Sunday, June 24, 2012

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




Friday, June 22, 2012

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.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

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