Interesting
It was another one of our many group discussions in class as we settled round a table. A group consists of 7 to 8 men and we were given a case study to discuss which we had to present later on.
As usual, our formal discussion lasted at most 10 minutes and we started to drift off to other things irrelevant. We started to talk about games, football and etc when one of our group members shared with us something interesting.
This is the question he posed.
If you are standing on the 20th storey and you dropped a 20 cents coin down and it landed on someone's head, will it cause a crack in that person's skull?
A friendly debate started and most of us agreed that yes, it will cause a crack. The more 'scientific people' gave their explanation that when an object fell from a high point, it will start to gather momentum because of velocity and in turn turned into a force that is huge enough to kill.
The guy who posed this question then told us that this question came from a television program he saw. The television program will pose such questions and then do an experiment. And so this is how the experiment is conducted.
A 20 cent coin is inserted into a M16 and then fired towards a target board(don't ask me how they put the coin inside the machine gun, I may be a soldier but i really don't know). Anyway after the shot was fired, the experimenters went to retrieve the 20 cents coin and found that it was dented but the target board was 'unhurt'.
The experimenters then explained the logic why. Because the 20 cents coin was very light, it is not enough to cause any fatal wound and so even despite traveling at such a high speed, it is unable to cause any harm because of its weight. Instead it will be dented.
Then he asked us another one. When a person is struck in a quicksand, will he totally sink into the quicksand and die of suffocation?
The answer is no. The common misconception is that a quicksand will suck a person into the sand until you cannot see the person anymore. But that is not the case. The experiment is done using a man-made quicksand and a dummy the weight of an average human being was thrown in. Eventually the dummy was sucked in until its chest level. That is the maximum it can go.
The people then explained that people won't die because they were sucked into the quicksand. Its because after being sucked to chest level, its almost impossible to get up unless special tools were used. They died due to dehydration or hunger.
And then it was my turn to ask a question. A poly classmate asked me this a couple of years ago and until now I still don't know the answer.
The question:
Imagine you are standing in a fast moving train. Then you jump. Will you still land on the same spot from where you jump?
One classmate offered his theory. He said that if the train is moving at a constant speed of ,let's say 100 km/hr. If you jumped then, then yes, you will land on the same spot because if you are in a train traveling 100 km/hr, that means you are travelling at 100 km/hr as well. But if the train is accelerating, let's say from 50km to 100km/hr, then you will not land at the spot from you jump because when you jump, you are already not traveling the same speed as the train due to its acceleration.
I accepted his theory as I was never a good Science student. But what he says does make sense from a Scientific point of view. But if you ask me, I will also tell you that if the train is accelerating and you jump, you will not land on the same spot. Because you will collapse into a heap and make a fool out of yourself.
Discussions like these are very interesting. The only bad thing is these people make me feel so stupid and ignorant. I hate Science.
The beautiful language
狼牙月 伊人憔悴
我举杯 饮尽了风雪
是谁打翻前世柜
惹尘埃是非
缘字诀 几番轮回
你锁眉 哭红颜换不回
纵然青史已经成灰 我爱不灭
This is a song sang by Jay Zhou entitled 发如雪. But its not about Jay. This is written by Fang Wen Shan who is undoubtedly one of the most talented song-writers around. Just look at the beauty of the words. Tell me, can the English language do something as beautiful as this?
Chinese words to me is beautiful because they are a thousand ways to describe something unlike the English words which are quite limited. Can anyone translate the above into English? Even so, will it be as beautiful?
The Chinese culture, unfortunately is going down the slumps. Many youngsters nowadays prefer to speak English rather than embrace their own culture. There are even many Chinese who couldn't speak Chinese let alone write. Chinese don't know how to speak Chinese? Have you heard of Ang Mo who cannot speak English? Or Malays who cannot speak malay?
Is it the Western influence that is so prominent everywhere? Or is it the education? English language may be very important since it is the international language but shouldn't we emphasis the importance of knowing our own culture? This is something that belongs to us but yet we are treating it as a hassle. Many may argue that chinese words are very difficult to write compared to English. But this is OUR language.
Most younger generation don't even read the Chinese papers because they cannot understand what its writing. Its a real pity because at the rate its going, perhaps come 1000 years down the road, the chinese culture could be lost forever. It may sound a bit far-fetched but look around you, how many people can actually write proper Chinese? They may be able to in Secondary school but once graduating from there, how many still can?
There is a common misconception that the Chinese are inferior to Westerns. Even typical Aunties like my mother when shopping will go "Eeee..made in China one, don't buy better". Well, Nike products are also made in China but they are one of the biggest if not the biggest sporting company around. American brand? Superior?
When I worked part-time at Sports-link before I got enlisted, I sold shoes of a China brand. According to some of my customers who hail from China, this brand is BIG in China, like Adidas in Germany. However when other customers heard that this is a China brand, they will shun and make remarks like "I think I go inside see the American brand better". Its funny how some products despite being almost the same quality but just because of the country it hails from, can fetch a much higher price.
While I am not a huge fan of mushy love songs, Fang Wen Shan always had me enchanted with his expressing of the words. Like this below.
我给你的爱写在西元前
深埋在美索不达米亚平原
几十个世纪后出土发现
泥板上的字迹依然清晰可见
我给你的爱写在西元前
深埋在美索不达米亚平原
用楔形文字刻下了永远
那已风化千年的誓言
一切又重演
Mushy indeed but with a delicate touch of substance. Not the typical I-love-you-but-you-don't-love-me-why-like-that stuff. I honestly wonder how this piece of song/poetry can be translated into English.
Let's hope that one day the future generations will learn to appreciate the beauty of their own culture and understand where they really come from. It's a real shame not to.
The problem with JC people nowadays
Yesterday while reading the Newpaper, I came across an article whereby a JC student was accusing Poly students of being stupid. Apparently the verbal fight came because of an online game(not sure whether its DOTA). 17 or 18 years old and still fighting over a game. Like small kids fighting over a toy.
Just a couple of weeks ago, I saw the same thing happen 'live' in front of my eyes. I was in the MRT going home when a bunch of JC students broaded the train. They were in a very heated discussion. 2 individuals especially.
This guy A accused B of cheating the night before playing DOTA. I am not too sure what its all about because I don't play DOTA. B then countered by saying A should quit the game altogether because he totally sucks. The 2 of them were then pulled apart before they could rain blows on each other. They then all alighted the following stop. By then I was already laughing my teeth off.
17 or 18 years old already. By right they are already young adults. In fact, these people are supposely the future leaders of our nation but yet fighting over something so trival. At the end of the day, its just a game, isn't it?
Sometimes I think these JC people like to argue too much. They just cannot seem to compromise. I don't understand the point of causing so many controvesary issues. They should put their talent to good use by joining the debate team. Then they will be given the proper license to argue all they want. Got prize to take somemore, why not?
For that guy who commented that Poly students are stupid in the newpaper, it goes to show his maturity and substance. Especially because he made those remarks because he was unhappy over something in his game. For god's sake, grow up!
I have no doubts that most JC students are much more hardworking than Poly students. But hardworking doesn't define your intelligence. Poly students are more streetwise and I think that is going to be more helpful in one's future path. Poly students are also more practical. Instead of arguing that much, they prefer to fight straightaway. Which is also the reason why they get into trouble more easily than others.
I think I am talking too much crap and I don't even know what I am writing. Perhaps its because I am suffering from a minor bout of depression. The reason why maybe I will publish in here someday. Think I should go get an MC. It helps to ease the depression.
Monotonous
I reckon I am a very boring person. The things I do everyday has gradually become a routine. Everyday coming home from camp, I eat dinner,shower and watch some lame Taiwan variety shows. After that, I will play Championship Manager on my laptop and read at the same time until I go to bed. And I have been playing Championship Manager(a football management game) for the past ten years.
I don't play online games. Most of my peers do and I don't understand why they are so excited just talking about it. Even when I was in Poly, while all my classmates are playing counter-strike in the lab, I will be off in one corner playing my Championship Manager. I did give counter-strike a try anyway. But I knew I was crap when I was already shot dead even before I managed to fire one shot.
Some friends introduced me to Warcraft. All I did was walk round in circles not knowing where to go and what to do. They would tell me where to go and what to do but I still got lost anyway. They gave up on me soon after.
I have a PS 2 at home. I have more than over 40 games. But I seldom touch it. The only game I played was Winning 11. I didn't even bother to touch the rest of the games. I often wondered why I bought the PS2 in the first place. It looked almost like a redunctant piece of metal in my house.
Weekends are also almost the same. I would perhaps rent a movie or two. Play CM. Read. Play soccer. Watch some lame TV. EPL on saturday nights. I don't drink. I don't dance and I hate clubbing and I don't have a girlfriend.
Perhaps its time to pick up a new hobby. Or even a vice. I need some excitement. I need a life.
