unreal, I would say outside the currently quite well scientifically described world. In other word, the religious world called it spiritual. Enjoy this fun commercial, although Karma may not be fun.

Flying termites!

Eeee TERMITES!!!

My wife once saw them flying out from a wall where they live. It is like horror movie. There seem to have a protruding pattern on the wall where in it is where their nest is. She said sound can be heard from the wall at night.

Don't know where they fled to. No experts were called in, but somehow, the house is still standing, so hopefully they are gone.

Of course, I don't recommend ignoring their existence. With easy search for resources in this Internet era, if you have concern with termites, read a guide to getting rid of termite infestations, at termite control.

Is it our fault?

Not all thinks global warming is due to human. Furthermore, is global warming a disaster to be or can be avoided? Or is it just natural changes? Have there been people who try to stop the temperature from rising during summer and vice-versa during winter?

Quoting from an article:

----------
But Dr Gray, whose annual forecasts of the number of tropical storms and hurricanes are widely publicised, said a natural cycle of ocean water temperatures - related to the amount of salt in ocean water - was responsible for the global warming that he acknowledges has taken place.

However, he said, that same cycle meant a period of cooling would begin soon and last for several years.

...

"The human impact on the atmosphere is simply too small to have a major effect on global temperatures," Dr Gray said.

He said his beliefs had made him an outsider in popular science.

"It bothers me that my fellow scientists are not speaking out against something they know is wrong," he said. "But they also know that they'd never get any grants if they spoke out. I don't care about grants."
----------

On matters about science, who would you listen more to, a scientist, or a politician's movie?

Peace Messages

Lets make peace!

These are very important messages to make peace.

Please focus on the contents and the good intentions.

At the age of 87+, he needs no hidden agenda.