Updates on my life!

Hi all,

Another uninspiring title, but oh well, I got enough updates to make one more post! I better do it for there are many events I would like to be noted down here!

After the meditation retreat, I've been to facebook and meet one of the most interesting and coolest guy around: Tashi Pandito. He's an aspiring Bodhisattva and incoming physics major! Needless to say, I got him to want to join in SPS! (Or else very little chance to interact between us and also he can meet future people that will work in his company). He's the only one (who's junior of me that I know of) that has the closest in interest with me in Physics and Buddhism!

Ok, then I went to MDC on Monday night and share my experiences of the retreat that I just came back from one day before! That is after Xin Qin and Rebecca's sharing of their retreat experience, which I'm glad to find out that they got the inspiration from my going for the short term monkhood!

Then there's the upcoming MSL (Malaysian Student League) UFO (University Freshmen Orientation) that was ongoing and planning out. And also I've been to Nanyang Polytechnic Buddhist Society (before going to retreat) that was when I started to decide to take up NUSBS MC again (no small thanks to Carmen)! And then after the retreat, I've seen and feed on the food of Dharma good enough to start afresh! All those hard work during the past year... it was worth it!

On the 3rd July, I've tried to go to NTU to join in the Youth Olympic Games venue familiarization. However, I can't find the place for quite a long time and when I sms the organizer, she said they were at LT12, and there's only one LT 12, and the creepy thing is that I'm at the outside of LT12 and it's empty! Weird case of trans-dimensional communication? Maybe there's 2 worlds, and I'm communicating with the world where they are in LT12 but I'm in the world where they are not!

Anyway, it just got creepy because I was reading on this book in the NTU Library (Since I came to NTU): Breaking the Time Barrier: The Race to Build the First Time Machine By Jenny Randles. Strict Physicist Review: (almost) completely nutty. Not worth the read, made me glad I didn't buy that book a few years back.

Almost completely nutty- and this is from a physics undergrad student who spend 1 year on time travel research.

Most of the concepts there are better explained by other popular time travel books and some of them which are clearly crackpot cases, she puts it in a chapter and wrote as if they could become real anytime soon! There's even one chapter on using quantum entanglement to do FTL(Faster than Light)! Sorry gal, but I've been there, if Time travel is to be done it will be in GR, not quantum. Not worth the buy, almost not worth the read. Her last idea in the book seems good enough as an experimental observational study: to find out and examine events that might point to a naturally occurring time travel phenomena.

Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel by Michio Kaku
is a more worthwhile read, providing many guidelines to my science fiction book!

Then after a trip to the library, a trip to a mall, I ended the day with a trip to the library with comic books as my companion! I like to read those Superheroes comics! They give such inspiration and wonder and exploration of the superheroes science fiction!

The next week was busy getting my presentation and programming done. And also to get one job off, the website for Valerio's group in CQT has been delayed! Then that weekend I missed!?!? the graduating ceremony of my fellow physics seniors! Sorry Ah Siang, gonna miss yours too.

Then the next day I'm in Poh Ming Tse, recapping and feedbacking on the possible improvements etc.... for the Awaken Challenge competition! There I've meet a lot of friends that I had meet in the Awaken Challenge and would meet again just a few hours ago in the Buddhism and Science Symposium.

Incidentally, that night was the Finals of the World Cup, which prompted my previous post! And then.... the MDC Monday night again was cool as it was about Jit Seng & co. trip to the Himalayans and also the 2 new people who took over Kai kok as the organizer for MDC!

Tuesday and Wednesday night I went to the MSL UFO (as stated earlier) and got bored after a while (cause there's no senior sharing session for course of study yet). Then I came back and finish up my presentation for the Wednesday's presentation to DSI! It was nice and fun! Then also Wednesday afternoon, my supervisor, Valerio, asked John Baez (who dabbled in Quantum Gravity!) to come and have lunch with us (his big group)!

Thursday I went to lunch with my DSI supervisor, Dr. Lee and we shared about our Buddhism Views. Then I went and joined the farewell party for Charles, who is leaving in 2 weeks time to the Swiss, Geneva, near LHC! And after that was a rush to the Buddhism and Science Symposium in Suntec City (first time I've been there)! You can only imagine my gladness to see familiar faces around that was the volunteers helpers! My NTUBS friends who also went for the Meditation retreat was there, one by one I saw them! Along with a few polyBS friends that I've mentioned, we all sat and listened to a wonderful 2 hours++ talk and Q&A by Dr. Alan Wallace, Dr. Paul Ekman, and Ven.(Dr.) Jing Yin!

Finally I had better sleep now! See ya all next time!

World Cup 2010, Paul the Octopus

It seems interesting that Paul the Octopus had predicted correctly all of the matches in the 2010 world cup! Including the finals that just ended with Spain as the winner. I think that he may have some psychic powers, even if there are other theories that may point otherwise, the sheer improbability of 100% correct guesses prompts a real cool investigation.

NUS Module Review: PC1144 Physics 4

Description:	This module introduces the ideas of modern physics to students, with an emphasis on conceptual understanding. Topics covered are a) Einstein's theory of special relativity, including time dilation, length contraction, and his famous equation E=mc2, b) Quantum physics, where the observed phenomena of black body radiation, the photoelectric effect and Compton scattering, leading to the quantization of angular momentum and energy, atomic transitions and atomic spectra, c) Introduction to quantum mechanics, introducing the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, wave-mechanics and wave particle duality, and the use of wavefunctions in predicting the behaviour of particles trapped in potential wells, d) Nuclear physics, introducing radioactivity and decay processes, nuclear interaction and binding energy, fission and fusion, and e) Sub-atomic elementary particles and their classification. The module is targeted at science students who are interested in learning about the more recent developments in physics, and is an essential for physics majors.
Credits:	4
Workload:	2 lecture hours per week 1 tutorial hours per week 1 lab hours per week 2 hours for projects, assignments, fieldwork etc per week 4 hours for preparatory work by a student per week 10 Total

Personal Experience:
One of the easiest module to source, you may want to consider taking QM1 along side this one and MA1506, it makes more sense and some topics overlap. For me it is really just another free A. Too bad I didn't put enough effort to make it an easy A+.

Teaching Staff:
Asst Prof Chung Keng Yeow tries to let the students be fascinated with the mysteries of Special Relativity and Quantum Theory. Same as Peter Ho, through, bring some sweets to the lectures. And be sure to seek outer sources if you can't understand the slides. And be sure to read the slides before going into the class.

Workload:
Same as the other level 1 physics modules (read the other reviews), just do your best and A is not hard to get!

Content:
Still mostly pre-Quantum stuff, but there's a very valuable experience of solving the Schrödinger's equation. No General Relativity maths here, and this is all you'll get of Special Relativity, so be sure to appreciate it and learn it well.

NUS Module Review: PC1143 Physics 3

Description:	This module covers the fundamentals of electricity and magnetism: electric fields, electric flux and Gauss's law, electric potential; capacitance, dielectrics, current and resistance; DC circuits; magnetic fields, magnetic effect of currents, Ampere's law, electromagnetic induction; AC circuits; magnetism in matter; electromagnetic waves. The module also has a practical component consisting of five experiments designed to enhance students' understanding of some of the concepts discussed in lectures. This module is targeted at science students who wish to acquire a working knowledge in electricity and magnetism, and is an essential for physics majors.
Credits:	4
Workload:	2 lecture hours per week 1 tutorial hours per week 1 lab hours per week 2 hours for projects, assignments, fieldwork etc per week 4 hours for preparatory work by a student per week 10 Total

Personal Experience:
I like this class, one of the best! Get your basics right and you'll get an A in the exam! Train until you're perfect, then get an A+.

Teaching Staff:
I regretted skipping so many of Dr. Yeo Ye's lectures....He's such a good lecturer that you'll ask for more, and want for more! He brings demo lab stuff to illustrate the coolness of Physics and make the class more interesting! Andreas is also a cool guy, so don't ever skip his tutorial, it's one of the most fun tutorial you'll ever sit in! Together they screw the concepts into your head, and you'll know the basics for sure!

Workload:
The quiz are not meant to be scored full, it's meant for you to know your weakness and to improve on it and not be so cocky. Mastering Physics may seem troublesome by now, but bear with it, cause it'll be the last sem you'll ever do it.

Content:
Although most of the things you might have learned in IPhO training, and the full form of Maxwell's equation has to wait for the next module, you can always find an interesting problem still. Like one time, they discussed a problem even until after the class ended.

NUS Module Review: PC1142 Physics 2

Description:	This module covers the fundamentals of two branches of physics: thermodynamics and optics. Its aim is to prepare students for a host of more advanced modules in these and related areas. Topics included in the part on thermodynamics are thermal processes and effects, the first and second laws, kinetic theory of gases, heat engines and entropy. The part on optics encompasses topics such as geometric optics, systems of lenses, optical instruments, interference, diffraction, grating and polarization. The module also has a practical component consisting of five experiments designed to enhance students' understanding of some of the concepts discussed in lectures. This module is targeted at science students who wish to acquire a working knowledge of thermodynamics and optics, and is an essential for physics majors.
Credits:	4
Workload:	2 lecture hours per week 1 tutorial hours per week 1 lab hours per week 2 hours for projects, assignments, fieldwork etc per week 4 hours for preparatory work by a student per week 10 Total

Personal Experience:
As before in Physics 1, since there's already 2 reviews here, I'll comment from the perspective of a student who had gone through IPhO training. If you had gone through a training similar or more rigorous than what I did, then you definitely earn the right to skip lectures. This module is very cool as it teaches the one most important thing: The second law of Thermodynamics! Don't miss it! But you already know the second law.

Teaching Staff:
Peter Ho is quite ok. To be alert at all times, buy sweets to eat when you are sleepy and sit in front.

Workload:
The most troublesome thing is to do the reports and to remember which one are the test and exam dates, so that you don't miss it. Oh and the Mastering Physics online sections are easy, you can play a game while you're at it. Be sure to attend the tutorial if you want your A+, if you just want an A, then don't bother studying until the day before the exams. Do the tutorials before the exams too! It'll help you a lot more than mastering Physics.

Content:
There's something new to learn here, definitely more content and more detailed than the rush you went through in IPhO training. Ok fine to make it not too repetitive, I'll put more here: no need for textbooks!

NUS Module Review: PC1141 Physics 1

Description: This module presents the fundamental principles of classical mechanics. It covers such topics as kinematics, Galilean transformation, Newton's laws of motion, dynamics of a particle with generalization to many particle systems, conservation laws, collisions, angular momentum and torque, motion of a rigid body, gravitation and planetary motion, static equilibrium, oscillatory motion and vibrational modes, waves, Doppler's effect and fluid mechanics. The module also has a practical component consisting of five experiments designed to enhance students' understanding of some of the concepts discussed in lectures. This module is targeted at science students who wish to acquire a working knowledge of mechanics, and is an essential for physics majors.
Credits: 4
Workload:
2 lecture hours per week
1 tutorial hours per week
1 lab hours per week
2 hours for projects, assignments, fieldwork etc per week
4 hours for preparatory work by a student per week
10 Total


Personal Experience:
Since there's already 2 reviews here, I'll comment from the perspective of a student who had gone through IPhO training. If you had gone through a training similar or more rigorous than what I did, then you definitely earn the right to skip lectures, especially if the lectures are 8 in the morning and you only woke up at 8! Take this instead of taking that advanced placement test might be advantageous in the sense that it teaches you to be patient and to get an free A.

Teaching Staff:
Oh I like Qing Hai, he plays cool physics/maths stuff during the mid break. Too bad I missed a lot of his lecture....

Workload:
The most troublesome thing is to do the reports and to remember which one are the test and exam dates, so that you don't miss it. Oh and the Mastering Physics online sections are easy, you can play a game while you're at it. Be sure to attend the tutorial if you want your A+, if you just want an A, then don't bother studying until the day before the exams.

Content:
There's nothing much new to learn here, just more detailed than the rush you went through in IPhO training.

The End of God continued.....

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v466/n7302/full/466150a.html

I saw this story in nature and the author is only 18 years old!

Inspired by this I decided to continue on the story: (Hope this doesn't count as plagiarizing as I acknowledge the source.)







As I stepped out of the hospital, having their parietal-lobe disabled, I saw celebrations in towns and streets and the Common Law Act has effectively reduced the population of those who are chronically deluded to zero. I was the last one.

Since it started 4 months ago, more than half of the world's population has converted to atheists and crime rates are at all time high.

I picked up a newspaper from the stand, the usual length of a newspaper doubled to include these new crimes. And scientist are hard at work finding the part in our brains that causes violence and uncontrolled lust. Once it is found, the whole world will once again go through a cleansing of (this time) morals.

Good luck to them. I thought, no longer having an inner sense of security. My face was haggarded, no point to cheer up to live a meaningless life. I have almost forgotten everything they taught us in the school. All hope seemed lost.

However, one group of people remained unchanged. I met them accidentally. On the streets where screams of woman can be heard and the atmosphere stinks of the crimes that about to happen, a group of serene looking people... Serene I said yes!... came and begged for alms. They looked poor, with only the robes on their backs, and the bowl on their hands, they seemed homeless and ready to sleep anywhere.

Then one of them came and stop in front of me, for a few seconds. For just a second, my heart freeze, my mind worked again.

In this world of cruelty and without the Almighty, one can hardly expect anyone to do good. One can hardly get an opportunity to do good. It's everyone for their own on their own. Yet this recluse, this man who has abandoned everything worldly including his hair. He offered me a chance to do good! Maybe goodness has not been all gone in the world, maybe we can still have a ray of hope.

And so I took out a note from my wallet but before I could give it, he withdraw the bowl and smiled at me, "Sorry young friend, but my training rule does not allow me to receive gold and silver. Please save it for someone else who has not gone forth." He started to walk away.

"Wait!", that was all that I could think of saying to stop him.

He stopped and with infinite grace and calmness turned around for my query.

"I thought they had everyone turned to non-religious vegabonds, and yet here you are. You looked like you know the Creator. How could the satellite missed you?"

He smiled and said, "I don't know the Creator, I do not have blind faith. My faith and confidence is deeply rooted in my experiences from my practises. "

"Pray tell me your practise." I pleaded.

"To avoid evil, to do good, and to purify one's mind. That is my practise." The Venerable Sir in robes said.

"How can one do good when one is not in touch with the Omnibenevolent one?"

"There are good and evil in everyone. Whatever actions we do is a choice we all make, the way to deliverance depends on us, not on anyone outside."

I was dumbfounded. Self reliance. What a beautiful concept! What an unique and apt solution to the Scientific Crusade!

I kneeled down and politely asked him, "Please tell me the name of your Lord that teaches this. I wish to convert."

He then replied,

• Do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing,
• nor upon tradition,
• nor upon rumor,
• nor upon what is in a scripture,
• nor upon surmise,
• nor upon an axiom,
• nor upon specious reasoning,
• nor upon a bias towards a notion that has been pondered over,
• nor upon another's seeming ability,
• nor upon the consideration, "The monk is our teacher."

when you yourself know: "These things are good; these things are not blamable; these things are praised by the wise; undertaken and observed, these things lead to benefit and happiness," enter on and abide in them.

I was shocked! This is more rigorous than what Science demands! Here is a religion that cannot fall in the face of Science. Here is a religion bigger than Science itself! Science may control the brain, but self control of our mind is the foolproof way to avoid the chaos in the world now.

Tears in my eyes now, I fully prostrate myself at his feet and asked for the name of his religion, so that I may seek the light.

He smiled and just replied, "Buddhism."

Ok story ends.

Notes: I have no idea whether what the removal/deactivation of the parietal-lobe will do to Buddhist meditation. However, the teachings of the Buddha are as true as I can make it here.

The main moral of the story I hope to convey is that the world need religions, one religion or another. And I do prefer it that the Scientific Crusade will never happen. Other than to avoid the increase in crimes and depression, most importantly is to never deny others of their own faith.

Also this "Here is a religion that cannot fall in the face of Science." statement is just the author's personal view, it may or may not be true. What I think is more realistic is that all religions will suffer from the Scientific Crusade in one way or another but they will survive in one form or another.

This is not meant to look down upon any religions, just an interesting exploration of one possible future.

To study and learn more about Buddhism please visit:
http://www.buddhist-temples.com/buddhism-facts/buddhism-for-beginner.html
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/

Sources copied from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalama_Sutta

Nice pictures of Matlab

One can hardly admit that this is not art. These beautiful images are created from MATLAB by accident. Enjoy!

NTUBS & NUSBS Meditation Retreat 2010

On 20th to 27th June 2010, during their holidays, 15 young people went overseas and stayed at Santi Forest Monastery, Ulu Tiram, Johor for a meditation retreat joined-organised by NTUBS and NUSBS. This is a break from the usual tradition of organising a retreat in the busy city of Singapore. It allows a change in environment from noises of cars and aircons to noises by the wildlifes in the forest and natural shades, which definitely is more condusive to meditation.

We toiled, worked, and pushed hard everyday on our meditation practice, having 5 hours of group sitting (with monks), 2 hours of chanting, 3 hours of group sitting (by ourselves), totalling in 10 hours of opportunity per day to hone our meditation skills! The 2-3 hours talks and group Q&A sessions by Bante Seng everyday are the most interesting, enlightening and inspirational part of the day. He teaches us always, if possible, quoting the words of the Lord Buddha himself, from the suttas. Everyone benefits from the group Q&A too as many of the questions asked by eager students are the questions in everyone’s mind.

Bante Seng managed to finish a basic (intermediate) meditation course including, Anapanasati (mindfulness on breathing), Metta (loving kindness), Asubha (on the loathsome, to combat lust), Buddhanussati (Contemplation on the Buddha), The 5 subjects for frequent recollections, How to overcome sleepiness, How to remove distracting thoughts, and much more......

The atmosphere is verrrrrry nice there, too a while to get used to washing our own clothes and the 4-5 hours of sleeping time there, but it is wellllllllllllll worth it.

Santi Forest Monastery allows most of us to take turns and join in the Pintapata (alms collecting) as a kapiya (helpers) for the monks. Other than that, a special experience not to be found in city monasteries is living in a Kuti, a small hut in the forest. (to experience and overcome laziness, pain and fear) The experience is very close to what is available in the early Buddhism and for that we hope that we will be able to follow the footsteps of the Buddha and Arahants to be free from all suffering.

Finally, we are grateful to Bante Seng for teaching us and guiding us with patience and tolerance, Santi Forest Monastery for providing the opportunity and grounds for the making of merits, Sis Meng Hui from NTUBS and Bro. Xin Zhao from NUSBS for co-organising the event. Sadhu to all.

Hopefully next time we have a retreat there, you guys will not miss it!

NUS Module Review: PC4245 Particle Physics

Description:	This is an introductory course on the fundamental constituents of matter and their basic interactions; important concepts and principles, recent important experiments, underlying theoretical tools and calculation techniques in elementary particles physics will be expounded. The topics covered are: basic properties of elementary particles and the standard model, relativistic kinematics; symmetries: isospin and SU(3), quark model; parity and CP violation; Feynman diagrams and rules; quantum electrodynamics; cross sections and lifetimes: deep inelastic scattering; and introductory gauge theories and unified models. This module is mainly targeted at physics majors.
Credits:	4
Workload:	3 lecture hours per week 1 tutorial hours per week 0 lab hours per week 1 hours for projects, assignments, fieldwork etc per week 5 hours for preparatory work by a student per week 10 Total

Personal Experience:
I feel like catching up finally to the frontier of physics 30 years back, but to catch up those 30 years requires really speciallisation in this area. I like the way Feymann make his rules about how QED works... And you don't need QED to know this module.... it's not too applied Physics either, you need to apply the theory to get to deduce from new theories+ experimental facts to find out the Standard Model..... A very cool module I say! A must take for anyone serious in Theorectical Physics (and in uniting the quantum and the gravity).

Teaching Staff:
A very nice and patient Prof. Dr. Teo Kian Boon is. You might get lost in his speed but be sure to catch him and tell him to go slow if that happens and you are lost. But to be able to cover so much in one module is just plain amazing!

Workload:
Same as almost all level 4 Physics Theory modules, it covers the tutorials in class and have 2 term test each 15% and a 70% final term test. It's bearable but beware of the heavy tutorials, and make sure you do it to get good grades in the term tests. Just read, understand, and do then you should get an A.

Content:
Quite heavy in Maths and Problem solving, but also essential for any good foundation in Particle Physics, after this course, you can read the graduate Particle Physics and Electroweak theory, Higgs Mechanism etc.......(which was covered briefly)....