rants-

Saturday, December 29, 2007

science vs religion due to the popularity of this issue in a particular Singapore forum, here are my 2cents.

Facts first. I am an atheist. To be more precise, an explicitly weak atheist.

nevermind about that if you don't understand.

Let me ask a fundamental question: would you believe in something that is partly correct, or something that is not proven?

I do not dare say science has all the answers within. But that's more than what any other religion could claim, isn't it. By throwing everything that we are unaware of to the gods, isn't that just "a simple way out"?

Religion requires faith, science requires belief. We humans have two facades: the physical being, and the spiritual being. There is no doubt about the former: we exist in space-time. Spiritual wise...

Must you explain it?

Science is never compatible with religion in the first place. I've never seen a case for which science makes way for religious dogma. The earth revolves around the Sun. *(one example I can think of, offhand, would be the moral implications of cloning. scientists have respected that decision)

But without religion, would mankind fall apart? There's no god or devil to reward or punish you. There's no "Big Brother watching". Would humanity prevail? We do have a set of moral values that is completely unlinked to religion. Isn't that good enough?

Why must people dig out the uncertainties of science and point it right smack in our face? We are rational thinkers. We do not condemn any religion. In fact we try to live with them. We know, in our hearts, gods are a difficult thing to justify. We leave it as that.

There is nothing wrong with being an atheist. Just as we cannot prove everything, you can't prove a single thing. Just leave us alone.

We don't really care what sins we have, and who is the enlightened soul. Those things are just in the past. Look, if they could actually believe that the earth "is" flat, can we actually trust what they say at that moment in time?

Science is making progress. We embrace new ideas. If you don't, i also never ask you to speak up. gee.


mengshuen;




life is just like... a printer.

sometimes it jams.

sometimes it says no ink.

sometimes it just doesn't work.

sometimes it works, when you don't want it to.

there are just some things that go wrong. for everything else, there's mastercard.

mengshuen;


Wednesday, December 26, 2007

my dear camera Yay just expanded my camera kit with the "cheapest" 50mm F1.8! :D

My first prime leh. Aiya who ask me to be so noob to get the 50mm now? Should have gotten it since ages ago!

Let's do a review of my purchasing order:

300D
18-55 (sold)
75-300 (pending)
BG-E1 (grip for 300D)
Sandisk extreme 1GB
550EX
17-40L
CP-E3 (battery pack for 550EX, 580EX)
70-200L 2.8 IS (front focusing, pending)
40D
BG-E2N (grip for 40D)
Sandisk extreme III 2GB
580EX II
17-85
50 1.8

to be purchased:

2900mah batteries
BP511A (battery, that would be my 4th 511)
Lowepro Reporter 400AW (to replace my nova 4)

5D
24-105
351.4

would be heaven :D

mengshuen;


Saturday, December 15, 2007

what's education Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam is going away to be the Finance Minister. So who is the new MOE head?

The economy is undergoing massive changes. Knowledge-based economy is a thing of the past. We are moving on the the Creative Economy, the most obvious distinction being innovation and cutting-edge technologies. As such, MOE would have a new task to accomplish. No longer is simple, direct teacher-student diffusion of ideas and knowledge sufficient. But what is?

MOE had been focusing on a broad-based foundation for students before grade 9 (sec3). I do not doubt the effectiveness of it. A broad-based foundation is crucial for inter-disciplinary studies later in the student's academic life. However, a broad-based education at a young age tends to cause students to lack focus.

I'm confident (after all, this is a blog, I don't have to quote research) that more than 50% of students from 16-18 do not know what they are going to be after their NS/ uni courses. Worse, there are even people who doesn't know what course to take after post-secondary. The main attribute to this would be an excessively broad-based education. We are exposed to all sorts of fields, and our personal interests do not lie in any subject (OK. Hands up, who does research as a hobby?).

I propose an earlier specialization. We can be quite sure now we are either Arts/Science students, in a sense like the previous A-level system. H2 is a gimmick. Sometimes, I think that we should offer 2H2s and 2H1s. I don't care much about hydrogen bonding, you see. It's too much.

Before you ask why am I still taking 4H2s, I'm going to clarify this: I'm still harbouring hope for my chemistry you see. (and econs. shhh) But still, in our hearts, we must know what we want. Enrichment programmes are good.

What's after earlier specialization? Application and innovation of concepts learnt. I see little point in testing us on default questions. (looks back to SPhO 2007 questions). All application based. But still, that's not enough in bringing out the innovation factor in us. It should be solve new problems. Case to note: not all the unsolved problems are difficult. Like how to get people to wash hands before eating food that is "disgustingly finger-licking good". Umm.

----

NUS' ranking just dropped again, citing the lack of a global student pool. yeah right. Look at all the Chinese! No wonder NUS is nicknamed National University of China (Singapore). It's too much of one specific nation! To move back to the 19th, I hope they know what they should do, (and not at the expense of Singaporeans!)

mengshuen;


Monday, November 26, 2007

remember the good old times Do you remember...

...A&W?
...n'sync?
...PETS coursebook?
...typewriter?
...pager?
...ti-ti-too-toot-ti-tit-too? (the modem sound)
...baby-G?
...power rangers?
...ultraman?
...teletubbies?
...erasers with nations' flag?
...lego?
...$5 bubble tea?
...plain porridge in canteen?
...iceman? (the game)
...getting full marks?
...sarsi?
...the perfect eyesight?
...cartoon lanterns?
...drawing models?
...that your answers are too vague?
..."i don't friend you"?
...cutting birthday cake in school?
...hugging your bolster? (nothing to do with my xBB)
...trip to kampong glam, little india?
...the anticipation of film development?
...hot wheels leading the way?
...barbie in the kitchen?
...happy meal?
...tamagotchi?
..."gold" friends?
...roses are red, violets are blue, once i know you, i'd never forget?
...dictation?
..."i want to pass motion"
...your first day at school?
...the nerdy perfects?
...your first scolding?
...your first CD?

that's a long list. anymore?

mengshuen;


Wednesday, November 21, 2007

new math

mengshuen;


Monday, November 19, 2007

Day off I took a day off. Meeting my SRP mentor tml, with council stuffs to complete. Went around Singapore!


nice PSA building


I drank this,


ate this,


while my mum had this,


and my dad this.


laborador nature reserve!


tree canopy


bio students?


leaf


breaking waves


clear seaside


long path


radar and trees and a pavilion

:D

mengshuen;




Nanyang Research Programme Symposium Ahha. Months of absence. umm. I'm back! (cues evil laughter). NRP has ended! yay!

Some photos:


NRP 2007!


3D photography> my project


my group's booth


Mr Tan's tag. He forgot to take -_-


me trying to create a 3D photograph


the food we ate


nice executive center!

back for more!

mengshuen;


Saturday, August 18, 2007

education It was on the bus back to DHS hostel then I realised something.

Something important. Why do we remember useless things such as song lyrics and not others? We can't seem to remember equations and such. It was then I realised that if we enjoy a particular activity, we would remember it. You will also remember the songs that you like, and you hate. Lessons can be made extremely interesting, or sucks totally. The latter would make the commoner a school dropout. If we do take the first option, does schools in Singapore really make the effort to make lessons and topics interesting and simulating for us?

I would very muck like to lie to you, but the fact is so obvious that the answer is no. Does anyone find ALL subjects interesting? Highly doubtful.

A failure, MOE, and lots need to be done. The Government shouldn't complaint that there are not enough PhDs. What 80 singaporean doctorates working for us. Make subjects interesting, follow up this education, and increase Uni slots.

I have this vision that students should specialise before the age of 16. There is simply no point in getting 4H2s. We should allow an H4 for a subject, and a H3 for one relevant subject, and H1 for everything else. Nice and wonderful. For those who decide to change half way, go ahead. If you want the best of both worlds, the MOE should actually allow students to make this an option. Those who are not decided about their future should offer 4H2, and those who have decided, 1H4, 1H3 and all H1. Sounds exciting, doesn't it, future poets taking H2 mathematics?

mengshuen;