Do graphs have to start from zero origin? NO, read why.

Dear children of God,

Finally, I found the graph I was referring to in class. The graph above was made by a scientist from NASA for the purpose of illustrating the amount of carbon dioxide over passing of time until today. As you can see it does not start from zero either along x or y axis. If one has to stick to mathematical rule of starting from zero when making graphs then can you just imagine how much space would be wasted and how small the lines would be? That is simply for the y-axis. If the value of x-axis in years should start from zero then we cannot make an interpretation on how carbon dioxide increases or decreases over time. Note that the rightmost end of the x-axis (lower right corner) ends with zero.

Graphing is a math skill yet Math has its way of doing things contrary to science. In science, we have to find meaning on what we do. We cannot just blindly follow the rules and end up with a nonsense graph. That is why there is so much more to the number and we have to assign meaning to it. I have nothing against Math but the discipline ends with a number. Science strives to continue from the calculation of the number by attaching meaning to it.

siraris

Why one should use a primary article and how to acquire primary article from a secondary/tertiary source?

Dear children of God,

Whenever you are asked to submit a report or assignment you would always check for Google for the answer. However Google would usually provide Wikipedia as the first entry of the result. You know that Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia and it is under the tertiary source of information. However, at the end of Wikipedia article, you will find the list of references and it is there where you can check the primary sources of information to write the article.

But how important is the use of primary article in writing? For the past few days, we were confronted with hearsay on the status of August 20 if it will be a holiday or not. Some would claim it is a holiday while others would say that it is not. When the news (click here) came out in Yahoo news that there will be no class on August 20 some might take it as true. Most of us would just embrace that the information is true because of the reputation of the company which delivered the news. But I would like to warn you to be critical. You need to read article completely and check for yourself the basis from which the claim of a holiday was made. Since only a proclamation from president can make it official then you can verify it at Philippines Official Gazette for you to ascertain the veracity of the news (click here).

If I were to post only the news article then my colleagues would question if indeed there was proclamation made by the president. Rather than waste time posting the news article one can simply post the proclamation directly from the source. If we simply read critically tertiary articles are our window to how and where to get primary articles.

siraris

How to spot Perseid meteor shower later?

Dear children of God,

Few hours from now we will again observe the peak of Perseid meteor shower. However, most Filipinos won't be able to observe it or will just get frustrated because they won't be able to focus their attention to the spot where the radiant emanates. In most cases, they would dismiss this annual phenomenon as a futile attempt of seeing the event.

So, how will you direct a typical Filipino to spot the Perseid meteor shower?

First, face the northern part of the sky.

Second, ask them if they are familiar of Pleiades star cluster. For sure, they would shy away from you. But ask them if they are familiar of the rosary and most likely they would reply with a big yes. I encircled the Rosary star cluster in the figure above which I print screen from Stellarium application. In astronomy it is Pleiades star cluster but for us this is a mere asterism fondly referred by Filipinos as rosary.

Third, direct your attention just below the asterism and you will find the Perseus constellation. Recall that meteor showers are named after where the radiant emanates. Since it is within the field of Perseus constellation therefore it shall take the genitive form so from Perseus it becomes Perseid.

Fourth, verify if it is indeed Perseus. Check for the "W" or "M" pattern just below in the left side of the star pattern. In the right is an irregular  hexagonal pattern and in the left is a triangle pattern.

Lastly, take note that at 5:34am this upcoming morning you will observe the peak of the meteor shower. It means that in previous days and after the peak you can still observe the meteor shower but it would only provide a sporadic occurrences.

Clear skies,

siraris

What if you realize science is not really your inkling and you don't want to pursue a science course in college?

Dear children of God,

The question, "What if  you realize science is not really your inkling and you don't want to pursue a science course in college?" has been raised to me several times. My usual reply is, "By all means, follow your dream and go on with what you’d like to take in College.” Of course I could not impose to you the kind of work and job eventually you would like to have for the next four decades or even the rest of your life. As your teacher, I want you to be happy and everything will just follow as long as you love what you are doing.

Of course it is a cliché. It is a standard reply you will hear from me. If you were a Grade 7 scholar I would understand but not when you are already a senior. It hurts to think that you realize to take a non-science course after four years of an intensive science curriculum. How is that as a slap on my face? Yes, I agree you have the right to be happy, that you were just forced by parents, you were enticed by the freebies, or you happen to be a minor during the signing of contract. It hurts to think that you cannot see the science connection in what you ponder. It is not about the course.

Well, if you are already decided to take a non-science course, please remind yourself that THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A NON-SCIENCE COURSE. If you truly think that science is not your inkling, it will still haunt you for the rest of your life. Science is what we breathe and if you intend to live on this planet you should know how science works.

Alright, I give in. But please consider the following courses:
1. Advertising. Lately, I noticed that there are so many ads that are pathetic. Let me start with Kris Aquino’s shampoo commercial. Did you notice the use of petri dish to catch the falling hair? Why catch a falling hair with a petri dish? To make it look scientific? Second, how about the milk commercial showing a kid producing sound with the use of wine glass? It would be impossible to do that unless the wine glass is stuck to the table or you hold the glass firmly. It clearly shows the lack of background in science. Whoever are behind the advertisement decided or bothered not to ask science enthusiasts. When I am home, Nanay reminds me to shut up my mouth while watching television commercials but it simply drives me crazy how people can fool us with lousy ad concepts.  They even have the nerve to exploit science to make us believe them. It is sad how we buy these ideas and I won’t talk about most of our shows in TV.
The following link is an advertisement commissioned by the car company to a group of engineers. Guess what is their concept? Check this out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ve4M4UsJQo


2. Music. The music we learn today is under the field of acoustics. Mind you, it involves a lot of Physics. The speakers are built by understanding principles of wave production and propagation. Your knowledge of science may bring you to NASA and eventually decode how the Universe works. Apparently NASA scientists have taken one step in the direction of finding out by converting gamma rays into a musical score. We need musically-inclined people not simply to entertain us but to provide clues why things are and stifled sounds that are waiting to be uncovered.
http://prote.in/feed/2012/06/sounds-of-the-universe

3. Art. This is the usual field you go into in the event you “lose interest” in science. You can still draw if your passion is into drawing. Why don’t you consider a career as scientific illustrator? Never met one then you better read this article http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/symbiartic/2011/11/30/carol-abraczinskas-interview/. I guess Sir Calambro should give you a basic course on this. If you have a mind of a scientist and a skill of an artist then I would probably be seeing your work in journals or even in high profile criminal hunting.

4. Writer. Why don’t you check articles in PDI and find out for yourself why scientific names are not italicized? Well, we cannot blame them when they are not aware how particular we are in the observance of the protocols. I can let this pass. However, check for their news articles on weather updates. Have you noticed that it is the shortest? They seem to be grasping for words to present the weather news. Well, it is another story when it comes to news on weather toll.
You can still write and be a journalist or novelist. We just need more people who are gifted in science to explain and engage people to science.
You can write science or talk about science. TV Patrol has Kuya Kim reporting while 24 Oras has Mang Tani Cruz yet Kuya Kim seems to be more knowledgeable than Mang Tani. How ironic because of how they express themselves in TV.

5. Law. Your career would be better if you have a good background in science. It is an advantage when you have a background in Chemistry or even better in Physics. Cases are fought in the court with presentation of evidences. You need to examine the hows and the whys. You need to present facts and counter by presenting figures and data. It used to be rhetoric in early days but nowadays you need to understand DNA, forensic science, samplings, ballistics and science-based evidence.

6. Leader/Politician. So much of the issues that will confront you involve your knowledge of science. For instance, you need to deal with climate change, terrorism, nuclear weapon, energy production, health epidemic and population. People around you can always advise what is best but at the very end you still have to think and decide for yourself. When we don’t have leaders whose science foundation is exemplary then we are just dreaming of becoming a developed country. A develop country should churn out more scientists or if not then science-oriented work force. Don't you notice how messed up a place is when it is run without hard facts and data? All we have are just hit-and-miss approach in programs and policies. In a world where tools are handy we still fail to do a research and science based actions.

Remember, it is easy for a science student to shift from a science course to “non-science” but it is hard and seldom happens for anyone to go from non-science course to science. If you think you have a non-science course which has nothing to do with science then leave a comment and I would love to explain the relationship of science to your chosen course.

Magphysics ka na kasi,

siraris

NOTE: My view does not reflect that of the school's position but mine alone.

How will you do your counter punch?

Dear children of God,

I came upon an article about the struggles of climate scientist and how they sort of retaliate. I chuckled, siraris' laugh, reading the part on how they do the counter punch. Learn how scientists tackle unpopularity and deal with harassment they face as they make people understand global warming. The article also gives us glimpse about the other side of climate science. I hope you to learn from their experience and serve as example on how to face the battle ahead of you. The battle over climate science may be a daunting but you need to understand that dealing with people is more daunting and more complicated than climate. Above is the famous graph you are familiar with if you have watched The Inconvenient Truth. Learn from Mann's life after presenting the hockey stick graph to the world by clicking the link here.

siraris

What was your dream as a child?

Dear children of God,

When I was a child, I used to daydream a lot. One of my dreams was to fly like a Superman and the only way to fulfill this dream is to use a blanket as a cape and believe that I was flying when in fact I was simply running as fast as I could. Another fantasy is to become a member of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. My siblings and I had to fight over whose color goes to whom. It was really a big deal to be the red or white ranger although it does not make sense if you come to think about it now. We used to characterize the ranger that we are based on our color. We kick and jump the way rangers do. Watching the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers nowadays makes me think how kids could follow them. Rangers stunts are now so complicated that requires lesson in taekwondo for you to imitate.

Who would not want cars as a young boy? I used to have matchstick boxes as toy cars. My cars would fly and flip in the air as I transfer it from divider to chair and finally to dining table crisscrossing whatever was on the way. If I had the time to play with someone else, we would collide the cars until its content explodes. Our racetracks before were made by us. It is unlike what kids have today which you have to buy in the market. Toys were made out of ingenuity; one has to be creative. Racetracks were made of planks  elevated in one end and allow toy cars to slide. Yes, it was sliding but we truly believe it is running. As we grow older, we made truck out of cans and fashion slippers into wheels. Our idea of hot wheels is a six by six truck to transport sugarcane.

I never imagined myself to become a teacher then. I dreamt of flying planes and driving cars. My passion remained a dream until I realized that it would be physically impossible to fly planes just like in an arcade games and of course flying cars in a racetrack.

When one has dream shared with others, you cannot help but smile when that dream came true to them even though it did not happen to you. It is like humanity's dream to reach the Moon and finally someone did it. We never stepped on the Moon yet we are equally happy that the dream materialized. It gives us hope that someday, who knows, it might also happen to us.

Reading the article made me smile for I know that in the distant future I might be riding in the car and fly to where I wish it land. Take note children of god that an engineer made it happen. I just hope that someday as you practice your profession you can make someone smile because of your creation or engineered project. Let it be the creation everybody dreams of to ride, use or experience.

siraris

For the full article you can check the link at http://www.wired.com/playbook/2012/06/playbook_0620_jump/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=socialmedia&utm_campaign=facebookclickthru.

How consistent are you in the use of units?

Dear children of God,

You have heard me several times that I won't negotiate or even consider unboxed final answer, improper least number of significant figures and inconsistent units. You claim that  I am too harsh and you feel bad in the process. Sometimes, it is hard for you to fathom why certain rules are implemented inside the classroom as simple as units. Then you ask, "Why should one be consistent in units?" Well, I suggest you read the report in the link below before you continue reading. However, if you don't have much time then you consider the excerpts below from the report:

"The output from the SM_FORCES application code as required by a MSOP Project Software Interface Specification (SIS) was to be in metric units of Newton-seconds (N-s). Instead, the data was reported in English units of pound-seconds (lbf-s)." p . 16

"The Board recommends that the MPL project verify the consistent use of units throughout the MPL spacecraft design and operation." p.16

-Mars Climate Orbiter
Mishap Investigation Board
Phase I Report
ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/reports/1999/MCO_report.pdf

If you were a taxpayer, how will you react if a project which cost $300 million is simply ruined by this mistake. What if you were manning the spacecraft? How will you explain yourself to your supervisor if you fail this basic skill in science?

Be consistent,

siraris

Voyager 1 at the edge of the solar system

Dear children of God,

It is believed that Voyager 1 has reached the edge of the solar system last June 15. Isn't it exciting that the spacecraft is now "treading" the interstellar region of the universe? Although it is expected to last for another 13 years as estimated, I am still hoping that aliens may bump into it and hear our greetings for them. This is what I told you in class which depicts how hopeful Carl Sagan and the members of the team to make some sort of connection with ETs.

Tani matext na sila sooner sa akon,

siraris

http://in.mobile.reuters.com/article/idINBRE85E0VU20120615?irpc=932

PSHSWV 2012-2013 school calendar

Do we expect a tsunami in Iloilo City anytime soon?

Dear Children of God,

I have just realized that I compelled myself to write a blog entry if I could no longer reply to all inquiries sent to me. With hundreds of clarificatory questions I got yesterday pertaining to earthquakes, here I am again discussing a topic which is mundane to everyone even to science enthusiasts. You see earthquake can only be studied through its movement just like how we get to understand star through its light. Without the motion of earth, we won’t be able to shed light on what really an earthquake is.

The following are facts you need to know about earthquake based on what I have studied. Please don’t take everything I declare as ultimate truth because I am against scienticism. However, everything you are about to read is based on honest intention of digging the fault of an earthquake.

Let me start by defining an earthquake. Earthquake is a tremor or simply shaking of the earth’s crust. This happens every time faults (cracks on earth) would realign. This is not your ordinary crack because when it moves its motion can be felt which can be equated to nuclear bombing. The shaking is simply a release of energy which is propagated or transferred through earth’s crust. That is why the greater is the movement so is the energy and its shaking.

Why can’t you feel the shaking while others can? This is very complicated to answer to begin with but I will make it simple as I can. There are several factors like foundation of the building, building material, proximity to epicenter, and your sensitivity towards shaking.

Foundation of the Building. Solid objects have different elasticity or stretchability. This property is best observed in rubber but it happens in solid objects as well. Now try to imagine a restaurant in water and in land. With a little disturbance in water, floating restaurant would shake. However, when you place that restaurant on land then same disturbance won’t budge the restaurant.

Building Material. Can you imagine how shaky it can get if your classroom is made of wood compared with classroom made of cement? For sure, you will experience greater intensity in building made of light materials than solid ones.

Proximity to Epicenter. When one is near to the epicenter, your body is near as well to the source of energy in the form of shaking. Energy is dissipated or lost with respect to the source. Try to imagine yourself in a ripple. The farther you are from the center of the ripple the lower would be the effect of the wave to you.

Sensitivity towards Shaking. Some people are more sensitive than you do when it comes to detecting earthquake. Some would notice it right away but some can easily feel the foreshock, earthquake before the main earthquake. It is said that animals are more sensitive to earthquake tremors. Since you are an animal, unless you are a plant reading this, you should be sensitive to tremors.

Earthquake is enigmatic because little is known about it. It is also the most treacherous of all natural disasters. Typhoons would warn us with low pressure and we can anticipate its time of reaching us as well as its intensity. Floods can warn us with the rain and the rising of water in the river. Earthquake comes in a surprise and we just wake up in heaven or chaos.

So, there are things you should keep in mind during an earthquake.

DO NOT PANIC. If you do then you won’t be able to do anything rational and logical to save your life. Well, what we fear after all is our life at stake.

Expect for an aftershock. This is a series of tremor after a major earthquake. Aftershocks can be felt until after 7 days of a major earthquake. Take note that aftershocks are more dangerous than the earthquake itself because we would sometime are complacent of its danger.

But where is the danger? Danger comes from falling debris which might injure us especially our head. Since you cannot wear helmets then we must consider the placement of our trophies, medals, chinaware and other display objects at home or school that might fall or topple down towards you in the event of an earthquake. The damage to your head from falling debris is directly proportional to the mass and the altitude of the debris.  Therefore refrain from putting massive objects and hand them to me.

In the impeachment going on I can relate exactly why Sen. Miriam Defensor is fuming. Just like her I cannot tolerate idiots (sorry for the word). Maybe I can stand silly question but illogical ones are unbearable.

One question which caused me to flare up is, “Do we expect a tsunami in Iloilo anytime soon?” My goodness gracious! I am expecting that from a child to ask and it may be cute BUT for a college graduate is too pathetic.

Therefore let me review basic subjects during your elementary grades.

Social Science. Don’t you know where the epicenter of an earthquake? It is located between Negros and Cebu islands. Now think of huge waves, yes, the tsunamis. Do you expect these big waves to form as high as Mount Kanlaon then pass through Guimaras strait and to Iloilo City. I wish you would be splashed by tsunami so you would wake up from nightmare for not listening to your teacher when map reading and geographical map was explained. Finding coordinates is a basic concept one must learn. Granting the waves can reach us then it would be too far from us to feel the energy.

The red mark shows the epicenter of the earthquake while purple line shows the coastal area which might be affected by tsunami in case there would be one. The blue mark shows where Iloilo City is. How could it be?

English. Tsunami Alert was issued after the earthquake. Why are you fuming that tsunami did not arrive as warned? Do you even understand what alert means? According to Encarta, alert means to be watchful and be ready whatever happens. It only means that there is no certainty that it will come. Nevertheless, if it does, then you are ready. Did you really learn synonyms, antonyms and context clues in English? You were once told to keep on reading so you can improve your vocabulary but you only learn to read comics in Bazooka.

Well, the possibility of having tsunami can be attributed to the following factors:
1. underwater earthquake (major)
2. volcanic eruption
3. sub-marine rockslide
4. asteroid or meteoroid crashing
5. earthquake of 6.75 on the Richter scale

Well it satisfies numbers 1,3 and 5 factors therefore it is logical that PHIVOLCS should alert all of us but not necessarily Iloilo. Thanks anyway to the reminders of Iloilo City government.

Filipino . Naku naman! E bakit kasi hindi pa natin maisulat sa wikang nauunawaan nga nakararami ang mga babala? Ano kaya kung marinig natin sa pampublikong audio system, “Tang-*** kayo! Umalis na kayo diyan kasi MAAARING dumating ang malalaking alon.” Pa alert alert pa kasi tayo. Ang babala naman ay nakasulat pa naman sa Englis. Ewan ko kugn bakit ganito tayo. Oo, kasalanan ko at kasalanan mo rin. Tayo at tayo rin lang ang makalulutas ng ganitong suliranin. Yanig na talaga ang mundo ko.

Research . Why do you keep on asking other people about the earthquake IF you can check PHIVOLCS website yourself? Why you like all actors and actresses but cannot like DOST’s Facebook page. Yes, I can be asked yet try to consider primary source because I am a secondary source myself.
Likewise, warnings were made to preempt us of worse to come, be it a tsunami or more tremors. They have to gather seismic data for us so you are expected to observe the right..

Values . Be patient of the advisory. Check first if it is safe for you to return and resume to your activity. Patience is a virtue you should manifest in times like this.

Math . Seismologists were busy making graphs from the seismic data while you wait. They have to figure out the trend if the amplitude of the seismic wave is increasing or decreasing. In the future you might want to make use of your mathematical skills in helping humanity.

Health . If you are injured, then you know how to apply first aid. You can also be of help to those injured just in case.

Engineering . Your major may be civil or material science and earthquake will prove to us if the structure you have built is strong enough to withstand an earthquake. If the roads are laid before a solid foundation or if you conduct building stability test.

Philosophy . Earthquake is a release of energy. If energy is released during an earthquake then you better capture the energy and be ‘energized’.

Physics . You can decide if you will jump from a high building and suffer the consequence. You can solve for the momentum of falling debris as it falls towards your head. Earthquake involves basically waves and the more we understand these waves then the more we get to know better earthquakes.
Earthquakes are classified as major or minor depending on the depth of the focus. So the shallower the origin of the earthquake the more it becomes destructive. Energy is simply transferred and it depends on the elasticity of the material. When people speak of terms like magnitude, intensity, focus, wave and other nose-bleeding terms then you won’t be needing a tissue paper to wipe that blood.

Earth Science. IF YOU INTEND TO LIVE ON THIS EARTH, YOU SHOULD KNOW HOW IT WORKS. Who among you will accept the challenge of becoming a seismologist or a geologist? There is no better way to help us than for you to learn the different facets of an earthquake except by being an earth scientist. It is only through deeper understanding that we can equip ourselves of this natural disaster. Yes, you are a doctor that can help an earthquake victim. You can also be an engineer who can construct strong buildings. We have more of you in the field already but we need more seismologists and volcanologists.

Religion. I don’t understand why people would associate earthquake with God. They would claim that earthquake is God’s reminder to call for His name and to repent from our sins. Well and good but how despicable you are to claim that earthquake is God’s will.
If you are paying attention to last year’s Bible reading if you happen to be a Christian then you must have heard or read the following passage:

1 Kings 19:9-14

Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ He answered, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.’

He said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ He answered, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.’ 

In other words, Jesus won’t come in earthquake and never the will of God to kill anyone. Forget about what you saw and heard in films God depicted as dove flapping its wings with a big voice echoing. My faith tells me that God will come in a gentle voice and He needs not come shaking all of us in fear of tremor. Does He need this “special effects” to catch our attention?

What can you help as a student?
- Calm yourself.
- Inform your parents as soon as possible if you are safe.
- Refrain from using cellular phone so as not to cause network traffic.
- Don’t cry for an earthquake if there is none. Instead, cry, “I’m wolf! Wolf! Wolf!”

By the way, your capacity to feel a forthcoming earthquake is proportional to your capacity to love. I am glad I felt the tremor yesterday because I again confirmed, “Yes, I am in love!”

If all else fail and you think I am talking nonsense then you better migrate to Palawan island. It is believed that there are no faults there which means no earthquake to deal with. So you decide if you stay where you can shake your booty or crocodiles can bite your booty.

I’m shaken, shimmering, splendid,

siraris