Latest update

Unfortunately, I have not been updating this place as much as possible, so I will simply post another update right now.

I have completed my science ACE activities (finally!), after much needed research and time put into doing it.
Over a period of one week, I was able to do the following for grades:

- Do TWO PowerPoint documents: one on asexual reproduction, and another on evolution.
-Visit the Singapore Botanic Gardens, AND get many photographs to use in a reflection.

It wasn't easy, as I had to research for hours on end. However, it was worth the effort. 

Also, for the third term this year, I got an A1 for science... again. I must admit, it wasn't easy either, considering biology involved a lot of remembering and mugging. Still, it was all worthwhile. 

So long, viewers!

Science ACE assignment - Primary colours

To supplement my ACE points, I also chose to do an assignment on different primary colours and how they are used in daily life. I researched on three models - the RGB, the RYB, and the CMYK models. An excerpt from my research is shown, on the CMYK model, used in printing.

·       The CYMK model is the last one of the commonly known models of primary colours.

·       This acronym stands for Cyan, Yellow, Magenta, and Key (which means black ink).

·        This format is usually utilised by printing and publishing businesses, and when printing out documents and images from a conventional printer. Though the print quality depends on the press house that purchases the ink, the printer being used to produce the text or image, and the type of ink used for printing, the ink is usually applied in the order the acronym follows: cyan, followed by yellow, then magenta, then black.

·       This format works by partially or entirely masking the above colours in the afore-mentioned order onto a lighter background, usually white. The coloured ink thus reduces the amount of light that gets reflected from the paper.

·       Hence, it is known as a subtractive model, as it “subtracts” the amount of light that gets reflected off the paper.

·       The difference between this format and the additive “RGB” format is that while white is the combination of all colours in the RGB format, and black is the absence of any colour, the “CYMK” format has white meaning that there is no colour at all, and that black is the compilation of all the colours. 

I This is gon' be my last update for now, so I'mma go offline. Dude007 is out, peace!

Science ACE report on the telescope

This is another assignment I did for the purpose of gaining ACE points - I did this report on the telescope. 

Enjoy!

The telescope is an instrument widely used by many people of different professions, from sailors to astronomers. Telescopes are crucial tools in the jobs of these people; their main purpose is to observe remote objects which are far away from the user or not even visible to the user at all.

The word telescope has its origins in Greek; it is a combination of the words tele,  (tele, meaning “far”) and skopein (skopein, meaning “to see”). In the Greek language, the word telescope literally translates as “far-seeing”. This word was coined by the Greek mathematician Giovanni Demisiani, as a name for one of Galileo Galilei’s magnifying instruments.

The invention of the telescope dates back to 1608, in the Netherlands, when Hans Lippershey and Zacharias Janssen, spectacle makers from Middelburg, created telescopes based on the theory of refraction. 

 Today, modern telescopes include radio telescopes, which make use of radio waves to create images; X-ray and Gamma ray telescopes, which utilise X-ray optics to perceive images of subjects; and the Hubble Space Telescope, which is a large Cassegrain reflector telescope that has been orbiting the Earth since 1990, and has secured its reputation as one of NASA’s most successful missions ever.

 Hubble is expected to last until 2014, and then it will crash back to Earth. In 2018, it will be succeeded by the James Webb Space Telescope, a powerful infrared telescope which has only one main purpose: to see far into the deep recesses of the universe and uncover more secrets in the dark void.

Thus concludes my report, which covers the origins of the telescope, to the great telescopes in space which we operate and utilise to their full potential today.

Of course, this is not the whole report; it is actually much longer, and has images, like the one above.

More to come soon!

Reflection on trip to science centre -Term 2

To all viewers, this post has to do with a visit I made to the Singapore Science Centre in May... enjoy.

I chose to visit the Science Centre on Labour Day as it was the only free day I had, and also; I could have more time to explore the interior.

When I got there, I decided to take my time with the exploration, as I realised there had been major renovating going on since by last trip, and the whole interior had been revamped. Also, there had been major changes to the layout of the exhibits, and though they still contained the same exhibits, they had been rearranged in such a way that the area now looked completely different from my previous visit.

I started with the ground floor, and visited the exhibit on bioethics. This exhibit is dedicated to environmental studies, such as pollution and destruction of habitats. Also, it displays information on weather conditions and natural disasters, and how they occur. Also, there was an area reserved for human anatomy, and another upstairs area for virology. The section on human anatomy was particularly interesting, as it talked about how people find each other physically attractive, and the psychological factors behind this. For example, I found out that when a person deemed physically attractive is shown alongside another, less attractive person, the former is also deemed to be physically unattractive.

The segment on virology was particularly disturbing, despite the weird and funny cartoon depictions of various viruses such as HIV, SARS, and Hepatitis B. This was most probably due to the fact that alongside the animated versions of the viruses, there were many samples of statistics displaying how the viruses are spread, and the symptoms. They were quite frightening, especially the physical symptoms of smallpox, which displayed many raised welts and pustules on an infant’s body and face.

Another sector of particular interest was the exhibit on sound. They had completely changed the various activities, and now the exhibit included a hollow tube that produced echoes when sound traveled through it (which I tried). I realised the echoes produced by the tube were exceedingly clear, and not like the echoes produced by sound bouncing off a natural wall.

Finally, the main atrium branching out to the other subsections of the Science Centre had one new exhibit, which was a tornado exhibit. Up until this time, I had only read about hurricanes and how they had a calm area in the centre, but I never expected to learn that the exact same occurrence was present in tornadoes – the centre of the storm is where the winds are calmest. I also tried a chamber they newly installed which was related to tornadoes – it simulated the wind conditions inside a hurricane. I almost died from the sound; it was exceedingly deafening.

Thus concluded my personal field trip to the Science Centre. It was short; albeit informative. I learned much from this visit, mainly because of the newly revamped exhibits, which made learning more comprehensive and enjoyable.

More stuff coming up soon... stay tuned.

Another update

Haven't been updating lately due to some issues regarding piling up of work and me not exactly taking initiative... will post some new stuff soon.

New science teacher has just started on the biology segment of our science curriculum, and I am currently having major problems memorising and putting into use whatever has been covered into assignments and projects; I am currently in the middle of a group assignment with several of the people I don't exactly like at all. Just got to put up with them for a few more days, and it will all be over.

Going to put up all the stuff done in Terms 1 and 2 when I'm not so busy, most probably next week. 

My latest update so far

Yo people, sorry I've been a little behind on updates... so I will try to squeeze all the stuff from the first semester in 2012 as soon as I can. Before I conclide this post, I will now broadcast my results for science for this semester.


I got A1 and A2 respectively for my science tests this semester. This came as quite a shock, as last year, my science results went crazy last year. They really dropped drastically. Hence, I was glad that all the extra mugging did not go to waste.


Will try to update more frequently, so stay tuned. Dude 007 is out, peace!

News article involving forensic science

Forensic science used in investigation of rape case

This article from the New York Times tells of the investigation of the murder of Ms. Meredith Kercher.

Four years ago, Ms. Amanda Knox, 24, and her Italian boyfriend, Mr. Raffaele Sollecito, were accused of murdering Ms. Kercher during a orgy. Both the accused were found guilty, and they got different jail terms: Ms. Knox got 26 years, Mr. Sollecito got 25. They were convicted two years ago, in December.

The two were convicted in accordance to a 427-page report made by the jury, which included telephone printouts, computer logs and flourescent bloodstain-revealing chemicals.

Forensic investigations also revealed that there was another man present during the orgy, a 24-year-old called Rudy Guede. He was pulled into the picture after a bloody handprint was found in Ms. Kercher's room and his DNA was found on her body and on objects belonging to her. He was originally sentenced to 30 years, but was reduced to 16 years on appeal.


My reflections and views

This article shows how forensic science can help the police in tracking perpetrators, by using such evidence like bloodstains, fingerprints, telephone logs, etc.

Fingerprints assignment

According to theory, the most common type of fingerprint is the loop, and the least common is the arch.

Below is a 3-D pie chart I created using the data from the science wiki. It showcases how many of each type of fingerprint there are in our class. Enjoy!

In conclusion, it is true that the most common type of fingerprint is the loop, and the least common is the arch.

The case of the middle aged woman

According to the case, the woman is middle-aged, and a driver's licence belonging to her has been discovered. It indicates that she was born in the year 1940.

Assuming the year of her death to be 2011,

2011 - 1940 = 71

She was 71 when she died.

71 - 30 = 41
41* 0.06 = 2. 46 cm

Original height using tibia:

(33.5 * 2. 352) + 74. 775
= 153. 567 cm

Present height:

153. 567 - 2. 46 = 151. 107 cm

PHI - the golden ratio

The golden ratio, or phi, is a number that can work magic in our daily lives.

When rounded off to three decimal places, 1. 618, it can dtermine whether you look attractive or like a hideous monster. This ratio is determined by measuring one's body height from the foot to the navel, and then from the navel to the head. If the ratio between these two is about 1. 618, one is considered to be rather attractive. Unfortunately, that is not the case for me, as mine is about 1. 309... FAIL. Haha!

Anyway, this number is considered to be one of the most beautiful and perfect numbers in existence. A perfect example of this number in action is demonstrated in Leonardo da Vinci's the Virtruvian Man, an anatomically accurate diagram of the human body.

Skeleton measurements

This is the third part of the graded assignments, measuring a skeleton and myself, and finding my theoretical hight as well as the skeleton's.

Below are some graphs indicating my measurements.

If there are any discrepancies, this may be due to the parallax error.

Our measurements may be accurate, but they are not that precise (all the measurements here are rounded off to one decimal place.)

Avatar making

Picture of myself:

Picture of avatar:

Description of myself: Moderate height (156 cm), round hairstyle, fairly plump, wears blue glasses, has small mole on right cheek






Picture of Sarah (my cousin)

Picture of her avatar:

Description of her: small (she's 7), quite thin, has braided hair, large dark eyes, thin eyebrows, small nose and mouth

Reflection on forensic science module

At first, I thought forensic science would be boring and dreary, but I was proven wrong by the fun activities we conducted during this module. Through this module, I find that my skills of observation and deduction have become stronger, and I can think more clearly when analysing situations.

Forensic science- Lefty Lewis

Evidence that may have been left at the scene of the crime:

-Tyre marks near front gate when attempting to reverse vehicle
-Might have left patch of oil as car was parked
-Left footprints on freshly dug flowerbed on his way to balcony
-Fingerprints left behind on anything he touched (he forgot to wear his gloves)
-Dropped his torch and left it on the flowerbed
-Blood from small wound on his left hand would have been left on anything he touched with his left hand
-Grazed the gate of the house with his car, leaving paint behind
-Left marks on balcony window indicating forced entry

Evidence that may have been taken away by Lefty:

-Soil may have stuck to his shoes from the flowerbed
-He may have jacaranda flowers or leaves or seeds stuck to his shoes, as he parked his car under a jacaranda tree
-His vehicle may have tell-tale marks of an accident - there might be scratches on his rear mudguard
-His car tires may have dirt from the muddy area in front of the mansion
-Small glass shards from the broken window and bits of fabric from the curtain may have gotten stuck in Lefty's wound


Suggestion for forensic scientist:

-Do blood test on any bloodstains made by Lefty's small wound - there should be a match in the police database
-Analayse footprints found in flowerbed to determine size of person's feet, and examine shoe prints to look for recognisable characteristics e.g. deep grooves. The suspect's shoes can then be compared with the footprints.
-Search for fingerprints and compare them with any in database - Lewis has struck before
-Check torch for fingerprints made by Lefty - more fingerprints ensure that the suspect is guilty
-Compare soil from Lefty's shoes with soil found in flowerbed
-Mud from car tires can be compared with soil found in front of the mansion
-Lefty's wound can be examined for glass pieces and fabric that match the window pane and the curtain
-Lefty's shoes can be examined for jacaranda seeds, leaves or flowers that he may have trampled on
-Paint from Lefty's car can be compared with the paint found on the gate

My work

Since before I'd forgotten to add in some of my PowerPoints for my Science ACE, I decided to add in links to my PowerPoints on Google docs. 

DULL distilled water

Reproductive System

THE MOST EXTREME (show on Animal Planet)

THE MOST EXTREME is a television show broadcast on Animal Planet. This show showcases certain characteristics of animals that are extremely superior to our human qualities of the same genre.

-title screen of THE MOST EXTREME

Certain characteristics are featured of the different animals shown in the episode. All of them have a common characteristic, such as speed, physical strength, stamina and endurance, etc. Humans will also be compared to these animals in terms of ability.

An animal that really impressed me that was featured on THE MOST EXTREME was the water bear. This is an extremely small, microscopic creature that has incredible resistance abilities. it can survive being in a total vacuum, can withstand huge amounts of poison and radiation, and is resistant to heat and cold. Plus, it is found worldwide, mostly in places where mossy plants grow, such as lichen. Water bears are herbivorous, and they eat the lichen for food.

In conclusion, humans may be able to duplicate these incredible and unique properties of these special animals, with the help of modern science and technology. Humans may one day sport these amazing abilities...

A few pics of newly re-discovered animals

A coelacanth. Originally thought to be extinct, a large, fine specimen was caught in African waters in the year 1938.

An adult La Palma Giant Lizard. Extremely rare, there are only about 50 mature adults in existence that are ready for breeding.

The Arakan Forest Turtle, Heosemys depressa(not mentioned in post). Believed to be extinct since 1908, several dead specimens turned up in a Chinese food market in 1994. They are sold in Asian markets for food and are used in traditional Chinese medical cures.

Some animals that were thought extinct, then re-discovered...

Some animals were once thought lost to history, like the dinosaurs, who were killed due to natural unknown causes, and other animals who were driven to extinction by humans, such as the dodo. However, the 20th and 21st centuries saw the re-discoveries of some of hese rare and elusive creatures, once thought to be lost to mankind...

The coelacanth is one good example of an animal that was thought to be extinct. There ae two subspecies, Latimeria chalumnae and Latimeria menadoensis. It was re-discovered in the year 1938 by the curator of a museum, off the coast of South Africa. Since then, sightings have been reported off the coast of the Comoros Islands, and even the waters around Sulawesi, Indonesia. It is a fairly large fish, averaging 2 metres in length, and was around during the Cretaceous period, about 65 million years ago.

Another creature once thought to be extinct is the Cuban Solenodon, Solenodon cubanus. It is found in the country Cuba, and it is threatened by habitat loss and the introduction of human pets, such as dogs and cats. it also suffers attacks from mongooses, which are predators introduced into the area. it was thought to be extinct until several indivuals were discovered alive in 1974, 1975 and as recently as the year 2003. It possesses toxic saliva for protection.

One more creature whos existence was unknown was the La Palma Giant Lizard, Galliota auaritae. There are fewer than 50 mature indivuals left in the wild, and it is only found in Northern La Palma, Spain. It was extinct for 2000 years until its recent rediscovery in 2007, when some indivuals were found on a steep rock face of the Canary islands. This protected the lizards from their natural enemy, cats.

Though these are just a few of the creatures that were rediscovered, I feel that there are many more out there, waiting to be found and studied...

Different Parts of a Cell

Parts shown in the Plant cell diagram

Below is a list of the main parts shown in the plant cell diagram and the roles that they play in the cell.

Nucleus - contains the genetic information of the cell
Nuclear envelope - double membrane surrounding the nucleus
Perinuclear space - space between the two membranes of the nuclear envelope
Nucleolus - site of ribosome synthesis - densely granular
Chromatin - DNA-Protein Complex
Ribosomes - site of protein synthesis
Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum - covered in ribisomes - lamellar
Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum - tubuler
Golgi Body - synthesis and secretion of polysaccharides
Chloroplast - Site of Photosynthesis
Granum (Grana) - stacked thyalkoid membranes
Stroma - fluid matrix surrounding the thylakoids
Thylakoid - Membrane found in the chloroplast
Intercellular air space - gap between cells
Cell Wall - Rigid structure surrounding plant cells, not present in animal cells
Middle lamella- protein rich cement between adjacent plant cell walls
Primary Cell Wall - earliest created cell walls - usually thin - found in young growing cells
Secondary Cell Wall - Formed in older cells as part of the differentiation process
Plasma Membrane - Outer boundary of the cell
Mitochrondrian - Energy producing organelle - respiration
Peroxisome- Removes hydrogens from substrates - present in photosynthetic cells - has a crystalline core
Oleosome - Oil lipid storage (seeds)
Vacuole - Water filled part of the cell that may represent up to 90% of the total plant cell - also contains ions, sugars, secondary metabolites and enzymes
Tonoplast - Membrane surrounding the Vacuole
An Explanation of the Key Cell Differences Between Plants and Animals

As plants are eukaryotic organisms, their cells have many similarities with other eukaryotic cells such as those found in animals. In spite of these similarities there are lots of ways in which animal and plant cells differ. Amongst the ways in which plant cells ablude from animal cells is the fact that they contain a fluid filled vacuole and have a hard outer wall; this is made of cellulose.

In addition to the cell walls and vacuoles another key difference between plant and animal cells is that they contain the chloroplast organelle; see plant cell diagram above. The chloroplast is the area of the plant that is involved in the conversion of light energy into starch through a process that is known as photosynthesis. Another plastid that is only found in plants is the amyloplast, this acts as a starch storage vessel.

The major differences between plant and animal cells are the presence of the cell wall, vacoules and chloroplast. As both animals and plants are eukaryotic organisms they also share many features within their cells, some of the organelles that they share include the nucleus, which contains the chromosomes and DNA; the ATP producing mitochondria; the protein processing golgi bodies and endoplasmic reticulum, and the 'liquid soup' cytoplasm.

It is these differences in plant cell make up that allows the plant to be such a successful sessile organism, for example it is the rigidity provided by the cellulose containing cell walls that give many plants the strength and support to grow to vast heights. The turgidity of a plants cell is provided by the liquid filled vessels that are the vacuoles. The chloroplast contains pigments known as chlorophyll, these appear to be green in colour; this is because they do not absorb green light, but that of red, far-red (Phytochromes) and blue. The eye than sees the reflected green light, it is this phenomenon that is responsible for the green colour of plant leaves. The process of photosynthesis takes place in the chloroplasts and allows the conversion of energy gathered from sunlight into starch through the use of carbon dioxide.

A plant contains specialised phloem cells, these enable the transport of signalling plant hormones and essential nutrients throughout the plant. In addition to the phloem, a plant has a transportation system known as the xylem; this system is formed from the lignification of cells to create xylem tissue, and is largely responsible for the transportation of water throughout a plant.

My learning from the above passage..

1. I learned about how a plant cell conducts photosynthesis through the use of chloroplasts.
2. I also learned how diverse the parts of a cell are. 
3. Finally, I also learned how plant cells aid in the plant's transport system.

Solar Powered Buggy

I have read an interesting article about how solar energy can powered up a Buggy from this source....


http://www.solarfeeds.com/ecofriend/14652-sanyo-panels-on-buggy-on-singapore-golf-course

Singapore golfers will soon be seen enjoying a green ride on solar Buggies. The owner of Marina Bay Golf Course is presently performing a feasibility trial in collaboration with Sanyo and Singapore Polytechnic by retrofitting a buggy with two solar panels to help charge the lead-acid battery required to power the vehicle. It is claimed that each solar buggy holds the potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 280kg per year, while extending the battery life from 2.5 years to five years..