The making of mankind's first synthetic cell is a form of genetic engineering that could open a scientific Pandora's box, some ethicists and scientists warned today.
Researcher and entrepreneur Craig Venter unveiled the self-replicating bacteria cell overnight in the US after 15 years of research, hailing it a "powerful tool" for designing biology.
Using the same method, scientists could design bacteria to help produce biofuels or to clean up environmental hazards.
But critics say Venter is playing God and exposing humanity and the environment to bacteria that could mutate, with unforseen consequences, or even be used as biological weapons.
"It's quite a radically different approach," biochemistry professor Ann Simpson of the University of Technology, Sydney said.
"You've got to be very careful when you willy-nilly send something into the environment and you can't control its spread.
"And you can't control a bacteria spread once you release it."
Professor Simpson said this form of artificial life was unlike other form of biomedical advances, where changes are contained within an individual, drug or crop that could be carefully checked before they are released into the environment.
"Bacteria have been known to mutate and change, and [this could] change into something that they didn't predict, and it could be a problem."
Venter, who is also the co-author of the first sequencing of the human genome in 2000, has defended his team's work, telling the BBC that "it's been a goal of humanity from the earlier stages to try and control nature".
"That's how we got domesticated animals.
"This is the next stage in our understanding, it is a baby step in our understanding of how life fundamentally works and maybe how we can get some new handles on trying to control these microbial systems to benefit humanity."
Professor Don Chalmers of the University of Tasmania, who specialises in ethics and biotechnology law, said regulation was the key to the safe development and use of the science.
"I think it's absolutely critical - as Professor Margaret Somerville, a very distinguished Australian professor of law at McGill University expressed some years ago - that we have to ensure that science time, which moves very quickly, is followed very closely [by laws].
"The ethical debates [should] be contemporaneous with the science and that the regulation is in place to enable the good science to go forward but to control some of those perils."
Professor Chalmers said it was essential the public should be consulted and involved in debates on how science could be developed responsibly.
Australia, he said, was already "in the forefront" of ethics debates on genetic manipulation, while current laws and regulations have helped to draw the line on what science is acceptable here, and what is not.
"The Gene Technology Act sets down very careful rules about licensing, about laboratory standards, about the proper scientific review of the work from a biosafety point of view," he said.
"Most importantly, the National Health and Medical Research Council, with the Australian Health Ethics Committee and the Gene Technology Ethics Committee ... are bodies that give the opportunity for the ethical issues to be examined.
"We want to see responsible science carried out ethically and responsibly, but there are times when we will in fact become quite strict."
The synthetic genome created by the J. Craig Venter Institute is "watermarked" to distinguish it from a natural one.
The watermarks included the names of 46 authors and scientists who worked on the project on the genome along with its own website address - so that anyone who decodes it can send an email to the team.
Three sets of quotations including "to live, to err, to fall, to triumph, to recreate life out of life" from Irish author James Joyce were also included.
Venter told a press conference the team had started with a living cell, which had been transformed with the synthetic genome, adding that the cell had gone through a "million steps of replication" and was now frozen in a freezer.
"This is an important step we think, both scientifically and philosophically. It's certainly changed my views of the definitions of life and how life works," he added in a statement.
He also dismissed fears that such synthetic technology could be use for bio-terrorism.
"The technology is not for sale, the cells are not for sale," he told the BBC.
"We are trying to use this technology to advance vaccine protection, we are trying to use it to advance the basic understanding of cellular life."
- with AFP
Friday, May 21, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Argumentative essay Television Viewing final version#
Television set has become an important entertainment instrument and a necessity household product nowadays. Almost every household owns at least one television set (Sharif 1999). According to ATUS (2003), US residents allocate most of their leisure time on watching television. This fact is also supported by UK Time Use Survey (2000) which found that full time workers in UK spent most of their spare time on television, video and radio. Since people spent so much time watching television, its potential effects are being disputed. I strongly believe that television viewing brings more harms than benefits. Television viewing triggers behavioural problems, affects development of thinking and leads to health problems.
Firstly, television viewing is the main cause for some poor behaviours among children. Most parents today prefer to leave their children in front of television when they are busying with their works. However, children are immature enough to interprete and analyse the content of the television programmes. Action movies can give a scenario to children that violence is a norm in community. Everything can be tackled with violence. They may end up being boisterous. Antisocial behaviour like lack of attention and patience is the other impact of short segments and colourful modern children programmes. Kids are shaped to depress and give up easily when they face challenges in life. In addition, teenagers tend to follow their idols blindly and imitate the characters portrayed in the movies (Sharif 1999) which may be disastrous.
On top of that, development of thinking process is severely affected from long period of television viewing (Sharif 1999). Imaginative and problem solving skills are not develop in the process of watching television as it is a passive activity. Colourful graphics and important messages are portrayed visually in the programs. It discourages critical thinking as all the dominant issues are showed directly (Leigh 2001). Children accept all the information conveyed and do not think via program shows. Moreover, Dr Geraldine, an educational psychologist asserts that students who watch excessive television programmes perform badly in school (Leigh 2001). It is believed that television distracts children from focusing in other works including homework.
Ultimately, television viewing can lead to health diseases. Sitting down to watch television is a sedentary lifestyle which is unhealthy (Rutherford 2002). This statement is supported by Sharif (1999) whereby extended period of television watching is physically inactive. Additionally, less time is allocated for sports and exercise as shown by data collected from ATUS (2003) and UK Time Use Survey (2000). Physically inactive is detrimental to our health as well. This situation is worsened as most people prefer to grab some snacks during show time. All these junk food is high in calories, fats, sugar and salts which can lead to obesity and related illnesses (Rutherford 2002).
In a nutshell, I strongly assert that the drawbacks of television watching outweigh its advantages. It is solely depending on how a person manages his or her time and what TV programmes he or she chooses to watch. Nevertheless, we human beings tend to pick up bad habits more readily than accepting new and educational virtues. Therefore, majority of people lost more than gain in watching television.
Firstly, television viewing is the main cause for some poor behaviours among children. Most parents today prefer to leave their children in front of television when they are busying with their works. However, children are immature enough to interprete and analyse the content of the television programmes. Action movies can give a scenario to children that violence is a norm in community. Everything can be tackled with violence. They may end up being boisterous. Antisocial behaviour like lack of attention and patience is the other impact of short segments and colourful modern children programmes. Kids are shaped to depress and give up easily when they face challenges in life. In addition, teenagers tend to follow their idols blindly and imitate the characters portrayed in the movies (Sharif 1999) which may be disastrous.
On top of that, development of thinking process is severely affected from long period of television viewing (Sharif 1999). Imaginative and problem solving skills are not develop in the process of watching television as it is a passive activity. Colourful graphics and important messages are portrayed visually in the programs. It discourages critical thinking as all the dominant issues are showed directly (Leigh 2001). Children accept all the information conveyed and do not think via program shows. Moreover, Dr Geraldine, an educational psychologist asserts that students who watch excessive television programmes perform badly in school (Leigh 2001). It is believed that television distracts children from focusing in other works including homework.
Ultimately, television viewing can lead to health diseases. Sitting down to watch television is a sedentary lifestyle which is unhealthy (Rutherford 2002). This statement is supported by Sharif (1999) whereby extended period of television watching is physically inactive. Additionally, less time is allocated for sports and exercise as shown by data collected from ATUS (2003) and UK Time Use Survey (2000). Physically inactive is detrimental to our health as well. This situation is worsened as most people prefer to grab some snacks during show time. All these junk food is high in calories, fats, sugar and salts which can lead to obesity and related illnesses (Rutherford 2002).
In a nutshell, I strongly assert that the drawbacks of television watching outweigh its advantages. It is solely depending on how a person manages his or her time and what TV programmes he or she chooses to watch. Nevertheless, we human beings tend to pick up bad habits more readily than accepting new and educational virtues. Therefore, majority of people lost more than gain in watching television.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Bob Geldof slams Australia's 'absurd' treatment of Aborigines
SIR Bob Geldof has made an impassioned, off-the-cuff speech in Brisbane this morning, labelling Australia's treatment of Aborigines as "economically stupid" and "absurd".
The Live Aid humanitarian said Australia has "exiled" indigenous Australians from the nation.
"They were forced to be exiled from themselves and that must stop," he said.
"You need to pull them back into themselves because you've acknowledged them as being.
"The spiritual core of yourselves will only be filled when this is done."
Sir Bob was speaking at a breakfast for West Australian mining entrepreneur Andrew Forrest's nation-touring GenerationOne movement, which aims to halt indigenous disparity within this generation
He urged the "rich bastards" in attendance at the breakfast to contribute wholeheartedly to Mr Forrest's fight to end indigenous disparity.Sir Bob also took wry shots at a guest representative of Frank Lowy's Westfield empire and GenerationOne benefactor, casino king James Packer.
"You can build a small shop and then you can build very, very big shops. You can build a casino and then you can build five casinos, you're still building f***king casinos," he said.
He likened indigenous affairs in Australia to situations he'd witnessed in third-world Africa.
"I said on the radio back in 1984 that to die of want in a world of surplus is not only intellectually absurd, it is morally repulsive. Well let's add economically illiterate to that," Sir Bob said.
"You've removed from your society of 'having a go' 500,000 thousand of your own. That is absurd. It's economically stupid.
"Just like those 44 million African children (given access to education from the Live Aid campaign) will be a massive driving force in the world economy, so your own Aboriginal people require to be allowed in. The access point is education."
But three years after describing Australia's foreign aid budget as "pathetically embarrassing", Sir Bob has praised the Rudd Government's generosity abroad.
In its May Budget the Rudd Government lifted Australia's foreign aid contribution by $500 million to $4.3 billion a year, which equates to 33 cents in every $100 in national income.
The budget shows the proportion of aid has gone from 32 cents in every $100 to 33 cents in the past two years.
At the GenerationOne business breakfast in Brisbane on Wednesday, Sir Bob said Australia was on track to meet its international obligation of contributing 0.7 per cent of gross national income to needy countries by 2015.
"Australia is coming up ... they're on track," Sir Bob said.
"The Prime Minister said they'd get to 0.5 by 2012 which is necessary for the millennium development goals they all signed up to."
In 2007, during a visit to Brisbane, Sir Bob slammed the Howard government's aid budget, of 0.3 per cent of GDP, saying Australia was one of the "meanest" countries on the planet.
Sir Bob has also been a vocal critic of New Zealand's aid contribution, once describing it has a "disgrace".
"I know the economic situation down in NZ and I know the Australian one is a little more rosy, so it's an easier ask," he said.
"Australia is a responsible country, you're a member of the G20, there's a cheque that you write to sit at the top table.
"Co-operation not competition has to be the political paradigm.
"If you're co-operating then you're (helping) poorer countries bring their economy up to a level that their people are educated and you can trade with them."
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Baby boomers warned of heart attack risk
MORE than 2.5 million baby boomers are likely to have a potentially fatal heart attack or stroke in the next five years because they refuse to lose weight, exercise or take blood pressure medication.
A report, released today by Access Economics, found more than three-quarters of people over 55 were inactive and overweight, more than half had hypertension and high cholesterol and a quarter had diabetes - all risk factors for heart attack and stroke.
But most were not aware they were in danger or refused to get treatment, believing they would always be healthy, a cardiologist and vascular physician at Liverpool Hospital, Greg Conner, said yesterday.
"We are seeing an unprecedented level of heart attack and stroke risk within the ageing community, a group we are now calling Generation Risk," Dr Conner said.
''These are people who have always enjoyed good health, but they are living longer now and the older we get, the more risk factors we have.''
Doctors had previously considered risk factors in isolation, but had now learnt that patients had a greater chance of suffering cardiovascular problems if more than one risk factor was present, he said.
''And this study showed that most people over 55 had at least two risk factors … where there is smoke there will eventually be fire unless people make the necessary lifestyle modifications and, in many cases, undergo life-long therapy to prevent a heart attack or stroke."
Only half of those aged 55 or over with high blood pressure were aware of their problem and only half of those again were being treated. ''But only half of those being treated have their condition under control - and that is alarming,'' he said.
About one in five people stopped taking blood pressure medication after a month and 80 per cent stopped after 30 months.
''It's an asymptomatic disease so people are just not convinced of the problem, but this is fixable. It seems like such a lost opportunity.''
The report found that about 1.1 million baby boomers had more than a one-in-three chance of having a heart attack or stroke in the next five years, while a further 1.5 million had a one-in-six risk. Men were almost twice as likely as women to be at high risk and one in seven had already had a heart attack or a stroke.
The report predicted that about 70,000 people will have a heart attack or stroke this year, with 17,000 being fatal.
"Over-55s now represent one quarter of the Australian population and, with population ageing, this will only increase, bringing with it a dramatic rise in the level of cardiovascular risk,'' the director of Access Economics, Lynne Pezzullo, said.
A report, released today by Access Economics, found more than three-quarters of people over 55 were inactive and overweight, more than half had hypertension and high cholesterol and a quarter had diabetes - all risk factors for heart attack and stroke.
But most were not aware they were in danger or refused to get treatment, believing they would always be healthy, a cardiologist and vascular physician at Liverpool Hospital, Greg Conner, said yesterday.
"We are seeing an unprecedented level of heart attack and stroke risk within the ageing community, a group we are now calling Generation Risk," Dr Conner said.
''These are people who have always enjoyed good health, but they are living longer now and the older we get, the more risk factors we have.''
Doctors had previously considered risk factors in isolation, but had now learnt that patients had a greater chance of suffering cardiovascular problems if more than one risk factor was present, he said.
''And this study showed that most people over 55 had at least two risk factors … where there is smoke there will eventually be fire unless people make the necessary lifestyle modifications and, in many cases, undergo life-long therapy to prevent a heart attack or stroke."
Only half of those aged 55 or over with high blood pressure were aware of their problem and only half of those again were being treated. ''But only half of those being treated have their condition under control - and that is alarming,'' he said.
About one in five people stopped taking blood pressure medication after a month and 80 per cent stopped after 30 months.
''It's an asymptomatic disease so people are just not convinced of the problem, but this is fixable. It seems like such a lost opportunity.''
The report found that about 1.1 million baby boomers had more than a one-in-three chance of having a heart attack or stroke in the next five years, while a further 1.5 million had a one-in-six risk. Men were almost twice as likely as women to be at high risk and one in seven had already had a heart attack or a stroke.
The report predicted that about 70,000 people will have a heart attack or stroke this year, with 17,000 being fatal.
"Over-55s now represent one quarter of the Australian population and, with population ageing, this will only increase, bringing with it a dramatic rise in the level of cardiovascular risk,'' the director of Access Economics, Lynne Pezzullo, said.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Outing
Today, we go for an outing in Mid Valley with our lecturer,Mr Yee...
And today is Teacher's Day...HapPy Teacher's Day to Mr.Yee..
We go there by group...
When we reach there, they all still discussing what movie to watch, but I had reserve my IP Man 2 tickets..Keke....
After that, we go to Pizza Hut for lunch..I eat it last time when i was in Form 2 I think..damn long time ago...haha...Anyway, I like it....And sure, we have a photo session in Pizza Hut...All poses are taken and we enjoyed a lot..Here are some photos..
We have 2 tables...woohooo..
After lunch, we go for our movies and split according to the time and movie we are going to watch....After we watch IP Man, seem like all other people are missing,we walk ourselves...Walk randomly in the shopping mall....Then, Pauline goes to JUSCO to buy swimming goggles..She choose for quite some time and wondering which to buy..haha..finally, she buy a black one..with UV protection and accessories provided...
After that, we manage to meet MJ, Ken and Joanne, but others still can't find...And they didn't answer our call!They all are in the arcade!!Playing games...
After games, we split into small group of 2-3 again...to buy our own stuffs...I gowith Macy but I don't have any thing to buy...We cant really recognise the route and we walk based on the direction shown on the directory...But we still fail to find ATM...
After that, we are called to meet in KFC...AGAIN, two 路痴 lost in mid valley again!!!what a shame...wakaka....we take almost half an hour walking all the way in Mid Valley just to find where KFC is!!sigh....ToT...@@
Sure it is time to snap shot again..After we grab all the food and eat..we start out photo session again...with the photo provided, you can imagine how hungry we are..haha
And below are some snap shots photo...between, we give a present to Mr.Yee as teacher's day present..And I want to express my appreciation to him as he really scarifies a lot in educating us to be smarter and how to be a more rounded person not only academically....Thanks..
We all are so crazy with taking photos and we play in KTM all the way back to Nilai..haha
Overall, it is really an interesting and joyful outing!!Hope to have another outing...
And today is Teacher's Day...HapPy Teacher's Day to Mr.Yee..
We go there by group...
When we reach there, they all still discussing what movie to watch, but I had reserve my IP Man 2 tickets..Keke....
After that, we go to Pizza Hut for lunch..I eat it last time when i was in Form 2 I think..damn long time ago...haha...Anyway, I like it....And sure, we have a photo session in Pizza Hut...All poses are taken and we enjoyed a lot..Here are some photos..
We have 2 tables...woohooo..
After lunch, we go for our movies and split according to the time and movie we are going to watch....After we watch IP Man, seem like all other people are missing,we walk ourselves...Walk randomly in the shopping mall....Then, Pauline goes to JUSCO to buy swimming goggles..She choose for quite some time and wondering which to buy..haha..finally, she buy a black one..with UV protection and accessories provided...
After that, we manage to meet MJ, Ken and Joanne, but others still can't find...And they didn't answer our call!They all are in the arcade!!Playing games...
After games, we split into small group of 2-3 again...to buy our own stuffs...I gowith Macy but I don't have any thing to buy...We cant really recognise the route and we walk based on the direction shown on the directory...But we still fail to find ATM...
After that, we are called to meet in KFC...AGAIN, two 路痴 lost in mid valley again!!!what a shame...wakaka....we take almost half an hour walking all the way in Mid Valley just to find where KFC is!!sigh....ToT...@@
Sure it is time to snap shot again..After we grab all the food and eat..we start out photo session again...with the photo provided, you can imagine how hungry we are..haha
And below are some snap shots photo...between, we give a present to Mr.Yee as teacher's day present..And I want to express my appreciation to him as he really scarifies a lot in educating us to be smarter and how to be a more rounded person not only academically....Thanks..
We all are so crazy with taking photos and we play in KTM all the way back to Nilai..haha
Overall, it is really an interesting and joyful outing!!Hope to have another outing...
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Argumentative essay Television Viewing draft 2#
Television set has becomes an important entertainment instrument and a necessity household product nowadays. Almost every household owns at least one television set (Sharif 1999). According to ATUS (2003), US residents allocate most of their leisure time on watching television. This fact is also supported by UK Time Use Survey (2000) which found that full time workers in UK spent most of their spare time on television, video and radio. Since people spent so much time watching television, its potential effects are being disputed. I strongly believed that television viewing brings more harms than benefits. Television viewing triggers behavioural problems, affects development of thinking and leads to health problems.
Firstly, television viewing is the main cause for some poor behaviours among children. Most parents today prefer to leave their children in front of television when they are busying with their works. However, children are immature enough to interprete and analyse the content of the television programmes. Action movies can give a scenario to children that violence is a norm in community. Everything can be tackled with violence. They may end up being boisterous. Antisocial behaviour like lack of attention and patience is the other impact of short segments and colourful modern children programmes. Kids are shaped to depress and give up easily when they face challenges in life. In addition, teenagers tend to follow their idols blindly and imitate the characters portrayed in the movies (Sharif 1999) which may be disastrous.
On top of that, development of thinking process is severely affected from long period of television viewing (Sharif 1999). Imaginative and problem solving skills are not develop in the process of watching television as it is a passive activity. Colourful graphics and important messages are portrayed visually in the programs. It discourages critical thinking as all the dominant issues are showed directly (Leigh 2001). Children accept all the information conveyed and do not think via program shows. Moreover, Dr Geraldine, an educational psychologist asserts that students who watch excessive television programmes perform badly in school (Leigh 2001). It is believed that television distracts children from focusing in other works including homework.
Ultimately, television viewing can lead to health diseases. Sitting down to watch television is a sedentary lifestyle which is unhealthy (Rutherford 2002). This statement is supported by Sharif (1999)whereby extended period of television watching is physically inactive. Additionally, less time is allocated for sports and exercise as shown by data collected from ATUS (2003) and UK Time Use Survey (2000). Physically inactive is detrimental to our health as well. This situation is worsened as most people prefer to grab some snacks during show time. All these junk food is high in calories, fats, sugar and salts which can lead to obesity and related illnesses (Rutherford 2002).
In a nutshell, I strongly assert that the drawbacks of television watching outweigh its advantages. It is solely depending on how a person manages his or her time and what TV programmes he or she chooses to watch. Nevertheless, we human beings tend to pick up bad habits more readily than accepting new and educational virtues. Therefore, majority of people lost more than gain in watching television.
Firstly, television viewing is the main cause for some poor behaviours among children. Most parents today prefer to leave their children in front of television when they are busying with their works. However, children are immature enough to interprete and analyse the content of the television programmes. Action movies can give a scenario to children that violence is a norm in community. Everything can be tackled with violence. They may end up being boisterous. Antisocial behaviour like lack of attention and patience is the other impact of short segments and colourful modern children programmes. Kids are shaped to depress and give up easily when they face challenges in life. In addition, teenagers tend to follow their idols blindly and imitate the characters portrayed in the movies (Sharif 1999) which may be disastrous.
On top of that, development of thinking process is severely affected from long period of television viewing (Sharif 1999). Imaginative and problem solving skills are not develop in the process of watching television as it is a passive activity. Colourful graphics and important messages are portrayed visually in the programs. It discourages critical thinking as all the dominant issues are showed directly (Leigh 2001). Children accept all the information conveyed and do not think via program shows. Moreover, Dr Geraldine, an educational psychologist asserts that students who watch excessive television programmes perform badly in school (Leigh 2001). It is believed that television distracts children from focusing in other works including homework.
Ultimately, television viewing can lead to health diseases. Sitting down to watch television is a sedentary lifestyle which is unhealthy (Rutherford 2002). This statement is supported by Sharif (1999)whereby extended period of television watching is physically inactive. Additionally, less time is allocated for sports and exercise as shown by data collected from ATUS (2003) and UK Time Use Survey (2000). Physically inactive is detrimental to our health as well. This situation is worsened as most people prefer to grab some snacks during show time. All these junk food is high in calories, fats, sugar and salts which can lead to obesity and related illnesses (Rutherford 2002).
In a nutshell, I strongly assert that the drawbacks of television watching outweigh its advantages. It is solely depending on how a person manages his or her time and what TV programmes he or she chooses to watch. Nevertheless, we human beings tend to pick up bad habits more readily than accepting new and educational virtues. Therefore, majority of people lost more than gain in watching television.
Argumentative essay Television Viewing draft 1#
Television set has becomes an important entertainment instrument and a necessity household product nowadays. Almost every household owns at least one television set (Sharif 1999). According to ATUS (2003), US residents allocate most of their leisure time on watching television. This fact is also supported by UK Time Use Survey (2000) which found that full time workers in UK spent most of their spare time on television, video and radio. Since people spent so much time in watching television, its potential effects are being disputed. I strongly believed that television viewing brings more harms than benefits especially among children. Television viewing triggers behavioural problems, affects development of thinking and leads to health problems.
Firstly, television viewing is the main cause for some poor behaviours among children. Most parents today prefer to leave their children in front of television when they are busying with their works. However, children are immature enough to interprete and analyse the content of the television programmes. Action movies can give a scenario to children that violence is a norm in community. Everything can be tackled with violence. They may end up being boisterous. In addition, teenagers tend to follow their idols blindly and imitate the characters portrayed in the movies (Sharif 1999). Antisocial behaviour like lack of attention and patience is the other impact of short segments and colourful modern children programmes. Kids are shaped to depress and give up easily when they face challenges in life.
On top of that, development of thinking process is severely affected from long period of television viewing (Sharif 1999). Imaginative and problem solving skills are not develop in the process of watching television as it is a passive activity. Colourful graphics and important messages are portrayed visually in the programs. It discourages critical thinking as all the dominant issues are showed directly (Leigh 2001). Children accept all the information conveyed and do not think via program shows. Moreover, Dr Geraldine, an educational psychologist asserts that students who watch excessive television programmes perform badly in school (Leigh 2001). It is believed that television distracts children from focusing in other works including homework.
Ultimately, television viewing can lead to health diseases. Sitting down to watch television is a sedentary lifestyle which is unhealthy (Rutherford 2002). This is supported by Sharif (1999). Additionally, less time is allocated for sports and exercise as shown by data collected from ATUS (2003) and UK Time Use Survey (2000). Physically inactive is detrimental to our health as well. This situation is worsened as most people prefer to grab some snacks during show time. All these junk food is high in calories, fats, sugar and salts which can lead to obesity and related illnesses (Rutherford 2002).
In a nutshell, the drawbacks of television watching outweigh its advantages. It is solely depending on how a person manages his or her time and what TV programmes he or she choose to watch. Nevertheless, we human beings tend to pick up bad habits more readily than accepting new and educational virtues.
Firstly, television viewing is the main cause for some poor behaviours among children. Most parents today prefer to leave their children in front of television when they are busying with their works. However, children are immature enough to interprete and analyse the content of the television programmes. Action movies can give a scenario to children that violence is a norm in community. Everything can be tackled with violence. They may end up being boisterous. In addition, teenagers tend to follow their idols blindly and imitate the characters portrayed in the movies (Sharif 1999). Antisocial behaviour like lack of attention and patience is the other impact of short segments and colourful modern children programmes. Kids are shaped to depress and give up easily when they face challenges in life.
On top of that, development of thinking process is severely affected from long period of television viewing (Sharif 1999). Imaginative and problem solving skills are not develop in the process of watching television as it is a passive activity. Colourful graphics and important messages are portrayed visually in the programs. It discourages critical thinking as all the dominant issues are showed directly (Leigh 2001). Children accept all the information conveyed and do not think via program shows. Moreover, Dr Geraldine, an educational psychologist asserts that students who watch excessive television programmes perform badly in school (Leigh 2001). It is believed that television distracts children from focusing in other works including homework.
Ultimately, television viewing can lead to health diseases. Sitting down to watch television is a sedentary lifestyle which is unhealthy (Rutherford 2002). This is supported by Sharif (1999). Additionally, less time is allocated for sports and exercise as shown by data collected from ATUS (2003) and UK Time Use Survey (2000). Physically inactive is detrimental to our health as well. This situation is worsened as most people prefer to grab some snacks during show time. All these junk food is high in calories, fats, sugar and salts which can lead to obesity and related illnesses (Rutherford 2002).
In a nutshell, the drawbacks of television watching outweigh its advantages. It is solely depending on how a person manages his or her time and what TV programmes he or she choose to watch. Nevertheless, we human beings tend to pick up bad habits more readily than accepting new and educational virtues.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Vincent Callebaut's 'Hydrogenase' - future vision not just pie in the sky
Giant airships suspended under balloons covered in algae
Powered by hydrogen generated by CO2 and sunlight
Can take off and land just about anywhere
BELGIAN architect Vincent Callebaut has seen the future of air travel and it looks ... slimy.
The design house has made a name for itself in part by dreaming up wild visions of how humans will one day inhabit the Earth without killing it.
Callebaut designs in the past have included floating lilypad cities and farms which soar vertically in the middle of CBDs.
Eyecatching they may be, but Callebaut has always also kept the credibility of his designs by backing his mind-boggling concepts with solid science.
His latest project is called Hydrogenase and features giant airships suspended under balloons covered in algae.
The emission-free airships are powered entirely by hydrogen generated from sunlight and CO2 and were designed to hover over the South China Sea near Shanghai.
Covered in flexible photovoltaic cells and wind turbines, Hydrogenase ships run on "micro-seaweed".
Callebaut claims the energy obtained by farmed algae would be superior to any current biodiesel or bioethanol production.
Colza, for example, produces 1000 litres of oil per hectare. Callebaut reckons 1000 litres of hydrogen can be farmed from just 330 grams of micro-seaweed generated chlorophyll.
"A hectare of seaweed could thus produce organically 120 times more biofuels than a hectare of colza, soya or sunflower,” he says.
Inside - or under - the airships, mini-citadels would survive on bioremediating vegetable gardens which recycle waste, a common theme in Callebaut's designs.
Callebaut says that while the airships are obviously slower than jets, they can take off and land just about anywhere and would be ideal as a way to provide disaster relief to remote areas or be deployed as flying hospitals.
See more of Vincent Callebaut's visions for a sustainable future
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Obesity headed for 75 per cent
The federal budget was a missed opportunity to tackle the nation's obesity crisis, a health group says.
The Obesity Policy Coalition (OPC) says Australia was on track to have 75 per cent of its populace overweight or obese within 20 years, a problem on a scale that warranted a tax overhaul and a new regime of food industry regulation.
"The government's tobacco control policies are world leading - now they must turn their attention to obesity," OPC senior policy adviser Jane Martin said on Wednesday.
"Recognising that policy is the key driver to deliver societal change and dampen demand for unhealthy food."
Ms Martin said missed opportunities for reform included placing a tax on unhealthy food, with the dollars it raised used for subsidies to make healthier foods cheaper.
The government should also set "meaningful" targets which required the food industry to reformulate its products, particularly to reduce salt levels.
The government's response to the Preventative Health Taskforce report, released on budget eve, had also disappointingly left "junk food marketing regulation in the hands of industry".
"The obesity epidemic will only continue to grow," Ms Martin said.
"In under 20 years, based on current trends, nearly 75 per cent of the Australian population will be overweight or obese."
"This will put increasing strain right through the health system unless we start to take preventive action now."
The Obesity Policy Coalition includes Diabetes Australia Victoria, The Cancer Council Victoria, Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth) and the World Health Collaborating Centre for Obesity Prevention at Deakin University.
Responding to the budget, the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) acknowledged it had a role to play in addressing the nation's obesity problem.
"Industry looks forward to working with government to jointly address important issues such as obesity and overweight in Australia," said AFGC Chief Executive Kate Carnell.
"We understand that the emphasis is now firmly back on industry to deliver on its commitments for better health outcomes for all Australians."
AAP
My critique
It is really a big concern for Australian government for the obesity problem arisen. It may reach 75% if no further actions to be taken. Health should be the priority for every individual as well as a country because human capital is the main asset for a country. Healthy residents are needed to work for economic growth in a country. Besides, obesity can lead to various problems like heart diseases, high blood pressure and diabetes. All the preventive approaches mentioned in the article should be implemented and monitored regularly. Fast food restaurants should also reduce their salt,oil and sugar level. The main focus is on the food industry in order to improve the health level of people. I do agree this. So subsidies should be increased.
The Obesity Policy Coalition (OPC) says Australia was on track to have 75 per cent of its populace overweight or obese within 20 years, a problem on a scale that warranted a tax overhaul and a new regime of food industry regulation.
"The government's tobacco control policies are world leading - now they must turn their attention to obesity," OPC senior policy adviser Jane Martin said on Wednesday.
"Recognising that policy is the key driver to deliver societal change and dampen demand for unhealthy food."
Ms Martin said missed opportunities for reform included placing a tax on unhealthy food, with the dollars it raised used for subsidies to make healthier foods cheaper.
The government should also set "meaningful" targets which required the food industry to reformulate its products, particularly to reduce salt levels.
The government's response to the Preventative Health Taskforce report, released on budget eve, had also disappointingly left "junk food marketing regulation in the hands of industry".
"The obesity epidemic will only continue to grow," Ms Martin said.
"In under 20 years, based on current trends, nearly 75 per cent of the Australian population will be overweight or obese."
"This will put increasing strain right through the health system unless we start to take preventive action now."
The Obesity Policy Coalition includes Diabetes Australia Victoria, The Cancer Council Victoria, Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth) and the World Health Collaborating Centre for Obesity Prevention at Deakin University.
Responding to the budget, the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) acknowledged it had a role to play in addressing the nation's obesity problem.
"Industry looks forward to working with government to jointly address important issues such as obesity and overweight in Australia," said AFGC Chief Executive Kate Carnell.
"We understand that the emphasis is now firmly back on industry to deliver on its commitments for better health outcomes for all Australians."
AAP
My critique
It is really a big concern for Australian government for the obesity problem arisen. It may reach 75% if no further actions to be taken. Health should be the priority for every individual as well as a country because human capital is the main asset for a country. Healthy residents are needed to work for economic growth in a country. Besides, obesity can lead to various problems like heart diseases, high blood pressure and diabetes. All the preventive approaches mentioned in the article should be implemented and monitored regularly. Fast food restaurants should also reduce their salt,oil and sugar level. The main focus is on the food industry in order to improve the health level of people. I do agree this. So subsidies should be increased.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
FINAL argumentative essay(junk food)
Junk food is food that has less nutritional with artificial additives and flavourings (Smith 2005). Junk food seems to be the favourite for all of the kids and it is available everywhere nowadays. According to Health Foundation (2005), moat junk food has low nutritional values. Due to this factor, the sale of junk food in school canteens has become a disputable issue in the society. Therefore, I strongly agree that the sale of junk food in school canteen should be banned as junk food contains various types of chemical substances, harms our health and creates litter problems in schools.
Firstly, junk is detrimental to our health (Smith 2005). High content of fat, oil and sugar can cause obesity especially. According to Australian Nutrition Journal (2004), fat and sugar intake at home among 12-14 year-old Australian children are much higher than recommended. Meanwhile, fresh fruits and vegetables which are strongly recommended are less preferred. This situation is worsened when junk food is sold in school canteen. Children who cannot control end up getting obesity which in turn can cause chronic heart diseases, osteoarthritis and cancers (Weekend News 2005). Besides, Reynolds in Weekend News (2005) also states that junk food increases dental problems among primary-school kids as junk food basically contains excessive sugar. Kamiri, a dietitian from The Food Show (2005) says that school authorities should put students’ health as their priority.
On top of that, junk food contains various types of chemicals substances such as additives, flavourings, colourings and preservatives. These chemicals make junk food tastier and last longer. However, these synthetic chemicals bring negative impacts on children. Children who consume junk food are hyperactive and less concentrate (Smith 2005). This is also further supported by Green in The Food Show (2005) who says that students behave better in class after their school stop selling junk food. Therefore, it is obvious that students’ academic performance will be affected in the long run if junk food were not to be banned.
Another consequence of the sale of junk food in school canteens gives rise to litter problem. Children tend to throw elsewhere once they finish eating their junk food. It severely affects the school reputation with serious litter problem. Moreover, it adds on the cleaning costs in which can be channeled for more productive purposes for students welfare (Smith 2005). Green in The Food Show (2005) also says that the school compounds are cleaner without the sale of junk food. School cleaners can also have sufficient time to carry out other maintenance works which beneficial to everyone.
All in all, I strongly believe that the sale of junk food in school canteens should be banned as it brings more harm than benefits to school children. It contains many synthetic chemicals, affects our health and gives rise to litter problems. In my opinion, the situations can worsens as school children are not mature enough to deter junk food temptation. Majority of them will end up consume too much. Therefore, it should be banned.
Firstly, junk is detrimental to our health (Smith 2005). High content of fat, oil and sugar can cause obesity especially. According to Australian Nutrition Journal (2004), fat and sugar intake at home among 12-14 year-old Australian children are much higher than recommended. Meanwhile, fresh fruits and vegetables which are strongly recommended are less preferred. This situation is worsened when junk food is sold in school canteen. Children who cannot control end up getting obesity which in turn can cause chronic heart diseases, osteoarthritis and cancers (Weekend News 2005). Besides, Reynolds in Weekend News (2005) also states that junk food increases dental problems among primary-school kids as junk food basically contains excessive sugar. Kamiri, a dietitian from The Food Show (2005) says that school authorities should put students’ health as their priority.
On top of that, junk food contains various types of chemicals substances such as additives, flavourings, colourings and preservatives. These chemicals make junk food tastier and last longer. However, these synthetic chemicals bring negative impacts on children. Children who consume junk food are hyperactive and less concentrate (Smith 2005). This is also further supported by Green in The Food Show (2005) who says that students behave better in class after their school stop selling junk food. Therefore, it is obvious that students’ academic performance will be affected in the long run if junk food were not to be banned.
Another consequence of the sale of junk food in school canteens gives rise to litter problem. Children tend to throw elsewhere once they finish eating their junk food. It severely affects the school reputation with serious litter problem. Moreover, it adds on the cleaning costs in which can be channeled for more productive purposes for students welfare (Smith 2005). Green in The Food Show (2005) also says that the school compounds are cleaner without the sale of junk food. School cleaners can also have sufficient time to carry out other maintenance works which beneficial to everyone.
All in all, I strongly believe that the sale of junk food in school canteens should be banned as it brings more harm than benefits to school children. It contains many synthetic chemicals, affects our health and gives rise to litter problems. In my opinion, the situations can worsens as school children are not mature enough to deter junk food temptation. Majority of them will end up consume too much. Therefore, it should be banned.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Apple sets local iPad launch date and prices
Apple has announced that the iPad will go on sale in Australia on May 28 with the base model priced at $629.
The launch, which was delayed for almost two months, comes after Apple's announced earlier in the week that it had sold over one million of the tablet computers since they went on sale in the US on April 3.
In addition, iPad users in the US have downloaded over 12 million apps and over 1.5 million e-books.
The same six iPad models will be available in Australia, three Wi-Fi only and three that will also be able to access to high-speed 3G mobile phone network.
Apple has announced the following prices for Wi-Fi only models in Australia:
16GB - $629
32GB - $759
64GB - $879
For the Wi-Fi plus 3G models, Apple has set these prices:
16GB- $799
32GB - $928
64GB - $1049
The Wi-Fi plus 3G models will require users to purchase data plans from mobile providers if they intend to use their iPads outside the range of Wi-Fi services.
Apple says it will begin taking pre-orders on its online store from Monday.
Apple's late night announcement also says that the iBookstore electronic book service will be operational at launch indicating that a range of e-books will be available for download from day one.
Local publishers have not yet announced e-book prices in the iBookstore, but in the US average prices of new releases range from $US9.99 to $US12.99. There are also many free book downloads available in the form of public-domain books and give-away books by authors hoping to be discovered.
May 28 is also iPad launch day in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK on the same day.
And Apple also announced plans to begin the third stage of the global iPad roll-out in July when the device will go on sale in an additional nine countries including New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore.
"Apple has laid out a paradigm of the next 20 years of personal computing," respected analyst and Apple watcher Michael Gartenberg wrote in a blog post earlier this week.
"The rest of the market is not going to cede that to them without a fight. Expect to see weak challenges for the next 30-60 days but some very strong competition as we get into the second part of this year."
My comment
Finally ipad is officially launched in these countries at the same time...It is too expensive for me to have it...But i like it...haha....When it will be sold in Malaysia?
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Man sentenced to death in Jordan after killing wife for refusing sex
A JORDANIAN man was sentenced to death last night for killing his wife and chopping her body up into small pieces because she allegedly refused to have sex with him, a court official said.
"Amman's criminal court condemned to death the 28-year-old man, who worked as a nurse, for killing his wife in December 2007, claiming she stopped having sex after giving birth to a baby boy during their 18-month-old marriage," the official said.
"Alleging that his wife, who was in her twenties, disrespected him and disobeyed him, the convict murdered the woman after drugging her."
The official said the man, who hid the remains in different places to cover up his crime in Ruseifa, northeast of the capital Amman, was arrested in November 2008 after investigations revealed he was behind the murder.
My comment
The action of the man seems to be so unreasonable.How cruel he is to kill his own wife for the reason his wife refuse to has sex with him. It is beyond the rational. Love should overcomes all these and we should treat our partners with care and patience. We should be understanding. His action had make him lost his love ones and sentenced to death penalty...What a sad ending for the couple.
"Amman's criminal court condemned to death the 28-year-old man, who worked as a nurse, for killing his wife in December 2007, claiming she stopped having sex after giving birth to a baby boy during their 18-month-old marriage," the official said.
"Alleging that his wife, who was in her twenties, disrespected him and disobeyed him, the convict murdered the woman after drugging her."
The official said the man, who hid the remains in different places to cover up his crime in Ruseifa, northeast of the capital Amman, was arrested in November 2008 after investigations revealed he was behind the murder.
My comment
The action of the man seems to be so unreasonable.How cruel he is to kill his own wife for the reason his wife refuse to has sex with him. It is beyond the rational. Love should overcomes all these and we should treat our partners with care and patience. We should be understanding. His action had make him lost his love ones and sentenced to death penalty...What a sad ending for the couple.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Tornado and floods take a deadly toll
Violent thunderstorms unleashed tornados and flash floods over the southern United States over the weekend, killing at least 22 people and forcing the Kentucky governor to declare a state of emergency.
Governor Steve Beshear said on Monday four people died in weather-related accidents in his state and requested federal assistance to deal with storm damage.
"I urge individuals who encounter high waters to use extreme caution and avoid unnecessary contact with flood waters if at all possible," he said in a public alert.
In Mississippi, where tornados killed 10 people nine days ago, driving rains and more tornados tore through farming regions damaging homes and destroying crops.
"The month of May started off with numerous storms which caused major damage and took the lives of six people," the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) said in a statement, adding that reports of damage continued to roll in.
MEMA spokeswoman Nikki Pressley earlier told AFP the Red Cross and Salvation Army had evacuated dozens of people from their homes to area shelters.
The White House said President Barack Obama called Beshear and Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen to extend "his deepest condolences" for the loss of life and pledge a prompt federal response to their requests for support, as they assess the damage.
In Tennessee, two days of driving rain have caused widespread flooding, killing at least six people in Nashville and another six in the rest of the state, forcing scores more to evacuate homes and businesses, The Nashville Tennessean reported on Monday.
At least two more people were listed as missing.
The newspaper said thousands of homes were flooded and entire neighbourhoods submerged across the state.
Late on Sunday, Nashville announced that it was shutting down a water treatment plant and that a levee along the Cumberland River had begun to leak, the report said.
After an aerial survey, Mayor Karl Dean said the damage was worse than he thought.
"This situation is going to require a very large recovery process," the paper quotes Dean as saying. "The magnitude of the damage to our community was much more than what I expected. The safety of some of our infrastructure is questionable."
Nashville fire and rescue officials were still searching late on Sunday for two young men who went missing after they tried to raft in a creek with inner tubes, the daily said, adding that a third man had swum to safety.
President Barack Obama on Monday signed a disaster declaration for Alabama, releasing federal aid to help recovery efforts in two counties damaged by tornados and flooding, the White House said.
No weather-related casualties have been reported in Alabama.
The National Weather Service has forecast more severe weather for the next few days in the region, with several rivers at or near flood stage and nearby areas under flood warnings.
AFP
My critique
natural disaster really bring big deterioration to human beings...Weather pattern has changed dramatically these days and causes more disasters..Let's protect our earth~
Governor Steve Beshear said on Monday four people died in weather-related accidents in his state and requested federal assistance to deal with storm damage.
"I urge individuals who encounter high waters to use extreme caution and avoid unnecessary contact with flood waters if at all possible," he said in a public alert.
In Mississippi, where tornados killed 10 people nine days ago, driving rains and more tornados tore through farming regions damaging homes and destroying crops.
"The month of May started off with numerous storms which caused major damage and took the lives of six people," the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) said in a statement, adding that reports of damage continued to roll in.
MEMA spokeswoman Nikki Pressley earlier told AFP the Red Cross and Salvation Army had evacuated dozens of people from their homes to area shelters.
The White House said President Barack Obama called Beshear and Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen to extend "his deepest condolences" for the loss of life and pledge a prompt federal response to their requests for support, as they assess the damage.
In Tennessee, two days of driving rain have caused widespread flooding, killing at least six people in Nashville and another six in the rest of the state, forcing scores more to evacuate homes and businesses, The Nashville Tennessean reported on Monday.
At least two more people were listed as missing.
The newspaper said thousands of homes were flooded and entire neighbourhoods submerged across the state.
Late on Sunday, Nashville announced that it was shutting down a water treatment plant and that a levee along the Cumberland River had begun to leak, the report said.
After an aerial survey, Mayor Karl Dean said the damage was worse than he thought.
"This situation is going to require a very large recovery process," the paper quotes Dean as saying. "The magnitude of the damage to our community was much more than what I expected. The safety of some of our infrastructure is questionable."
Nashville fire and rescue officials were still searching late on Sunday for two young men who went missing after they tried to raft in a creek with inner tubes, the daily said, adding that a third man had swum to safety.
President Barack Obama on Monday signed a disaster declaration for Alabama, releasing federal aid to help recovery efforts in two counties damaged by tornados and flooding, the White House said.
No weather-related casualties have been reported in Alabama.
The National Weather Service has forecast more severe weather for the next few days in the region, with several rivers at or near flood stage and nearby areas under flood warnings.
AFP
My critique
natural disaster really bring big deterioration to human beings...Weather pattern has changed dramatically these days and causes more disasters..Let's protect our earth~
Sunday, May 2, 2010
BTN
It's really exhausted after BTN camp...Lack of sleep everyday together with all those exercises and physical activities, my muscles pain...Even though it is lethargic but I enjoy the life there..I like jungle trekking the most...We get closer to the environment....And, BTN camp helps me to save my mobile phone fees for 5 days because maxis has no line there...haha....
The only thing I am upset with during this camp is that I get sick! Big ulcers and I cant drink water~It is so pain~~After i reached home, I was applied with various kind of medicines which I don't like the most...='(Hopefully I will recover soon...And i still feel tiring now~~
The only thing I am upset with during this camp is that I get sick! Big ulcers and I cant drink water~It is so pain~~After i reached home, I was applied with various kind of medicines which I don't like the most...='(Hopefully I will recover soon...And i still feel tiring now~~
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