31 March 2010
11 March 2010
01 March 2010
Utilitarian vs Virtue Theory?
Virtue Theory does not judge right or wrong using any particular principle as a single standard but Utilitarianism does. Utilitarianism judges right and wrong based on the consequences of an action while Virtue Theory stress the need to weigh all the relevant factors and judge from the individual’s position.
reference:
http://74.125.153.132/search?q=cache:0rKTM0HRB_EJ:www.edb.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/Content_7345/3.1_eng.doc+difference+utilitarianism+%22virtue+theory%22&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk
* this is taken from my YA.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AtGtAuoWsjhZIU33bcTtN5wjzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20100216161633AAP6Ty8
reference:
http://74.125.153.132/search?q=cache:0rKTM0HRB_EJ:www.edb.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/Content_7345/3.1_eng.doc+difference+utilitarianism+%22virtue+theory%22&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk
* this is taken from my YA.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AtGtAuoWsjhZIU33bcTtN5wjzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20100216161633AAP6Ty8
28 February 2010
Why do sheep have wool?
Sheep didn't always have wool.
Wool will not protect them from predators. No predators would mind getting some wool in their mouth for a good meal, besides the lion (or other predators) can always spit it out (ever heard of owl pellets?).
Most predators pick up their prey by it's scent, having a longer haircut simply isn't going to help.
Shield them from cold? If other animals living in that region didn't need as much wool to make it through winter, why the sheep? Sure it keeps them warmer but during summer farmers have to give the sheep a hair cut so they don't end up with heatstroke (that is a good indication their long wool didn't evolved naturally).
So why do they sheep have wool? ... Human.
Sheep didn't always have wool, they had hair. More than 10,000 years ago, sheep hair was more like deer hair is today, short and thick. The earliest human hunted them for their meat. As we gradually change our lifestyle from hunter gatherers to farmers, sheep was one of the earliest animals to be domesticated.
Sometime not too much later people also began to make clothes, instead of just wearing furs. Since they had sheepskins around, one of the fibers they used was sheep hair. They noticed that although none of the sheep hair was really any good for spinning, because it was too thick and brittle, some of the hair from the stomach, the underside of the sheep, was better than the rest. And people began breeding the sheep that had the most good hair together, trying to get some hair you could spin.
It took thousands of years, many many generations of sheep, and from records we know that by about 5,000 BC people could begin to spin wool. So the sheep as we know it today has been having their wool for only a little over 5,000 years.
this is taken from my YA!
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AhQrEHWRxBxKpdgXpNSv3ZsjzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20100207053209AALVDLH
Wool will not protect them from predators. No predators would mind getting some wool in their mouth for a good meal, besides the lion (or other predators) can always spit it out (ever heard of owl pellets?).
Most predators pick up their prey by it's scent, having a longer haircut simply isn't going to help.
Shield them from cold? If other animals living in that region didn't need as much wool to make it through winter, why the sheep? Sure it keeps them warmer but during summer farmers have to give the sheep a hair cut so they don't end up with heatstroke (that is a good indication their long wool didn't evolved naturally).
So why do they sheep have wool? ... Human.
Sheep didn't always have wool, they had hair. More than 10,000 years ago, sheep hair was more like deer hair is today, short and thick. The earliest human hunted them for their meat. As we gradually change our lifestyle from hunter gatherers to farmers, sheep was one of the earliest animals to be domesticated.
Sometime not too much later people also began to make clothes, instead of just wearing furs. Since they had sheepskins around, one of the fibers they used was sheep hair. They noticed that although none of the sheep hair was really any good for spinning, because it was too thick and brittle, some of the hair from the stomach, the underside of the sheep, was better than the rest. And people began breeding the sheep that had the most good hair together, trying to get some hair you could spin.
It took thousands of years, many many generations of sheep, and from records we know that by about 5,000 BC people could begin to spin wool. So the sheep as we know it today has been having their wool for only a little over 5,000 years.
this is taken from my YA!
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AhQrEHWRxBxKpdgXpNSv3ZsjzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20100207053209AALVDLH
Hypothetical vs Theoretical?
The difference between a hypothetical situation and a theoretical situation.
In everyday conversation (unlike scientist) we usually don't make that distinction, which means you can use both words interchangeably.
To answer your question, your friend asked a "hypothetical" question.
When you suggestion a hypothetical situation, you are making up or imagining a situation that could have or could not exist in real life. E.g. Hypothetically if someone shot you in the leg, would you cry? or What will you do if you discovered that you have 100,000 children?
A theoretical question have to be proven. E.g. Wormholes exist theoretically but we haven't found any yet (the laws of physics allow for wormhole to exist, meaning you can calculate it or it's theoretically possible). The 2nd example I used above will not be valid in a theoretical question because it is impossible to happen.
*this is taken from my YA.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AhQrEHWRxBxKpdgXpNSv3ZsjzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20100207155657AAYT73p
In everyday conversation (unlike scientist) we usually don't make that distinction, which means you can use both words interchangeably.
To answer your question, your friend asked a "hypothetical" question.
When you suggestion a hypothetical situation, you are making up or imagining a situation that could have or could not exist in real life. E.g. Hypothetically if someone shot you in the leg, would you cry? or What will you do if you discovered that you have 100,000 children?
A theoretical question have to be proven. E.g. Wormholes exist theoretically but we haven't found any yet (the laws of physics allow for wormhole to exist, meaning you can calculate it or it's theoretically possible). The 2nd example I used above will not be valid in a theoretical question because it is impossible to happen.
*this is taken from my YA.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AhQrEHWRxBxKpdgXpNSv3ZsjzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20100207155657AAYT73p
01 February 2010
What did Alexander Graham Bell really said the first time he used the phone?
March 10, 1876
Bell wrote in his diary:
... I then shouted into M [the mouthpiece] the following sentence
"Mr. Watson -- come here -- I want to see you."
To my delight he came and declared that he had heard and understood what I said.
reference:
http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/03/dayintech_0310
* this is taken from my YA.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AtGtAuoWsjhZIU33bcTtN5wjzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20100207032903AAfIE0B
Bell wrote in his diary:
... I then shouted into M [the mouthpiece] the following sentence
"Mr. Watson -- come here -- I want to see you."
To my delight he came and declared that he had heard and understood what I said.
reference:
http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/03/dayintech_0310
* this is taken from my YA.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AtGtAuoWsjhZIU33bcTtN5wjzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20100207032903AAfIE0B
31 January 2010
Which famous Italian discovered America?
Christopher Columbus was born in Italy so he is Italian.
The Spanish Sovereigns financed his voyage.
Christopher Columbus should be the answer for you because he has been widely credited as having discovered America, although technically he was not the first to land on the America continent. Leif Ericson landed on Canada half a century earlier then Columbus. Amerigo Vespucci came later, during this time Columbus had fell out of favor with his Spanish sovereigns so they gave the credit to Amerigo and named America after him.
* this is taken from my YA!
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AtGtAuoWsjhZIU33bcTtN5wjzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20100207125559AAokQR1
The Spanish Sovereigns financed his voyage.
Christopher Columbus should be the answer for you because he has been widely credited as having discovered America, although technically he was not the first to land on the America continent. Leif Ericson landed on Canada half a century earlier then Columbus. Amerigo Vespucci came later, during this time Columbus had fell out of favor with his Spanish sovereigns so they gave the credit to Amerigo and named America after him.
* this is taken from my YA!
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AtGtAuoWsjhZIU33bcTtN5wjzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20100207125559AAokQR1
01 January 2010
01 December 2009
30 November 2009
Whats the name of the dinosaur that has a long neck?
If you saw it in some movies, or tv, the most commonly portrayed is the Apatosaurus (formerly known as Brontosaurus). It has long neck, eat grass and they were not aggressive.
I don't know your age but this is a 1988 movie, my first trip to watch a movie and I feel in love with Little Foot a Apatosaurus.
reference:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095489/plotsummary
* this is taken from my YA!
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AtGtAuoWsjhZIU33bcTtN5wjzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20091104211747AAOJpxc
I don't know your age but this is a 1988 movie, my first trip to watch a movie and I feel in love with Little Foot a Apatosaurus.
reference:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095489/plotsummary
* this is taken from my YA!
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AtGtAuoWsjhZIU33bcTtN5wjzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20091104211747AAOJpxc
01 November 2009
30 October 2009
Is the world really supposed to end in 2012?
This whole saga of the world is going to end in 2012 came from the predictions in the Mayan calendar. The last day on the Mayan calendar which ran for 5,126 years is on December 21, 2012.
My personal view is the calendar has to end somewhere. It could have been any other day. So I do not believe the world is going to end.
What will be interesting is .. if you are into astronomy (and the mayans were great astronomers I must add) on December 21 2012, the sun will be aligned with the center of the Milky Way for the first time in about 26,000 years! :)
* this is taken from my YA.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AskqjyInXF6jJxPMmJQzelPty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20090926164559AAYiSpo&show=7#profile-info-gKEZaMNlaa
My personal view is the calendar has to end somewhere. It could have been any other day. So I do not believe the world is going to end.
What will be interesting is .. if you are into astronomy (and the mayans were great astronomers I must add) on December 21 2012, the sun will be aligned with the center of the Milky Way for the first time in about 26,000 years! :)
* this is taken from my YA.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AskqjyInXF6jJxPMmJQzelPty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20090926164559AAYiSpo&show=7#profile-info-gKEZaMNlaa
02 October 2009
Origin of Eye, Hair and Skin color
Eye, hair, and skin color differences are all result of genetic mutation. Haha mutation may sound scary, but it in fact occur rather frequently as we pass our genes from 1 generation to the next.
Now we know these lighter genes originated from northern Europe, why do they evolved lighter genes? Geographical location is a good indicator of how much sunlight these folks are getting. Lighter skin absorbs sunlight (or rather UV radiation from the sun) better. Vitamin D is then made in our skin. However, sunlight exposure carries a number of risks, one of which - skin cancer.
No one really knows our ancestors exact skin, hair and eye color. By theory of natural selection it seem lighter skin adapts better to the conditions in norther Europe, those that failed to adapt, died leaving the lighter genes folks to pass their genetics to the next gen. These people later traveled long distances due to climate changes, and their genetics got spread around the world. Google on the geographical distribution and you will find out where on earth have the highest concentration of people with green eyes and blond hair!
I have grossly simplified how genes got passed on to the next generation.
reference:
http://www.sciencedaily.com
* this is taken from my YA.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ag6EsrOqEpwDWTFg19c5K5vty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20090810013257AAHhhd3&show=7#profile-info-EVo16a1Paa
Now we know these lighter genes originated from northern Europe, why do they evolved lighter genes? Geographical location is a good indicator of how much sunlight these folks are getting. Lighter skin absorbs sunlight (or rather UV radiation from the sun) better. Vitamin D is then made in our skin. However, sunlight exposure carries a number of risks, one of which - skin cancer.
No one really knows our ancestors exact skin, hair and eye color. By theory of natural selection it seem lighter skin adapts better to the conditions in norther Europe, those that failed to adapt, died leaving the lighter genes folks to pass their genetics to the next gen. These people later traveled long distances due to climate changes, and their genetics got spread around the world. Google on the geographical distribution and you will find out where on earth have the highest concentration of people with green eyes and blond hair!
I have grossly simplified how genes got passed on to the next generation.
reference:
http://www.sciencedaily.com
* this is taken from my YA.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ag6EsrOqEpwDWTFg19c5K5vty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20090810013257AAHhhd3&show=7#profile-info-EVo16a1Paa
01 October 2009
Where do Green Eyes and Blond Hair originate from?
Where do green eyes originate from?
- Northern and Central Europe.
What about blonde hair?
- If you mean where it first appear, Northern Europe.
And does the shade have anything to do with where, or does that just depend on how much color is in them?
- Yes, depending on geographical location.
And what if no one in my family has green eyes?
- Think of mixing 2 or more paint to get a new color, this is exactly the same! We usually get 2 genes, 1 from each parent. Will explain a little about blue / brown eyes before we get to green. :)
To get:
- Blue eyes = blue + blue
Baby need to inherit 2 genes of blue to have blue eyes.
- Brown eyes = blue + brown or brown + brown
Since brown is more dominant, if the baby inherited 1 brown gene, the baby gets brown eyes.
So, if my mom has blue eyes, and my dad brown, and I get 1 blue gene from my mom, 1 brown gene from my dad, I will have brown eyes. BUT rememberer, I still have 1 blue gene in me ... if I marry someone with brown eyes (but he had also inherited a blue gene), there is a good chance we both pass on the blue gene. That is why your eye color may be different from both your parents!
Ok, and so we get to green, which ... is a little more complicated. :)
The gene for green eyes is dominant over blue eye color, but is recessive to brown. So what color eyes could a baby have if one parent had green eyes and the other parent had brown eyes? Since the genetics of eye color is quite complex and poorly understood, the real answer is that the baby could have almost any eye color from hazel to blue.
* this is taken from my YA.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ag6EsrOqEpwDWTFg19c5K5vty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20090810013257AAHhhd3&show=7#profile-info-EVo16a1Paa
- Northern and Central Europe.
What about blonde hair?
- If you mean where it first appear, Northern Europe.
And does the shade have anything to do with where, or does that just depend on how much color is in them?
- Yes, depending on geographical location.
And what if no one in my family has green eyes?
- Think of mixing 2 or more paint to get a new color, this is exactly the same! We usually get 2 genes, 1 from each parent. Will explain a little about blue / brown eyes before we get to green. :)
To get:
- Blue eyes = blue + blue
Baby need to inherit 2 genes of blue to have blue eyes.
- Brown eyes = blue + brown or brown + brown
Since brown is more dominant, if the baby inherited 1 brown gene, the baby gets brown eyes.
So, if my mom has blue eyes, and my dad brown, and I get 1 blue gene from my mom, 1 brown gene from my dad, I will have brown eyes. BUT rememberer, I still have 1 blue gene in me ... if I marry someone with brown eyes (but he had also inherited a blue gene), there is a good chance we both pass on the blue gene. That is why your eye color may be different from both your parents!
Ok, and so we get to green, which ... is a little more complicated. :)
The gene for green eyes is dominant over blue eye color, but is recessive to brown. So what color eyes could a baby have if one parent had green eyes and the other parent had brown eyes? Since the genetics of eye color is quite complex and poorly understood, the real answer is that the baby could have almost any eye color from hazel to blue.
* this is taken from my YA.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ag6EsrOqEpwDWTFg19c5K5vty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20090810013257AAHhhd3&show=7#profile-info-EVo16a1Paa
01 September 2009
Which is the Largest Mammal in history?
Largest mammal in history - Indricotherium (extinct)
- a type of African elephant,
- lived 34 and 23 million years ago,
- 3 to 4 times weight of current adult African elephants.
---
Largest living mammal - Blue whale
Largest living land mammal - African Bush Elephant
Dinosaurs are reptiles, not mammals.
reference:
American Museum of Natural History
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/extrememammals/extreme-mammals/indricotherium.php
http://www.greenexpander.com/2007/10/22/biggest-animals-on-earth/
* this is taken from my YA.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Am8d4d5DGd7f9DDLUM0Tg4Lty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20090814113931AAmaFQ4&show=7#profile-info-ZF8KwBIhaa
- a type of African elephant,
- lived 34 and 23 million years ago,
- 3 to 4 times weight of current adult African elephants.
---
Largest living mammal - Blue whale
Largest living land mammal - African Bush Elephant
Dinosaurs are reptiles, not mammals.
reference:
American Museum of Natural History
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/extrememammals/extreme-mammals/indricotherium.php
http://www.greenexpander.com/2007/10/22/biggest-animals-on-earth/
* this is taken from my YA.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Am8d4d5DGd7f9DDLUM0Tg4Lty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20090814113931AAmaFQ4&show=7#profile-info-ZF8KwBIhaa
01 August 2009
Can people really be Scared to Death?
Certainly!
Remember back in January this year it was reported that a back robber was charged with murder, he scared a 79-year-old grandmother, to death. Apparently he was looking for a place to hide and hid in the old lady's home.
So this what happen to our body. Our body have a natural protective mechanism called the fight-or-flight response. When faced with a life-threatening situation, the autonomic (involuntary) nervous system responds by increasing heart rate, increasing blood flow to the muscles, dilating the pupils, all of this increases the chances of survival.
How can the fight-or-flight response lead to death?
The autonomic nervous system uses the hormone adrenaline, a neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger, to send signals to various parts of the body to activate the fight-or-flight response. This chemical is toxic in large amounts; it damages the visceral (internal) organs such as the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. It is believed that almost all sudden deaths are caused by damage to the heart. There is almost no other organ that would fail so fast as to cause sudden death. Kidney failure, liver failure, those things don't kill you suddenly.
What exactly happens in the heart when it's flooded with too much adrenaline?
Adrenaline from the nervous system lands on receptors of cardiac myocytes (heart-muscle cells), and this causes calcium channels in the membranes of those cells to open. Calcium ions rush into the heart cells and this causes the heart muscle to contract. If it's a massive overwhelming storm of adrenaline, calcium keeps pouring into the cells and the muscle just can't relax.
There is this specially adapted system of muscle and nerve tissue in the heart—the sinoatrial (SA) node, the atrioventricular node, and the Purkinje fibers—which sets the rhythm of the heart. If this system is overwhelmed with adrenaline, the heart can go into abnormal rhythms that are not compatible with life. If one of those is triggered, you will drop dead.
reference:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=scared-to-death-heart-attack
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2009/01/29/2009-01-29_bank_robber_larry_whitfeld_in_murder_rap.html
* this is taken from my YA.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AmXZhtnVwQ8wpJN54sjPnqjty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20090809173458AAvP67U&show=7#profile-info-nDSXlKxnaa
Remember back in January this year it was reported that a back robber was charged with murder, he scared a 79-year-old grandmother, to death. Apparently he was looking for a place to hide and hid in the old lady's home.
So this what happen to our body. Our body have a natural protective mechanism called the fight-or-flight response. When faced with a life-threatening situation, the autonomic (involuntary) nervous system responds by increasing heart rate, increasing blood flow to the muscles, dilating the pupils, all of this increases the chances of survival.
How can the fight-or-flight response lead to death?
The autonomic nervous system uses the hormone adrenaline, a neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger, to send signals to various parts of the body to activate the fight-or-flight response. This chemical is toxic in large amounts; it damages the visceral (internal) organs such as the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. It is believed that almost all sudden deaths are caused by damage to the heart. There is almost no other organ that would fail so fast as to cause sudden death. Kidney failure, liver failure, those things don't kill you suddenly.
What exactly happens in the heart when it's flooded with too much adrenaline?
Adrenaline from the nervous system lands on receptors of cardiac myocytes (heart-muscle cells), and this causes calcium channels in the membranes of those cells to open. Calcium ions rush into the heart cells and this causes the heart muscle to contract. If it's a massive overwhelming storm of adrenaline, calcium keeps pouring into the cells and the muscle just can't relax.
There is this specially adapted system of muscle and nerve tissue in the heart—the sinoatrial (SA) node, the atrioventricular node, and the Purkinje fibers—which sets the rhythm of the heart. If this system is overwhelmed with adrenaline, the heart can go into abnormal rhythms that are not compatible with life. If one of those is triggered, you will drop dead.
reference:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=scared-to-death-heart-attack
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2009/01/29/2009-01-29_bank_robber_larry_whitfeld_in_murder_rap.html
* this is taken from my YA.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AmXZhtnVwQ8wpJN54sjPnqjty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20090809173458AAvP67U&show=7#profile-info-nDSXlKxnaa
01 July 2009
01 June 2009
01 April 2009
11 March 2009
A Musical Juggernaut!
It's my birthday!! =D
In keeping with tradition (actually.. to commemorate my birthday, ohh how self-centered of me lol) I'm going to blog about birthday mumbo jumbos. May I present the World's Most Popular Song! (ok that's just grossly exaggerated, but it's my birthday so i don't care! =X)
The "Happy Birthday" song (officially titled "Happy Birthday to You") evolved from a copyrighted kindergarten greeting song "Good Morning to All" which was created by 2 kindergarten teachers from Kentucky, USA. Mildred Jane Hill composed the melody and her younger sister Patty Smith Hill who was also the kindergarten principle completed the lyrics sometime in 1893.
Now, no one knows exactly when and who wrote the lyrics for "Happy Birthday to You". It was first published in a songbook edited by Robert Coleman in 1924, as a second stanza to "Good Morning to All".
"Happy Birthday to You" became wildly popular in 1933 after it made an uncredited appearance in a Broadway musical hit "As Thousands Cheer". The Hills sisters sued, and won the copyright by demonstrating the undeniable similarities between these two songs. It remains under copyright protection until year 2030!
reference:
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1111624
http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/birthday.asp
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0384530/bio
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0384558/bio
In keeping with tradition (actually.. to commemorate my birthday, ohh how self-centered of me lol) I'm going to blog about birthday mumbo jumbos. May I present the World's Most Popular Song! (ok that's just grossly exaggerated, but it's my birthday so i don't care! =X)
The "Happy Birthday" song (officially titled "Happy Birthday to You") evolved from a copyrighted kindergarten greeting song "Good Morning to All" which was created by 2 kindergarten teachers from Kentucky, USA. Mildred Jane Hill composed the melody and her younger sister Patty Smith Hill who was also the kindergarten principle completed the lyrics sometime in 1893.
Now, no one knows exactly when and who wrote the lyrics for "Happy Birthday to You". It was first published in a songbook edited by Robert Coleman in 1924, as a second stanza to "Good Morning to All".
"Happy Birthday to You" became wildly popular in 1933 after it made an uncredited appearance in a Broadway musical hit "As Thousands Cheer". The Hills sisters sued, and won the copyright by demonstrating the undeniable similarities between these two songs. It remains under copyright protection until year 2030!
reference:
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1111624
http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/birthday.asp
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0384530/bio
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0384558/bio
01 February 2009
01 November 2008
01 August 2008
01 July 2008
01 June 2008
01 May 2008
01 April 2008
11 March 2008
History of Birthday Celebrations
Today, I'm officially a year older. Just before I leave for my birthday party, I want to take a moment to share this interesting article I found. I lifted the entire article because it's well written (and I'm in a hurry), see reference for actual URL.
How Birthdays Came About
Thousands of years ago birthdays were considered a time when the bad spirits as opposed to the good spirits were able to harm you as this day changed a person's life. It was believed that the only way to keep the bad spirits at bay was to have your friends and family around you so that their good wishes and present giving would keep them at bay.
Also noisemakers are thought to be used at parties as a way of scaring away the evil spirits.
The custom of lighting candles originated with people believing that the gods lived in the sky and by lighting candles and torches they were sending a signal or prayer to the gods so they they could be answered. When you blow out the candles and make a wish this is another way of sending a signal and a message.
This is how the way we celebrate our birthday came about. But different cultures celebrate in different ways.
The birthday Bible story that we know best is about the birth of the Christ in Bethlehem. For nearly 2,000 years since that day, the Christian world has honored this birth. The day we all celebrate, is of course, Christmas.
There are other biblical references to birthday party's. King Pharaoh celebrated his birthday by making a feast for his court followers. That was over 4,000 years ago. The story of King Herod tells that on his birthday he made a supper for his lords, high captains and other special friends in Galilee.
reference:
http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/howbirthdayscameabout.htm
How Birthdays Came About
Thousands of years ago birthdays were considered a time when the bad spirits as opposed to the good spirits were able to harm you as this day changed a person's life. It was believed that the only way to keep the bad spirits at bay was to have your friends and family around you so that their good wishes and present giving would keep them at bay.
Also noisemakers are thought to be used at parties as a way of scaring away the evil spirits.
The custom of lighting candles originated with people believing that the gods lived in the sky and by lighting candles and torches they were sending a signal or prayer to the gods so they they could be answered. When you blow out the candles and make a wish this is another way of sending a signal and a message.
This is how the way we celebrate our birthday came about. But different cultures celebrate in different ways.
The birthday Bible story that we know best is about the birth of the Christ in Bethlehem. For nearly 2,000 years since that day, the Christian world has honored this birth. The day we all celebrate, is of course, Christmas.
There are other biblical references to birthday party's. King Pharaoh celebrated his birthday by making a feast for his court followers. That was over 4,000 years ago. The story of King Herod tells that on his birthday he made a supper for his lords, high captains and other special friends in Galilee.
reference:
http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/howbirthdayscameabout.htm
01 March 2008
01 February 2008
01 January 2008
01 December 2007
01 November 2007
01 October 2007
01 September 2007
01 August 2007
Hide your head in the sand, like an Ostrich!
I first heard of the ostrich head in sand myth from my mom, i was probably 6 or 7. I have often wondered why is the largest known bird such a chicken (no pun intended), it's nothing short of a miracle that ostriches still exist, they possess the most counter-productive escape plan ever! Seriously, the only thing this plan escapes from is reality ......... ahh~ escape from reality.. that's kind of nice ...... *buried my head under the pillows*So who started this myth?
Enter Gaius Plinius Secundus, aka Pliny the Elder (23-79AD), a Roman historian. Hey I like this guy, his Historia Naturalis is good stuff and we share some of the same values, one of it being "all time wasted that was not employed in study".
In Historia Naturalis, Book 10, Ch 1, Pliny wrote "... they (ostriches) imagine, when they have thrust their head and neck into a bush, that the whole of their body is concealed." According to historians this is the earliest record that describe this specific ostrich behavior. No ostrich farmer or anyone else has witness an ostrich bury it's head in the sand, and none has managed to capture this on film. The likely reason is when seen from afar, ostriches may appear to be burying their head in the sand when they feed, but they were just ingesting gravels from the ground to aid digestion!
Yay! So ostriches aren't that dumb after all. Sadly,can't say the same for some human beings. ;)
reference:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2006/11/02/1777947.htm
http://www.wolaver.org/animals/ostrich.htm
http://waterman99.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/us-ostrich-head-in-sand1.jpg
*edit:
image added 01/10, it's cute! ;)
01 July 2007
The Run Away Moon
Fact:
Earth's moon is moving away from our planet, travelling further away from Earth at a rate of about 3.8 cm per year!! Ain't that cool!! =D
How to proof it, any evidence?
Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment (LLRE) -
Back in the days of Apollo moon missions, astronauts have placed laser reflectors on the moon and scientist have since shot laser beams at the reflector from Earth to calculate the actual distance.
After years of bouncing laser beams off it, they can conclude it's moving further away each year. The use of laser beams to measure distance between Earth and Moon is said to have an accuracy of up to 5cm (centimeters), as stated on NASA website.
In the 35 years since the first LLRE reflector was deployed by the Apollo 11 astronauts its still being used today!! Lol just place a mirror to reflect light beams? Intelligent! It should be so easy to maintain, not to mention it really doesn't cost too much! Wooohooo!!!! ($_$)
Earth - Moon Relationship:
So then why does the Moon want to move away from us?? Perhaps the Moon decided she doesn't really like Earth, after all they've been together for 4.6 billion years, now that's commitment. =P
Okay, if Moon didn't like Earth and wishes to leave, why did it take her so long to figure that out?
Here's why - it didn't. Moon started to move away from earth at a pretty constant pace after its formation. Moon was much closer to earth billions of years ago, as a matter of fact, about a billion years ago, the Moon was so much closer to Earth then it is today that it needed only 20 days complete an orbit (around earth)! That means the maximum number of days you're going to get in a lunar month is erm ... 2o!! Yes, just 20, hmmmm ... suddenly February seems awfully long lol. Shorter days, shorter months, shorter years.. by that standard we'll all get to live till a much older age.. possibly 100? =D
Why is moon still moving away?
Well, blame it on the titans! ... Sorry, I meant the tides... you know, those from the ocean. =P
And remember that interesting force we've all heard of? - Gravity.
Earth being the bigger planet exerts it's enormous amount of gravitational force on the smaller moon, pulling it, affecting its orbit. While the moon also uses its gravity to affect Earth, it just wasn't strong enough to affect Earth so dramatically. However subtle effect have been noticed and one of the most noticeable, is raised ocean tides.
The side of Earth that faces the Moon experienced a much stronger gravitational pull as compared to other parts of the Earth simply because its ... well, closest to the Moon. Gravitational pull of the Moon continues to tugs on the surface of the ocean water, drawing more water towards it, this resulted in a bulge of water in the ocean facing the Moon - that is how we get high tides. As Earth rotates that bulge effectively moves around our planet to produce high and low tides all over the world. This effect also stretches the Earth a little, making the shape of our planet slightly oblong. The parts that "stick out" is known as tidal bulges.
Now, this explain how tides are formed, so how about the part of why Moon is moving away from Earth?? Well.. 2 things to note, 1st - Earth's rotating speed on it's axis, 2nd - the speed at which Moon orbits around Earth.
And here it goes .. Earth rotates faster on its axis taking just 24 hours to complete a cycle. The speed at which Moon takes to complete 1 orbit AROUND Earth is 27.3 Earth days. As Earth rotates, the tidal bulges tries to "speed up" the Moon, its gravitational force tugging it ahead in its orbit. At the same time, the Moon's gravity is also pulling back on the tidal bulge of the Earth, slowing Earth's rotation by approximately 2 milliseconds per 100 years. So yes.. if you lived to at least a 100 years old, perhaps you can tell you grandchildren that when you were young, your day was 2 milliseconds shorter ... not that they'll care, oh well. =P
Anyway... still remember the tidal bulges that tries to "speeds up" the Moon's orbit by tugging it slightly ahead? Well, how it get "slightly ahead" is because those tidal bulges aren't EXACTLY at the nearest and farthest points but rather dragged slightly beyond them by friction as Earth rotates. This pulls the moon slightly forward in its orbit, giving it more energy, elongating its orbital path and so the poor Moon now has to travel an even greater distance to complete 1 orbit round the Earth. Oh~ by the way, the "further distance" translates to just +3.8cm each year.
To sum it up:
- Moon slows Earth down by approximately 2mm every 100 years while,
- Earth increases Moon's orbit path by 3.8cm per year.
Clearly, in the game of gravitational force, size matters. =D
Earth's moon is moving away from our planet, travelling further away from Earth at a rate of about 3.8 cm per year!! Ain't that cool!! =D
How to proof it, any evidence?
Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment (LLRE) -
Back in the days of Apollo moon missions, astronauts have placed laser reflectors on the moon and scientist have since shot laser beams at the reflector from Earth to calculate the actual distance.
After years of bouncing laser beams off it, they can conclude it's moving further away each year. The use of laser beams to measure distance between Earth and Moon is said to have an accuracy of up to 5cm (centimeters), as stated on NASA website.
In the 35 years since the first LLRE reflector was deployed by the Apollo 11 astronauts its still being used today!! Lol just place a mirror to reflect light beams? Intelligent! It should be so easy to maintain, not to mention it really doesn't cost too much! Wooohooo!!!! ($_$)
Earth - Moon Relationship:
So then why does the Moon want to move away from us?? Perhaps the Moon decided she doesn't really like Earth, after all they've been together for 4.6 billion years, now that's commitment. =P
Okay, if Moon didn't like Earth and wishes to leave, why did it take her so long to figure that out?
Here's why - it didn't. Moon started to move away from earth at a pretty constant pace after its formation. Moon was much closer to earth billions of years ago, as a matter of fact, about a billion years ago, the Moon was so much closer to Earth then it is today that it needed only 20 days complete an orbit (around earth)! That means the maximum number of days you're going to get in a lunar month is erm ... 2o!! Yes, just 20, hmmmm ... suddenly February seems awfully long lol. Shorter days, shorter months, shorter years.. by that standard we'll all get to live till a much older age.. possibly 100? =D
Why is moon still moving away?
Well, blame it on the titans! ... Sorry, I meant the tides... you know, those from the ocean. =P
And remember that interesting force we've all heard of? - Gravity.
Earth being the bigger planet exerts it's enormous amount of gravitational force on the smaller moon, pulling it, affecting its orbit. While the moon also uses its gravity to affect Earth, it just wasn't strong enough to affect Earth so dramatically. However subtle effect have been noticed and one of the most noticeable, is raised ocean tides.
The side of Earth that faces the Moon experienced a much stronger gravitational pull as compared to other parts of the Earth simply because its ... well, closest to the Moon. Gravitational pull of the Moon continues to tugs on the surface of the ocean water, drawing more water towards it, this resulted in a bulge of water in the ocean facing the Moon - that is how we get high tides. As Earth rotates that bulge effectively moves around our planet to produce high and low tides all over the world. This effect also stretches the Earth a little, making the shape of our planet slightly oblong. The parts that "stick out" is known as tidal bulges.
Now, this explain how tides are formed, so how about the part of why Moon is moving away from Earth?? Well.. 2 things to note, 1st - Earth's rotating speed on it's axis, 2nd - the speed at which Moon orbits around Earth.
And here it goes .. Earth rotates faster on its axis taking just 24 hours to complete a cycle. The speed at which Moon takes to complete 1 orbit AROUND Earth is 27.3 Earth days. As Earth rotates, the tidal bulges tries to "speed up" the Moon, its gravitational force tugging it ahead in its orbit. At the same time, the Moon's gravity is also pulling back on the tidal bulge of the Earth, slowing Earth's rotation by approximately 2 milliseconds per 100 years. So yes.. if you lived to at least a 100 years old, perhaps you can tell you grandchildren that when you were young, your day was 2 milliseconds shorter ... not that they'll care, oh well. =P
Anyway... still remember the tidal bulges that tries to "speeds up" the Moon's orbit by tugging it slightly ahead? Well, how it get "slightly ahead" is because those tidal bulges aren't EXACTLY at the nearest and farthest points but rather dragged slightly beyond them by friction as Earth rotates. This pulls the moon slightly forward in its orbit, giving it more energy, elongating its orbital path and so the poor Moon now has to travel an even greater distance to complete 1 orbit round the Earth. Oh~ by the way, the "further distance" translates to just +3.8cm each year.
To sum it up:
- Moon slows Earth down by approximately 2mm every 100 years while,
- Earth increases Moon's orbit path by 3.8cm per year.
Clearly, in the game of gravitational force, size matters. =D
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