Technology during the Christmas Season

Maxine Camela Sy Sta. Maria
4th year, BS Family Life and Child Development


Smart phones are becoming a really big part of our lives. It's really difficult to leave the house without it, probably because it's used for just about anything: communicating, taking snapshots of memories, checking the time, playing games when bored, going online to check our various social networks, and so much more. There is just so much you can do with a single device. But with the many convenient advantages that come with smart phones are disadvantages that may possibly overweigh the former.

Just recently, a relative approached us 'kids' huddled in the living room. She saw us all looking down at our smart phones busy doing something separately, whether texting, checking out social networks, or playing games. She commented (in Filipino) "grabe talaga kayo, kaya hindi na kayo marunong makipag conversations..tignan mo kaming matatanda kahit paulit-ulit pinapag-usapan namin, marunong kami makipagsocialize ng totoo." She said it in a manner that was suppose to make us laugh. However, instead of laughing, I was bothered, mainly because I knew that what she said was true.

Years from now, when I look back at our many Christmas memories, I do not want to remember us all bent down looking at smart phones or different kinds of gadgets. I want to remember laughter, stories, and huddling over Christmas games. I want to remember gift giving, singing along to carols, and simple conversation-making. Technology has definitely made daily living easier, as it pointed us to the right direction whenever we got lost and chose to consult google maps or as it gave us the correct recipe for a lasagna to serve for the Christmas Noche Buena. It has made life convenient. But it has also made seclusion to the 'real world' convenient as well.

During the Christmas celebrations, I challenge you to leave your gadgets somewhere you will not have access to it. Enjoy your time with family and friends. Make simple conversations. Go back to basics. You will be surprised by how much more fun you will actually have.


Merry christmas! Have a blessed season with your family and friends!

"It's the most wonderful time of the year..."

SINK TOGETHER OR SAIL TOGETHER?

Dianne Katherine E. San Pedro

4th year BA Speech Communication

University of the Philippines Diliman 

           The year 2013 has been a rough year for us Filipinos. Just recently, Typhoon Yolanda struck the Philippines, and literally destroyed Tacloban. A month before that, Bohol experienced a magnitude 7.2 earthquake which left hundreds of people dead and thousands of structures destroyed. With all these current natural calamities that had happened, it seemed that people have forgotten about what happened in September, the Zamboanga seige which also left hundreds of people dead and thousands, homeless.

            Last December 11, 2013, A symposium on the Zamboanga City Crisis was organized by the Graduate Studies Department of the College of Mass Communication. It was entitled the Zamboanga City Crisis: Reconciling A Divided Community. The president of the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy, Ms. Armina T. Rasul-Bernado was the guest speaker of the event.  The lecture started with a bacground on the History of Islam in the Philippines, how the conflict in Zamboanga came to be and what the solution to this problem could be. A lot can be learned from the symposium - not only about the Zamboanga crisis, but also about Islam as a religion and culture.  I believe its a better way to explain the on-going crisis. The audience get to have a background and understand the problem better. Personally, as a person with not much knowledge on Islam, I’ve learned about the originating struggle of the Bangsamoro – consisting of the Sulltanate of Sulu, Lanao and Maguindanao – on their loss of land and sovereignty. The downfall of the Bangsamoro people, actually the whole of their population, started during the Marcos’ regime. From then on, not only was sovereignty taken from them but also the convinient way of living they once had. They were slowly taken away of access to piped water and electricity. Thus, making a downfall to the bottom ten (poorest) provinces in the country. With all these struggle, hopelessness, poor infrastructures and government was the rise of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) - driven to have a better life. From the surface, people may see them as some war-freak men just wanting to gain control and power. What most people do not see is that they have this long running struggle.

ACCEPTANCE and UNITY – Ms. Rasul – Bernardo higlighted that this is the best way to rebuild the conflict affected area like Zamboanga. Beyond the rehabilitation, there must be efforts in unifying the community – reducing discrimination and diffusing tensions. There maybe a lot of challenges like the Muslims’ weak voice in the community, poverty, unfamiliar history, and even the refugees’ reintegration to a traumatized area. But surely, this is better than any paper of peace agreement. And as a part of the youth, we can help out in rebuilding the community. In this Age of New Media, we can make use of the social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. to educate people, connect with them and exposed them to the on-going dilemma. This being our common ground, we can make a difference. It all starts with acceptance.

Even though we have our divisions and unsettled differences, we cannot escape the fact that we are still one nation – we are still on the same boat. So it’s up to you to make a choice, do you want to sink together or sail together?

It All Starts with an Idea

Ideas Worth Sharing

Alexander John Cruz
5th year BS Chemical Engineering
University of the Philippines Diliman


We have been working really hard the past semester for us to finish our thesis early. The project was already cited by many award-giving bodies inside UP and even in the nationwide level. So we've decided to go global. We've joined the Shell Ideas360.

The competition
Shell Ideas 360 is a global competition organised by Shell International Limited for students to develop game-changing ideas for tackling Energy, Water and Food issues. The competition starts when you have already formulated your own idea, develop it and submit it for final evaluation. A preliminary screening will be done to determine the Top 100 teams which be given support from a Shell Mentor and Subject Matter Experts. Here, the proponents will be able to demonstrate in detail why Shell should invest in the research proposal. For the final selection stage, five (5) teams will be invited to present their idea at the Final Event in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The winner will be selected and announced at the end of this event. The champion will experience a National Geographic Expedition of choice and the chance to implement the project via Shell GameChanger. This is a very good opportunity for our research project since we're focused into developing renewable energy systems specific for the Philippines.

The project
The research project, co-authored by R. Marquez and F. Zurbano (both 5th year BS Chemical Engineering students from UP Diliman) is focused on developing renewable energy systems for the Philippines. The project presents an innovative, promising and sustainable pathway for a renewable source of clean, efficient energy. A bench scale photocatalytic reactor will be designed, operated, optimized and field tested using the novel technology of plasma-enhanced visible light-driven water splitting. The results of which can be a basis for an upscale production of hydrogen gas.

Show support
You can support the entry by hitting the like button and giving the project a 5-star rating. You can also comment if you have some insights, inputs, comments and suggestions! :)

Project link: https://www.shellideas360.com/ideas/22
Project proponents: https://www.shellideas360.com/ideas/teams/22

This maybe an ambitious project, but hey, everything starts with an idea, right? =)


References:
Shell Ideas 360 Official Website: https://www.shellideas360.com/about/

The Hardwired Differences

Hanako-Amihan N. Yabut

4th year BFA Visual Communication

University of the Philippines Diliman

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Citations:

Conner, Steve. “The Hardwired Difference Between Male and Female Brains Could Explain Why Men Are ‘Better at Map Reading.’” The Independent, 3 December 2013. Web. 13 December 2013. <http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/the-hardwired-difference-between-male-and-female-brains-could-explain-why-men-are-better-at-map-reading-8978248.html>

Hotz, Robert Lee. “Differences in How Men and Women Think Are Hard-Wired.” The Wall Street Journal, 9 December 2013. Web. 13 December 2013. <http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304744304579248151866594232>

Philippine Mangroves Saves the Day

Philippine Mangroves Saves the Day

Cruz, Alexander John

5th Year BS Chemical Engineering

11 December 2013

Yes, basically I know that mangroves are the different species of trees and shrubs that grow in coastal sediments in tropical countries like the Philippines. I have very little knowledge on what mangroves are and this reason urged me to join a public forum last December 9, 2013, entitled "Forum on Mangroves and Beach Forest Greenbelts: Towards a Culture of Safety for Philippine Coastal Communities." The event was held at the UP Diliman College of Science Auditorium. It was organized by the Philippine Native Plants Conservation Society, Incorporated in cooperation with our very own UP Diliman-College of Science, Science and Society Program (SSP) and the Office of the Student and Public Affairs of the College of Science. The forum lasted for 2 hours (3:00 pm-5:00 pm) and was attended by students, professors, government officials and other professionals in the field of geology, civil and coasting engineering, marine science and other disciplines as well.

    The forum started around past three in the afternoon. The introduction was first done by Dr. Rollon. The speakers for the event are Dr. Jurgenne Primavera who focused on mangroves and beach forests. After Dr. Primavera, Dr. Leoncio Amadore of the IESM highlighted his talk by discussing climate change and how it affects our country—the economy and the lifestyle of the Filipino people and how they deal with climate change. The last two speakers were Dr. Fernando Siringan and Dr. Cesar Villanoy of the Marine Science Institute who talked about marine geology.

I have learned so much and I have had many realizations and new learnings after attending the public forum. Mangrove forest or the “rainforest of the sea” as they call it plays an integral role not just in the coastal and marine ecosystem but also for the benefit of the people in communities near the coastal line. Some of the economic and ecological advantages that can be derived from these mangroves are: natural products, medicinal products and the like. These rainforests of the sea also serves as a support of aquaculture and fisheries industry. And recently, one of the highlights of the importance of mangroves is what happened in the recent disaster, Super Typhoon Yolanda. According to an article from the PRI Science, Tech & Environment, entitled Saved by the Mangroves? A Philippine town dodges Haiyan's storm surge[1], the richness of the mangrove forests in McArthur, a small town in Eastern Samar, saved them from having much casualties than it would have been if these trees were not there. The mangroves served as a protection of the coastal communities from the storm surge, wave, tides and currents. Also, experts say that the mangroves also stabilizes the coastline by reducing erosion. Other functions includes: pollution reduction, stabilization of contaminants by phytoremediation and of course, for recreational purposes.

According to the speakers and the participants of the forum, these mangroves are threatened by man-made and natural dangers like typhoons and conversion of mangrove forests to fishponds and reclamation for pier, airports, subdivision and developments. Overcutting of trees and human domestic waste production also claims a large chunk in the destruction of these mangrove forests.

With this, different government and non-government agencies must agree, draft and implement a mandate/move to protect and preserve these forests of the coast. As far as I know, the DENR and many other agencies are doing the best they can in implementing the regulations they have set in the conservation of the mangroves.

As for the assessment of the event management and the event in general, the forum started a bit late. Nevertheless, the organizers really did a great job as they were prepared with the attendance sheets, certificates of appreciation, other materials needed such as laptop, projector, microphones and sound system among many others. I firmly commend the organizers for a job well done and I expect more activities which can be participated in by more students. As a future chemical engineer, I am aware that we must push for technological advancement but we must also be wary of our environment. As for the mangroves, the rainforest of the sea, we must protect them like the way they were, are and will be protecting us in times we need them. Indeed, Philippine mangroves have and will always save the day.

---

[1] Reporter Michael Holtz, November 29, 2013 · 2:45 PM EST

URL: http://www.pri.org/stories/2013-11-29/saved-mangroves-philippine-town-dodges-haiyans-storm-surge

Forum: Mangroves and Beach Forest Greenbelts

Mangroves and Beach Forest Greenbelts

Alexander John Cruz
5th Year, BS Chemical Engineering

Last December 9, 2013, I attended a forum entitled "Forum on Mangroves and Beach Forest Greenbelts: Towards a Culture of Safety for Philippine Coastal Communities." The event was held at the UP Diliman College of Science Auditorium. It was organized by the Philippine Native Plants Conservation Society, Incorporated in cooperation of our very own UPD CS Science and Society Program (SSP) and the office of the Student and Public Affairs of the College of Science. The forum lasted for 2 hours (3:00-5:00 pm) and was attended by students, professors, government officials  and other professionals in the field of geology, civil and coasting engineering, marine science and other disciplines.

The event was also sponsored by the Center for Environmental Concerns - Philippines, Advocates of Science and Technology for the People (AGHAM) and People's Network for the Integrity of Coastal Habitats and Ecosystems.

Carbon Nanotubes

CARBON NANOTOBES, THE FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY?

By Zachary Toda

So 2 weeks ago, I was looking through my subscriptions on Youtube, when I saw a video on "Cedric", a computer that runs on Carbon Nanotube transistors.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9j36d25VMo)

This isn't the first time I've heard of Carbon Nanotubes (CNFs), but what exactly are they? And why is it so significant?

CNF is basically a group of carbon atoms that are arranged into a hollow cylindrical structure. They aregenerally categorized into 2 groups, the Single-Walled Nanotubes(SWNTs), and the Multi-Walled Nanotubes(MWNTs), their differing characteristics should be obvious. What interests various scientists and researchers about CNFs are its properties.

Various fibers have been tested to have a tensile strength between 11 - 63 gigapascals (GPa). Assuming 63 GPa, that means a sq. meter of CNF's can carry roughly over 100, 000 whales.

Another significant property of CNFs is its ability to be either conductive, or semiconductive, depending on how the carbon atoms are arranged in the tube. Theoretically, it states that its conductive property can be up to 1000x more than that of copper.

So, what are the other uses for CNFs?

There are various sites where scientists conduct research and experiments using CNFs to increase battery life, to make better solar cells, to create artificial muscles, and to clean up oil spills, to name a few.

Quite a lot of applications for a tiny tube of carbon atoms right? It's a lot more interesting than diamond right?

References:
https://www.youtube.com/user/truthloader
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_nanotube#Strength
http://www.understandingnano.com/nanotubes-carbon.html

HIV-AIDS: Misinformation is the Real Killer

HIV-AIDS: Misinformation is the Real Killer

Cruz, Alexander John

6 December 2013

I have always thought that human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are the same, and that they are terms that can be interchangeably used. But when I attended the HIV-AIDS public forum last December 3, 2013, organized by the University Student Council of UP Diliman with its partner organizations and college based student councils at the CMC Auditorium, all the foggy concepts and blurry things about HIV-AIDS, somehow, became more clear in my head.

The forum started at around 6:30 PM already and students from different STS sections, partner organizations, members of the USC and other attendees then came. The first speaker was Mr. Ryan Pinili, president of Take the Test, Incorporated, which is a volunteer group that offers guidance, counselling and other services with regard to HIV and AIDS testing. Mr. Pinili highlighted some facts and figures with regard to the status of our country with HIV and AIDS. Mr. Pinili highlighted that the Philippines is one of the nine countries with a 25% increase in new HIV infections and in 2013, an average of 13 cases of HIV were recorded daily. Also, July 2013 data showed that 26% of the infected ones came from the 15-24 age group. After Mr. Pinili’s lecture, Dr. Eric Tayag, the Assistant Secretary of the Department of Health, delivered his lecture on the misconceptions of the people about HIV-AIDS. One that struck me the most is that, men having sex with men (MSM) is the becoming the norm in the Philippines today, particularly in rural areas like Metro Manila; and that, it is not about homosexuals and bisexuals anymore, but even for heterosexuals who are married or in a committed relationship. He even mentioned that he has this study where he found out that in a small community in Mindanao, MSM is a rite of passage. He explained the difference between HIV and AIDS in his lecture—that HIV is a virus developed and the severe version of the infection is AIDS. Being not that familiar with the infection, I have always thought that the main reason why people are catching HIV or AIDS is that because they engage in sexual activities with infected people, but then, Dr. Tayag highlighted that there are only 1-3% the chances that the infection can be transferred sexually. He also highlighted that blood transfusion is the main reason having a 90% chances of transferring HIV from one person to another. With that, he warned us to be wary in taking in medications and tests that involves the use of a needle or having blood transferred from people who are not screened thoroughly and rigorously. After his lecture, fear crept through the place as silence commenced as he mentioned his last words before he finally ended his talk. Freddy Acaba of Action for Health Initiatives Incorporated (ACHIEVE) concluded the session by introducing ACHIEVE as a non-government institution, its functions and how can it help people living with AIDS especially the youth.

Continuing on the seminar, an open forum commenced which is participated in by the students present in the event. There were a lot of questions and clarifications that were entertained by the distinguished guests. As for the assessment of the event management and the event in general, the forum started a bit late. Nevertheless, the pilot organizer, UP Diliman USC and partner organizations and institutions really did a great job as they were prepared with the attendance sheets, certificates of appreciation, other materials needed such as laptop, projector, microphones and sound system among many others. The host made it sure that the program will run in a smooth flow—from the introduction of the speaker up to the awarding of the certificates.

I firmly commend the organizers for a job well done and I expect more activities which can be participated in by more students not just those advocates for HIV-AIDS but for all people, for them to be aware of the virus, the infection and all the repercussions and consequences of the decisions people living with HIV (or even those without). We need to be aware of the different causes and effects of these infectious diseases as well as the means of transfer and also to know what services provided by the government and different institutions can offer for the public especially those people living with HIV-AIDS; because like any other thing in the world, as for HIV-AIDS and other diseases and infections, misinformation and the lack of information is the real killer.

Mantis Shrimp

Mantis Shrimp

Biological Hammer Fists of death

Miguel Enrico S. Acuin

4th year BS Biology

You're diving out for the first time into the deep ocean blue. After just receiving your license for scuba diving, you decided it is high time to apply the skills that you have learned. You take your gear and settle on a subtropical location near Hawaii to view the marine biomes, hidden from the eyes of those stuck on land. With only the slightest hint of hesitation, you descend from the boat and marvel at the sights of the ocean deep. As you descend lower, low enough to touch the corals you notice a brightly colored crustacean sink its head into back into a hole. Curiosity takes the better of you and you approach the hole, peering into it you see nothing. Forgetting a crucial rule when exploring the ocean, you try to stick your finger into the hole to entice the creature. You suddenly let out a small yelp of pain as something cracks hard against your finger, something small and fast. Congratulations! You just learned first hand why mantis shrimp are “handled with care”

Figure 1. Mantis shrimp ^[1]

Mantis shrimp or stomatopods are colorful crustaceans belonging to the tropical-subtropical seas in the Indian and Pacific ocean as well as the temperate waters of the Atlantic ocean. They are colorful creatures with specialized raptorial appendages with the capability of generating 500 newtons of force in less than 1.5 milliseconds^[2]. To compare a blink is somewhere between 100-400 milliseconds and 500 newtons is around 60 kilograms worth of force. The physical energy that is released by these 38 cm creatures can be compared to that of a bullet leaving a gun. But you have to remember, this creature does this amazing feat of strength underwater, where you have to struggle to take a single step. Mantis shrimps hit their appendages so fast that they vapourize the water around the limb creating a bubble of super heated gas that collapses near their prey, instantaneously killing them ^[3]. This is a phenomenon called cavitation. You know what else causes cavitation?

Figure 2. Boat Propeller showing cavitation ^[4]

Thats right, boat propellers, things that make these huge hunks of steel move on the surface of the water. In fact, cavitation is so strong that it greatly damages the metal of the boat propeller over time. Fortunately, mantis shrimps are capable of shedding of their exoskeleton and regenerating the damaged limbs.

However, shotguns for limbs aren't the only thing fascinating about the mantis shrimp. Mantis shrimp have 11 classes of photoreceptors, pigments of a specific class of wavelength absorption specialized in the reception of light and its conversion into signals for the generation of sight ^[5]. Humans have two types, rods and cones and with just these two we have a photoreception system capable of making the colorful images we see around us. We can only begin to imagine what these 9 other classes are for.

Figure 3. What the coral reef might look like to a mantis shrimp ^[6]

Four photoreceptors however, have been shown to be capable of absorbing the wavelength of ultraviolet (315-380 nm). Not only are mantis shrimp capable of releasing an energy ball from its fists, but they are also equipped with what can only be described as super vision.

Mantis shrimp is considered a delicacy in numerous places. In the Philippines, it is cooked and eaten just like a normal shrimp while in Japan, its boiled as a topping for sushi or eaten raw as sashimi. In China its served with the name “pissing shrimp” with a tendency to shoot water when picked up and in the Mediterranean, it is a common sea food item. Mantis shrimp have been gaining a lot of popularity as seen in the comic strip from theoatmeal.com titled “Why the Mantis shrimp is my new favorite animal”^[7]. To end this post I would like to quote from the comic.

“The mantis shrimp is the harbringer of blood-soaked rainbows

It is bright

It is dark

It is beautiful”-The Oatmeal

References:

[1] life-sea.blogspot.com

[2] Patek, S. N., & Caldwell, R. L. (2005). Extreme impact and cavitation forces of a biological hammer: strike forces of the peacock mantis shrimp Odontodactylus scyllarus. Journal of Experimental Biology, 208(19), 3655-3664.

[3] Patek, S. N., Korff, W. L., & Caldwell, R. L. (2004). Biomechanics: deadly strike mechanism of a mantis shrimp.Nature, 428(6985), 819-820.

[4] www.thehulltruth.com

[5] Cronin, T. W., & Marshall, N. J. (1989). A retina with at least ten spectral types of photoreceptors in a mantis shrimp. Nature, 339(6220), 137-140.

[6] www.meipokwan.org

[7] theoatmeal.com/comics/mantis_shrimp

Philippine Science and Technology for the Filipinos

Alexander John Cruz

5^th year BS Chemical Engineering

University of the Philippines – Diliman nominee for the

2014 BPI DOST Science Awards – Best Project of the Year

Technology has been a significant and fundamental factor of a progressive society. It has always been inclined with the fast approaching era of the space age and is considered to be a commodity of every country. Today, people develop and improvise materials that make life easier from time to time: automated controlled devices, microchips, integrated operating systems, industrial machineries and even robotics—all for the benefit of human existence. Consequently, these advantages brought about by the scientific applications would not be possible without continuous improvement, development and prioritization.

Philippine’s energy is mainly attached on imported petroleum products, in which, nowadays, has been exponentially increasing its price in the world market. The phenomena is exhibited by which the primary sources are being depleted beyond the sustainable yield. Emissions from fossil fuel derived products do not only entail harm to the environment but also in terms of inducing additional costs for the facilities compliance with regulatory standards.

It was already an established problem, that the oil and petroleum products that we import have a reverberating effect to energy sustainability and poses threat to the energy supply and the environment. Consequently, different regions in the world resort in utilizing and developing renewable energy technologies to cope with the problems of fossil fuels. The ultimate goal of every development step is to discover a clean, renewable and viable form of energy. When I was in the penultimate year in my course, I have realized my purpose in life as a future Filipino chemical engineer—it is to be one of the frontrunners of young scientists who will establish a novel, Filipino-made system for a renewable energy source for the Philippines. As a young member of the scientific community in the country, what I can do for now is to always rekindle my goals and dreams, continue to envision myself as one of the leaders of these young technologists, developing mechanisms for renewable energy systems; and the same time, strive harder in my studies in the hope that one day, in the near future, I will be pursuing a career in energy engineering and the academe. Academe, because I want to share what I have learned in the beginning of my knowledge acquisition years and industry because I will use and apply the knowledge and experience that I will acquire in pursuing research on renewable and sustainable energy source for the Philippines. I have always been a teacher at heart and sharing these knowledge in instruction and academic research will definitely have a great impact not only in science education but also in terms of academe-industry linkage here in the Philippines and even in the global arena. As of the moment, available research, development and resources in the field of renewable energy systems are limited and have a long way to go through for large scale, practical applications, but I still believe that is not that impossible. In this fight, a challenging task remains in discovering and developing reactor systems that can handle and produce sufficient energy to cater the needs of humankind and my battle starts with this humble piece of work that I enter in the BPI DOST Science Awards. With the support of different agencies particularly the DOST and its arm in the academe, the SEI, encouragement and financial support will not be a problem. The project that we are conducting maybe on its bench scale but who knows, ten years from now, the technology that we are working on will be the basis of the novel mechanism in producing a reliable form of energy in our country. I hope that this renewable hydrogen generator systems will indeed be the fuel of the future.