IUPAC - International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry
Will update this list as I think of more.
Monday, March 27, 2017
Sunday, January 10, 2016
Why hard work doesn't pay off
I used to think that by working hard,
Your efforts will get recognized.
I was too naive.
Because your work go unnoticed if you work silently.
There are people who think they are the know-it-all,
And try to claim more credit than they should.
These insecurities.
There is no such thing as a fair workplace.
Don't just work hard. Work smart.
Your efforts will get recognized.
I was too naive.
Because your work go unnoticed if you work silently.
There are people who think they are the know-it-all,
And try to claim more credit than they should.
These insecurities.
There is no such thing as a fair workplace.
Don't just work hard. Work smart.
Thursday, September 3, 2015
Perceptions #1
Perceptions, they can work to your favor, or sometimes the opposite.
It's actually quite scary, when people jump into conclusion without understanding the full story.
Or rather, believing only in what they want to hear.
If you criticize people's work, ask if you can do it better and faster.
It's actually quite scary, when people jump into conclusion without understanding the full story.
Or rather, believing only in what they want to hear.
If you criticize people's work, ask if you can do it better and faster.
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
When UPLC sensitivity dropped to 2-3 times
I once encountered a case whereby injecting the same amount of standard into 2 UPLCs side by side, the area for UPLC#2 is about 2 - 3 times smaller than UPLC#1.
Customer reported that their %RSD is good, but they aren't sure why the area is so much different.
Well... I was equally baffled too.
1. Performed a leak test and there was no leak from the sample syringe.
2. Lamp energy seems fine.
3. Guessed there could be a clogged somewhere in the needle or along the SM fluidics.
4. Since it was also due for PM, might as well start replacing the needful.
Then I found out.
Someone configured the volume syringe 100uL instead of the rightful 250uL.
Not sure whether to laugh or cry eh...
Customer reported that their %RSD is good, but they aren't sure why the area is so much different.
Well... I was equally baffled too.
1. Performed a leak test and there was no leak from the sample syringe.
2. Lamp energy seems fine.
3. Guessed there could be a clogged somewhere in the needle or along the SM fluidics.
4. Since it was also due for PM, might as well start replacing the needful.
Then I found out.
Someone configured the volume syringe 100uL instead of the rightful 250uL.
Not sure whether to laugh or cry eh...
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Frustrating people #1
Today I had a someone who kept firing shots at me when I suggest that her problems were likely due to her column.
She encountered accumulator over pressure and a noisy baseline.
Hey. I haven't even gone to the details of why your column is giving you these problems.
I was going to borrow her column to replicate the problem,
NO I CANNOT LEND YOU MY COLUMN, THIS IS THE ONLY COLUMN I HAVE AND I NEED TO USE IT. EVERYTIME AFTER YOU GUYS DID A PM OR A TROUBLESHOOTING AND THERE WOULD BE PROBLEMS WITH THE INSTRUMENTS!!! THIS COLUMN IS TOTALLY FINE ON ANOTHER INSTRUMENT. I'VE CHANGED THE CHECK VALVES ON THAT INSTRUMENT AND I AM STILL SEEING ACCUMULATOR OVER PRESSURE! (blahhhh)
Wow wow wow wait a minute.
(And wah lao - My point #1: why would check valves be related to accumulator over pressure.
Point #2: To defend myself, previous corrective actions were a new lamp and flow cell replaced just 2 weeks ago. These new problems were not related to previous corrective actions.)
Then onward, she kept switching topic incoherently between high pressure and noisy baseline.
Hello, can you focus on a problem one at a time?
And if I run a flow with water/ACN and I can achieve a low system pressure and a very flat baseline (beautiful!), it was pretty clear that her problem is due to that column...
Besides, she then acknowledged that she saw accumulator over pressure again on another instrument with the same column.
And she continues to insist that it's not the column.
I don't even...
She encountered accumulator over pressure and a noisy baseline.
Hey. I haven't even gone to the details of why your column is giving you these problems.
I was going to borrow her column to replicate the problem,
NO I CANNOT LEND YOU MY COLUMN, THIS IS THE ONLY COLUMN I HAVE AND I NEED TO USE IT. EVERYTIME AFTER YOU GUYS DID A PM OR A TROUBLESHOOTING AND THERE WOULD BE PROBLEMS WITH THE INSTRUMENTS!!! THIS COLUMN IS TOTALLY FINE ON ANOTHER INSTRUMENT. I'VE CHANGED THE CHECK VALVES ON THAT INSTRUMENT AND I AM STILL SEEING ACCUMULATOR OVER PRESSURE! (blahhhh)
Wow wow wow wait a minute.
(And wah lao - My point #1: why would check valves be related to accumulator over pressure.
Point #2: To defend myself, previous corrective actions were a new lamp and flow cell replaced just 2 weeks ago. These new problems were not related to previous corrective actions.)
Then onward, she kept switching topic incoherently between high pressure and noisy baseline.
Hello, can you focus on a problem one at a time?
And if I run a flow with water/ACN and I can achieve a low system pressure and a very flat baseline (beautiful!), it was pretty clear that her problem is due to that column...
Besides, she then acknowledged that she saw accumulator over pressure again on another instrument with the same column.
And she continues to insist that it's not the column.
I don't even...
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Tribute to the late LKY
I had wanted to make my way to the parliament house and pay my last respect to the late LKY. But was very much plagued by work and too fatigued to combat the 10hr-long queue. Finally headed to Tampines community tribute center instead.
The recent years I had grown to detest the PAP, because, of the obvious reasons.
For the excessive foreigners that flood our island, fighting for our jobs and suppressing our wages;
For the public transport that became too unbearable from the squeeze and subsequently the frequent breakdowns of trains;
For the poor control of public housing that drives purchase prices to the sky.
Not to mention LKY the dictator who silenced the oppositions; the 1987 marxist conspiracy; the unreliable Straits times which serves only as PAP's mouthpiece; the constant putting down of oppositions and accusations; the worship of expats and turning Singaporeans into 2nd citizens of our own country, so on and so forth.
My perception started to change when I headed to Shanghai for various job training last year. Training were mostly conducted in Mandarin, because the China trainees had poor grasp of English. It was especially tough for me, for I did not know the technical terms in that language.
But I felt blessed to be bilingual, and I was fortunate to survive the total 5 weeks.
The Chinese had a great wealth of knowledge which impresses me very much. However they aren't inclusive if you don't speak their language, so they won't share. Well, pretty much the same for the everywhere else in the world. Fortunately I could converse decently and blend into them.
It then dawned on me that LKY had the vision to implement bilingual policy in the early days, how often had I taken it for granted. I knew for the longest time that we were basically connected to the East and the West. But to go out and experience it myself, it was an overwhelming feeling.
I am inadequate, as we all are.
But we are equipped with survival skills to carve our journeys in life.
Like Chiam put it, "His contributions to Singapore far outweighs the criticisms."
Thank you for building a nation of educated and bilingual people so our country can survive.
Thank you for building a safe and civilized country so we don't have to be afraid of walking in the night.
Thank you for the racial and religious harmony that we can accept and enjoy our cultural diversity.
And finally thank you, for giving us the confidence to go out to the world.
 |
| Thank you, MM Lee |
For the excessive foreigners that flood our island, fighting for our jobs and suppressing our wages;
For the public transport that became too unbearable from the squeeze and subsequently the frequent breakdowns of trains;
For the poor control of public housing that drives purchase prices to the sky.
Not to mention LKY the dictator who silenced the oppositions; the 1987 marxist conspiracy; the unreliable Straits times which serves only as PAP's mouthpiece; the constant putting down of oppositions and accusations; the worship of expats and turning Singaporeans into 2nd citizens of our own country, so on and so forth.
My perception started to change when I headed to Shanghai for various job training last year. Training were mostly conducted in Mandarin, because the China trainees had poor grasp of English. It was especially tough for me, for I did not know the technical terms in that language.
But I felt blessed to be bilingual, and I was fortunate to survive the total 5 weeks.
The Chinese had a great wealth of knowledge which impresses me very much. However they aren't inclusive if you don't speak their language, so they won't share. Well, pretty much the same for the everywhere else in the world. Fortunately I could converse decently and blend into them.
 |
| Me surviving well in Shanghai |
I am inadequate, as we all are.
But we are equipped with survival skills to carve our journeys in life.
Like Chiam put it, "His contributions to Singapore far outweighs the criticisms."
Thank you for building a nation of educated and bilingual people so our country can survive.
Thank you for building a safe and civilized country so we don't have to be afraid of walking in the night.
Thank you for the racial and religious harmony that we can accept and enjoy our cultural diversity.
And finally thank you, for giving us the confidence to go out to the world.
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Why is there a negative dip in my HPLC chromatogram?
Because your solvent absorbs UV to some extent, too.
If you constantly see a negative dip, it may come from your sample, diluent, mobile phase, bottle, cap, glassware, column problems etc, that some compound is eluting out but does not absorb UV to the extent that your solvent does.
If there is a difference in composition between the injection solvent and mobile phase, your diluent (eg. water) could have a lower optical density than your mobile phase (eg. methanol) does. The negative dip will appear right before your sample is eluted.
*LC grade means that UV light absorbing impurities have been removed (not that the absolute purity is higher) and absorbance of specified wavelengths is kept within a specified range.
If you constantly see a negative dip, it may come from your sample, diluent, mobile phase, bottle, cap, glassware, column problems etc, that some compound is eluting out but does not absorb UV to the extent that your solvent does.
If there is a difference in composition between the injection solvent and mobile phase, your diluent (eg. water) could have a lower optical density than your mobile phase (eg. methanol) does. The negative dip will appear right before your sample is eluted.
*LC grade means that UV light absorbing impurities have been removed (not that the absolute purity is higher) and absorbance of specified wavelengths is kept within a specified range.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Lost prime
When your instrument prompts an error of a lost prime, it means pressure has dropped to below 25 psi for the last 50 cycles of plunger. Very often, gas bubbles interrupted the solvent path.
First, check that:
1. There is enough solvents in the bottles.
2. All solvent lines are properly connected and not drawing air into the system.
3. All solvents degassed and lines properly primed. It is more effective to prime each line at 100% for 5 min rather than 25/25/25/25 for A/B/C/D.
Other possible causes:
1. Solvent reservoir filters clogged.
2. Bacteria growth in the lines or inline filter and becomes clogged. May be able to clean out with 100% MeOH.
3. Primary inlet check valve failed. Ruby ball can get sticky over time esp if applications involve high ACN content. Ball gets stuck at the close position, so solvents cannot be delivered.
Passivating with 30% Phosphoric acid or 6N of Nitric acid not recommended.
This involves extreme cleaning, takes a lot of time, and unnecessary wearing of parts.
First, check that:
1. There is enough solvents in the bottles.
2. All solvent lines are properly connected and not drawing air into the system.
3. All solvents degassed and lines properly primed. It is more effective to prime each line at 100% for 5 min rather than 25/25/25/25 for A/B/C/D.
Other possible causes:
1. Solvent reservoir filters clogged.
2. Bacteria growth in the lines or inline filter and becomes clogged. May be able to clean out with 100% MeOH.
3. Primary inlet check valve failed. Ruby ball can get sticky over time esp if applications involve high ACN content. Ball gets stuck at the close position, so solvents cannot be delivered.
Passivating with 30% Phosphoric acid or 6N of Nitric acid not recommended.
This involves extreme cleaning, takes a lot of time, and unnecessary wearing of parts.
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
When sample energy is higher than reference energy
How is that possible?! So I thought perhaps,
1. the reference photodiode may be slightly off its position.
2. the beam splitter was giving problems.
3. reference diode deteriorate faster than sample diode.
But until I stripped the detector naked, it was because of...
How did they even crack inside the detector in the first place?! Pretty amazing.
1. the reference photodiode may be slightly off its position.
2. the beam splitter was giving problems.
3. reference diode deteriorate faster than sample diode.
But until I stripped the detector naked, it was because of...
this.
How did they even crack inside the detector in the first place?! Pretty amazing.
Monday, December 15, 2014
On firmware update
As usual I was super stressed over the weekend over firmware upgrade issues. I was never IT savvy, let alone acquainted with computer terms. Firmware? Driver? Option pack? IP address?
On a happy note, my job breezed through today! Thanks to my readings and preparations over the weekend.
Plus the help of 2 crucial people, Mr C and Mr H.
And some luck. :)
On a happy note, my job breezed through today! Thanks to my readings and preparations over the weekend.
Plus the help of 2 crucial people, Mr C and Mr H.
And some luck. :)
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Maintenance #1: Column care and storage condition
I chanced upon some notes I got from a seminar from a long time ago, some column care procedure for sharing.
1. On backpressure
Always pump mobile phase from low flow, say 0.1ml/min then increase to normal flow rate.
Back pressure must typically be kept at <3500 psi (conventional HPLC columns and systems)
UPLC columns have higher pressure limits (more than or equal to 9000 psi)
In the event of high backpressure, reverse flush column.
2. On equilibrating column
Equilibrate column with mobile phase for 10-30 column volumes.
(Ion-pair containing mobile phase may require long to equilibrate.)
3. On sample preparation
Filter samples, 0.2um or 0.45 syringe filters, guard column
Sample cleanup, SPE, protein precipitation and so on.
3. On column storage
Never store columns with buffers, in long term.
Flush with 10 column volumes of mobile phase without buffer to remove buffer and salts.
Flush with 10 column volumes of mutually miscible solvent such as Methanol and ACN.
Flush with 20 column volumes of strong solvent, THF or IPA to remove strongly adsorbed sample components.
Reverse the process and equilibrate with mobile phase.
(Who has the time to do that?!)
Typical solvent storage conditions for silica-based columns:
Reverse phase: ACN/Water (65:35)
Normal phase: IPA or hexane
Ion-exchange: Methanol
SEC or Diol: 0.05% NaN3 in Water or 10% Methanol
With good column care maintenance, you can
- extend column lifetimes
- ensure optimal column performance
- minimizes downtime!
Till next time.
1. On backpressure
Always pump mobile phase from low flow, say 0.1ml/min then increase to normal flow rate.
Back pressure must typically be kept at <3500 psi (conventional HPLC columns and systems)
UPLC columns have higher pressure limits (more than or equal to 9000 psi)
In the event of high backpressure, reverse flush column.
2. On equilibrating column
Equilibrate column with mobile phase for 10-30 column volumes.
(Ion-pair containing mobile phase may require long to equilibrate.)
3. On sample preparation
Filter samples, 0.2um or 0.45 syringe filters, guard column
Sample cleanup, SPE, protein precipitation and so on.
3. On column storage
Never store columns with buffers, in long term.
Flush with 10 column volumes of mobile phase without buffer to remove buffer and salts.
Flush with 10 column volumes of mutually miscible solvent such as Methanol and ACN.
Flush with 20 column volumes of strong solvent, THF or IPA to remove strongly adsorbed sample components.
Reverse the process and equilibrate with mobile phase.
(Who has the time to do that?!)
Typical solvent storage conditions for silica-based columns:
Reverse phase: ACN/Water (65:35)
Normal phase: IPA or hexane
Ion-exchange: Methanol
SEC or Diol: 0.05% NaN3 in Water or 10% Methanol
With good column care maintenance, you can
- extend column lifetimes
- ensure optimal column performance
- minimizes downtime!
Till next time.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Stress is an understatement
I came to a realization.
As a field service engineer, you basically have to say goodbye to life.
Tons of readings after work to handle odd complaints.
What seemed perfectly normal to me is deemed as instrument failure to user.
Too paranoid.
How can I better convince customers otherwise?
As a field service engineer, you basically have to say goodbye to life.
Tons of readings after work to handle odd complaints.
What seemed perfectly normal to me is deemed as instrument failure to user.
Too paranoid.
How can I better convince customers otherwise?
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Troubleshooting #1: Plunger homing fault (1)
I performed a PM today and an error pops out when I attempted to reboot the instrument. And I saw "Plunger homing fault (1)".
The instrument worked fine before I started the PM. Checked the history and darn. Some related errors reported before... Basically the instrument could not restart, and hanged during initialization. Can't even do a dry/wet prime or anything.
I was reluctant to replace the torpedo because we had a really tight timeline this week. The torpedo needs a few hours to replace, together with some diagnostic tests. Error suggests the motor drive may have some internal problem. Could also have been other problems like the cable (shorting), encoder or PCB, or the fuse blown. Anyway... After rebooting the instrument a few times, I was losing hope.
I decided to give it one last try. To the solvent delivery system, please 'see' the home position of the plunger! Shook the torpedo a little. Maybe it helps. Maybe something was stuck or dislodged, and needed a little knock. Maybe...
"Initializing needle and syringe..."
"Initializing carousel..."
.
.
"Idle" (!) It worked!
Let's do a wet prime and run a flow. ...Plungers working fine!
Couldn't believe it. Let's try restarting the system, again. No more plunger homing error.
Amazed that problem was fixed by just shaking it. Sounds stupid, but it worked. Plausible that something was out of alignment, and shaking it brought it back to its rightful position.
Moral of the story: Don't be too quick to jump into conclusion. I almost wasted 4-5 hours. It's a lucky day.
Update March 2017.
Since I've been getting a lot more views on this topic, I will add more information to it.
What users do:
Loosen the inline filter before restarting the instrument
Inline filter of the pump is where all the particles are accumulated at, there could have been too much particles that it is blocking the movement of the plungers, from returning to its home position.
The instrument worked fine before I started the PM. Checked the history and darn. Some related errors reported before... Basically the instrument could not restart, and hanged during initialization. Can't even do a dry/wet prime or anything.
I was reluctant to replace the torpedo because we had a really tight timeline this week. The torpedo needs a few hours to replace, together with some diagnostic tests. Error suggests the motor drive may have some internal problem. Could also have been other problems like the cable (shorting), encoder or PCB, or the fuse blown. Anyway... After rebooting the instrument a few times, I was losing hope.
I decided to give it one last try. To the solvent delivery system, please 'see' the home position of the plunger! Shook the torpedo a little. Maybe it helps. Maybe something was stuck or dislodged, and needed a little knock. Maybe...
"Initializing needle and syringe..."
"Initializing carousel..."
.
.
"Idle" (!) It worked!
Let's do a wet prime and run a flow. ...Plungers working fine!
Couldn't believe it. Let's try restarting the system, again. No more plunger homing error.
Amazed that problem was fixed by just shaking it. Sounds stupid, but it worked. Plausible that something was out of alignment, and shaking it brought it back to its rightful position.
Moral of the story: Don't be too quick to jump into conclusion. I almost wasted 4-5 hours. It's a lucky day.
Update March 2017.
Since I've been getting a lot more views on this topic, I will add more information to it.
What users do:
Loosen the inline filter before restarting the instrument
Inline filter of the pump is where all the particles are accumulated at, there could have been too much particles that it is blocking the movement of the plungers, from returning to its home position.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Hard truths
Like any other employees, what we value most in a job are, job satisfaction, environment, people, learning curve.
But from industry's point of view, nobody gives a damn about your learning process.
As long as you can't produce result, you're in for deep trouble.
And nobody cares about how overwhelmed you are.
The tears and sweat you put in.
Everyone is just jumping into meaningless conclusions, I wonder if there is anyone who is truly neutral about this situation.
The last thing we need is to put people down, we really should help each other to drive this issue forward.
I don't know what's gonna happen to this person. But I foresee the same thing might happen to me in the next few years or so.
But from industry's point of view, nobody gives a damn about your learning process.
As long as you can't produce result, you're in for deep trouble.
And nobody cares about how overwhelmed you are.
The tears and sweat you put in.
Everyone is just jumping into meaningless conclusions, I wonder if there is anyone who is truly neutral about this situation.
The last thing we need is to put people down, we really should help each other to drive this issue forward.
I don't know what's gonna happen to this person. But I foresee the same thing might happen to me in the next few years or so.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Thought of the day
There is always something to learn from everyone (okay, not always but most of the time). If you think it is not worth doing it, then you're missing on a great chance to learn.
Friday, November 28, 2014
Little sacrifices in life
Looking at my piano hands, they are now chapped and bruised...
Feeling a little sad.
Because I need a rice bowl, house, and living.
But such is the life of an engineer.
Feeling a little sad.
Because I need a rice bowl, house, and living.
But such is the life of an engineer.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
On difficult people at work
Some people blamed you for a mistake that you shouldn't have made.
Because they were unwilling to share their knowledge and teach you in the first place.
Then they even tried ways to take advantage of your skills.
Isn't it frustrating?
Signs of insecurity and selfishness.
It is the need to hold on to power.
Spitefully throwing people off who are perceived as threats.
Politics or immaturity?
I was more disgusted when this person had a 180 degree change in attitude,
after I submitted my resignation.
Pretty amazed at how immediate she changed her stance.
Suddenly those past events never seemed to have happened.
Talking to an ex-colleague the other day,
I felt comforted that I wasn't alone in this.
Now, there will always be a tinge of abhorrence whenever I think about it.
I just want to look forward to my new life.
Why do I feel so poetic.
Because they were unwilling to share their knowledge and teach you in the first place.
Then they even tried ways to take advantage of your skills.
Isn't it frustrating?
Signs of insecurity and selfishness.
It is the need to hold on to power.
Spitefully throwing people off who are perceived as threats.
Politics or immaturity?
I was more disgusted when this person had a 180 degree change in attitude,
after I submitted my resignation.
Pretty amazed at how immediate she changed her stance.
Suddenly those past events never seemed to have happened.
Talking to an ex-colleague the other day,
I felt comforted that I wasn't alone in this.
Now, there will always be a tinge of abhorrence whenever I think about it.
I just want to look forward to my new life.
Why do I feel so poetic.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
On part-time studies
Because no employer will support you when
you need some time off for your Masters exams and whatever crap.
But you will grow to be a
greater person after passing through this difficult time.
화이팅.
화이팅.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
My views on Pink Dot
I was rather disturbed by the recent slew of events.
Pink dot --- Championing for the 'freedom to love'.
Okay choose whoever you love, that's none of my business.
But Lawrence Khong and followers were pitting against pink dot. They were perturbing, insulting and defaming. These are their main (and weak) arguments:
1) They have no renewal, and we have serious issues of declining births.
It is a fact that homosexuals will never have offsprings.
How about heterosexual couples who are married, but choose not to have children? Or singles who choose not to get married? Why don't you oppose these childless couples and singles instead?
Look at the root cause. High cost of living and lack of work life balance are real reasons for the lack of offspring. How many percentage do homosexuals contribute to? Why don't you champion for lower cost of living? And champion for arranged marriage like how it works in India, so everyone sets up a happy family?
2) Statistics show that they are causes of HIV and STDs
It is more correct to say premarital sex, multiple sex partners and needles sharing are the root causes. Please get this clear.
3) Being homosexual is against nature
There are, and always have been outliers existing in nature. That's nature. How about eradicating autistic children, the down syndromes, or the albino lion?
My point
Love is a feeling, you can't dictate your feelings, who you want or don't want to love. Common sense. So why restrict who people love? Can you stop loving your mother? Your father? Your husband / wife / boyfriend / girlfriend / teacher / dog?
I'm totally turned off by how Lawrence Khong try to spread homophobia messages. Our society has come so far, building tolerance and acceptance within the community.
Wear white and you will take many steps backwards.
There are more urgent issues at hand, so stop making a mountain out of a molehill.
Pink dot --- Championing for the 'freedom to love'.
Okay choose whoever you love, that's none of my business.
But Lawrence Khong and followers were pitting against pink dot. They were perturbing, insulting and defaming. These are their main (and weak) arguments:
1) They have no renewal, and we have serious issues of declining births.
It is a fact that homosexuals will never have offsprings.
How about heterosexual couples who are married, but choose not to have children? Or singles who choose not to get married? Why don't you oppose these childless couples and singles instead?
Look at the root cause. High cost of living and lack of work life balance are real reasons for the lack of offspring. How many percentage do homosexuals contribute to? Why don't you champion for lower cost of living? And champion for arranged marriage like how it works in India, so everyone sets up a happy family?
2) Statistics show that they are causes of HIV and STDs
It is more correct to say premarital sex, multiple sex partners and needles sharing are the root causes. Please get this clear.
3) Being homosexual is against nature
There are, and always have been outliers existing in nature. That's nature. How about eradicating autistic children, the down syndromes, or the albino lion?
My point
Love is a feeling, you can't dictate your feelings, who you want or don't want to love. Common sense. So why restrict who people love? Can you stop loving your mother? Your father? Your husband / wife / boyfriend / girlfriend / teacher / dog?
I'm totally turned off by how Lawrence Khong try to spread homophobia messages. Our society has come so far, building tolerance and acceptance within the community.
Wear white and you will take many steps backwards.
There are more urgent issues at hand, so stop making a mountain out of a molehill.
Friday, November 22, 2013
Public servants may not openly comment on Government policies
Source: The Real Singapore
On one hand, a staff of RP received an email (19 November 2013) regarding proper code of conduct, most strikingly not being able to openly comment on government policies.
On the other hand we have Ms Pushparani Nadarajah criticizing the Government statement in a 200 crowd at the Asia Education Expo (21 November 2013). "How many of our leaders and top officers who say that every school is a good school put their children in ordinary schools near their home? (Only) until they actually do so are parents going to buy (it)."
I was hoping to see a response by the government. But, duh, it's only natural that they keep silent on this.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Our education in a nutshell
Source: http://www.quickmeme.com/p/3vpax2I know this is practically applicable to every other countries in the world.
This is flawed, but there is no better solution.
Baby steps are taken to change it - though drastic changes will not happen in near future.
Albert Einstein trivials
Did you know --- that Einstein... other than being best known for his E=mc2, he was a violin player too?
In one of my assignments, I had to write about the life story of a famous physicist. Initially I had picked Louis De Broglie, but after reading pages and pages, his life was too boring, or perhaps not very well-documented. Other than he had a brother who was working with X-rays helped him to think about the duality of particles and waves, there's nothing else much exciting enough to get me fill up 2 pages of words.
Why not pick someone who is more famously known? Perhaps Einstein?
And wow... I could not stop reading. There are so much about him that I am not sure if I am missing out any important stuff. I think his life... would make an interesting essay.
With some of my thoughts and interpretation, here it goes.
“Everybody
is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will
live its whole life believing that it is stupid1.” Famously quoted
by Einstein, this was known to suggest each unique individual excels
differently. True enough, the legendary physicist too had his fair share of struggles
– he was a late developer in speech deliveries; he failed his entrance
examinations at age of sixteen and his violin skills were debatably amateurish.2
Besides physics, his greatest
passions were music and violin. Einstein picked up the violin since young, much
to the influence by his pianist mother. But he did not relish it. His love for
music was only ignited by Mozart’s sonatas much later, and in his lifetime he often
socialised by performing chamber music to some private audience3. If
only he could bestow similar faithfulness to his wife as he did to his violin ‘Lina’
4 – his love life was however much promiscuous.
In one of my assignments, I had to write about the life story of a famous physicist. Initially I had picked Louis De Broglie, but after reading pages and pages, his life was too boring, or perhaps not very well-documented. Other than he had a brother who was working with X-rays helped him to think about the duality of particles and waves, there's nothing else much exciting enough to get me fill up 2 pages of words.
Why not pick someone who is more famously known? Perhaps Einstein?
And wow... I could not stop reading. There are so much about him that I am not sure if I am missing out any important stuff. I think his life... would make an interesting essay.
With some of my thoughts and interpretation, here it goes.
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From Jesse Schell’s The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses – p. 98
With his mediocre looks and his
dishevelled hairstyle, it was surprisingly incredible that he was well-embraced
by ladies. From having an illegitimate daughter, he married, re-married, cheated
on his second wife with his secretary, and had recorded 6 other women he loved5,6.
He was nonetheless blessed to be born a German. If he were born a Chinese, historically
he would have already been tied to a pig cage and thrown into the Yellow River for
adultery in that period of time.
Like the women in his love affairs, his
theory of relativity was likewise as alluring. In 1905, that was one of the
most significant years in the field of physics. He brought apparently unrelated
elements together and laid the foundations that energy (E) was directly
proportional to mass (m), with speed of light (c) as a constant7. He
became best known for his E=mc2, although he was not awarded the
Nobel Prize of this.
Fast
forward to World War II, he facilitated the development of the atomic bomb. He
endorsed a letter to the then President Franklin Roosevelt of United States,
urging the development of Uranium bombs. With Adolf Hitler’s territorial
ambitions a massive threat, they agreed that they could not let the Germans
lead the construction of the atomic bomb. However afterwards he was excluded
from bomb project as the research team could not trust him to keep the secret.
In
the makings of the atomic bomb, we could relate how E=mc2
was utilized in the Uranium chain reaction. The researchers knew the mass of
Uranium before fission, and the mass of the elements that will result after splitting
of the nucleus, with the latter being slightly less massive. The missing mass
would be converted to the total energy of the explosion:
(E) Energy of explosion = (m) Missing mass x (c 2) speed
of light 2
That
is a huge amount of energy for this little change in mass. The United States
finally bombed Japan, 3 months after the surrender of Germany in 1945, killing
80,000 casualties, injuring more people with burns, radiation sickness, and
other damages.
As
a lifelong pacifist, Einstein regretted his role in signing the letter that
recommended atomic bombs be made. Throughout his years, he published more than
300 papers, with over 150 political and humanitarian topics. He eventually died
of heart failure, alone on his deathbed.
References:
[1] Matthew Kelly. Living Every Day with Passion and Purpose
, The Rhythm of Life, 2004, p. 80.
, The Rhythm of Life, 2004, p. 80.
[2] Eric Koch. Einstein the Violinist — Did He Really Play
So Badly? Sketches. 2012, retrieved
from http://erickoch.ca/
[3] Arthur L. Miller. A Genius Finds Inspiration in the
Music of Another. The New York Times.
2006, retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com
[4] Josh Jones. The Musical Mind of Albert Einstein:
Great Physicist, Amateur Violinist and Devotee of Mozart. Open Culture. 2013, retrieved from http://www.openculture.com
[5] Deborah Arthurs. Was Einstein the world’s worst
husband? Wife ordered to keep room tidy, serve three meals a day – but expect
NO affection… and she must stop talking when he demands it. Dailymail. 2012, retrieved from
http://www.dailymail.co.uk
[6] NBC News. New letters shed light on Einstein’s love
life. NBC News. 2006, retrieved from http://www.nbcews.com
[7] Albert Einstein. Does the inertia of a body depend upon
its energy-content? Annals of Physics.
1905, 18:639
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