Sunday 23 September 2007

Alzheimers' Eye Test (incredible!)

Count every "F" in the following text:

FINISHED FILES ARE THE RE
SULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTI
FIC STUDY COMBINED
WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF YEARS...

HOW MANY ? WRONG, THERE ARE [6] (highlight text box on the left to see the answer).
I am not joking!

The brain cannot process "OF".
Incredible? Go back and count again!!
Anyone who counts all 6 "F's" on the first go is a genius.
Three is normal, four is quite rare.

Thursday 20 September 2007

Beauty of Math!

Maths is amazing, see below:

1 x 8 + 1 = 9
12 x 8 + 2 = 98
123 x 8 + 3 = 987
1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876
12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765
123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654
1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543
12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432
123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321

1 x 9 + 2 = 11
12 x 9 + 3 = 111
123 x 9 + 4 = 1111
1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111
12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111
123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111
1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111
12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111
123456789 x 9 +10= 1111111111

9 x 9 + 7 = 88
98 x 9 + 6 = 888
987 x 9 + 5 = 8888
9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888
98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888
987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888
9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888
98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888

1 x 1 = 1
11 x 11 = 121
111 x 111 = 12321
1111 x 1111 = 1234321
11111 x 11111 = 123454321
111111 x 111111 = 12345654321
1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321
11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321
111111111 x 111111111= 12345678987654321

Brilliant, isn't it?

Sunday 9 September 2007

QPS Robotics Team emerged Champion!

- This article is contributed by Lim Min -




Yay! Our team clinched the championship award in the open category of Robotics Competition organised by the Singapore Science Centre on 8 Sep. My team consisted of Nicky, Jeremy (Clerence's brother), Jia He, Derek and me (Lim Min), all from QPS P6A'2006. Lim Jeck could not join us as he had to be at the SMO Prize Presentation on the day of the competition. The theme for this year is "Civil safety, security and emergency response". To prepare for this competition, all of us met at my house from Tuesday to Friday, 7.30pm to 11.30pm and on Saturday from 6.30am to 8am. We created a skit. It went like this: Jeremy would light a toilet-paper house on fire. I would operate the robot so that it would move towards the fire and squirt water onto the burning house and then go around it, cordoning off the area with a rope.

The whole experience was quite hilarious! Read on.

When we reached the science centre and realised that we were supposed to run the robot on the carpet instead of a smooth floor (oh no, our robot could not run properly on carpeted floor!), we quickly took our planks and 6 other teams' planks from their booths without them knowing as they were not there yet except for 1 JC Group. This group was kind enough to remove their belongings on the board at the top, to let us take the plank at the bottom. Weren't we resourceful! All of the judges did not notice that, or so we thought.

A group of judges came and noticed we were from different schools. They commented that it was the first time they had come across any team that comprised students from 4 different secondary schools (NUSH, RV, HCI, RGS). They were impressed, and kept complimenting that we were cohesive and close-knit even after leaving our primary school. They also asked if the robot used some sort of heat sensor to detect the fire. We replied "no". After the skit and the Q & A with the judges, we washed the plate of ashes and wiped the planks clean with a whole roll of toilet paper from the science centre girl's toilet. Aren't we resourceful again! Actually we tore out pieces of toilet paper to wipe the planks clean but then Nicky took the whole roll and rubbed it on the planks. We pulled out a chunk of toilet paper and wiped the planks, leaving the roll in a bad shape. We then returned one of the planks to the JC group. The JC group removed their things again so that we could put the plank back. Then Jeremy was playing with the matchsticks, enjoying the sight of it being burned away gradually. Then the bad news came. We had to present to another group of judges! There were actually two penal of judges! So we went to the JC group and took their plank again which meant they had to lift up their things agian. And there was only 1 matchstick left! We quickly set up everything again.

The second group of judges again asked if we used any heat sensor (maybe this was an important criteria). After they left, we took one of the planks and returned to the JC group again which meant they had to lift their things again (poor them!).

To be sure that we did not have to go through the same process again, we confirmed with the organiser that there would not be a third round of judges. Since the girl's toilet had no more toilet paper for us, the boys went to the boy's toilet to get some. I think they took all of the toilet papers too. We cleared up all the things (11am) and waited for the announcement scheduled for 3pm. I went for the sprint race at 2pm and met my team at McDonalds at about 3pm. I asked them for the result but they said we got 1st but not champion. I didn't understand what they meant and they said that was what my father said. I only realised what this meant later. My father asked for the result and the organiser said that we got 1st. Then Nicky, Jeremy, Jia He and Derek asked my father for the result and he said we got champion. Nicky asked if that was what the organiser said and my father replied, "No, they did not say we are champion, this is what I say. They only said we got 1st." (Get it?) This led to the confusion.

We did get 1st/Champion (same meaning) and won a trophy, 5 gold medals and 2 NXT Robotics Sets. We presented the trophy to QPS.
Update: Singapore Science Centre is sponsoring us (one coach + 3 members) to Taiwan-Taipei to take part in the Robotics Olympiad from 16 - 18 Nov. Wish us luck!!

Sunday 2 September 2007

《Tell Me Why》- A Children's tribute

A touching MTV ...



Lyrics:
In my dreams children sing
A song of love for every boy and girl
The sky is blue the fields are green
And laughter is the language of the world
Then I wake and all I see is a world full of people in need

Tell me why, does it have to be like this
Tell me why, is there something I have missed
Tell me why, I don't understand
When somebody needs somebody
We don't give a helping hand
Tell me why

Every day I ask myself what I have to do to be a man
Do I have to stand and fight
To prove to everybody who I am
Is that what my life is for
To waste in a world full of war

Tell me why, does it have to be like this
Tell me why, is there something I have missed
Tell me why, I don't understand
When somebody needs somebody
We don't give a helping hand

Tell me why
Tell me why
Tell me why
Just tell me why
Tell me why?
Just tell me why, why, why?

Tell me why (why,why,does the tiger run)
Tell me why(why why do we shoot the gun)
Tell me why (why,why do we never learn)
Can someone tell us why we let the forest burn?(why,why do we say we care)
Tell me why(why,why do we stand and stare)
Tell me why(why,why do the dolphins cry)
Can some one tell us why we let the ocean die?(why,why if we're all the same)
Tell me why(why,why do we pass the blame)
Tell me why (why,why does it never end)
Can some one tell us why we cannot just be friends?

Why Why.