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

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