Fresh Brainz

Structure In A Structure In A Structure...

2011-12-05T22:25:00.010+08:00

I'll briefly interrupt the usual whooshy wind and tumbleweed here at Fresh Brainz with this video you just HAVE to see.

Check it out in 720p for all the astounding detail.

At first, it seems like a well made, Transformer-esque CG virtualscape...

... but when it zooms in, you start to see recursive patterns of Lego-like metallic plates, and it zooms further in and...

HEY! SELF SIMILARITY!

It's a fractal!

Yes my friends, now solids can also be fractals.

Apparently, such 3D fractal sets have only been developed a couple of years ago, and mathematicians are still considering if it is a "true" 3D Mandelbrot set.

But mathematical rigour aside - just think of the artistic potential!

The ability to generate visually spectacular landscapes with both sweeping scale AND detail - simply by plugging numbers into a formula.

Incredible, bizarre environments that goes to the limit (or beyond?) of human imagination.

Filmmakers and gamemakers, get a crackin'.

Would you like to know more?

Other epic 3D fractal videos:
- Mandelbox trip (YouTube)
- Trip to center of hybrid fractal (YouTube)

About the mathematics of 3D fractals:
- The Mandelbulb: first 'true' 3D image of famous fractal (New Scientist)
- Mandelbulb: The Unravelling of the Real 3D Mandelbrot Fractal (by Daniel White)
- Mandelbox (by Tom Lowe)

Tech Review: Garmin eTrex 20 Handheld GPS

2011-10-01T23:47:00.005+08:00

I just purchased a Garmin eTrex 20 handheld GPS (released in late September 2011) and I decided to do a quick user review of it.

Here, check out my video:

This is my first GPS device, which means I can't do a relative comparison with other units.

So, based on its own merits, here are my comments on the eTrex 20:

1. Build quality is solid, and when loaded with batteries it has a nice, reassuring heft to it. Dark grey areas are rubberized for wear resistance. USB connection is hidden under a rubber weather-resistant flap, and the micro-SD slot is protected inside the battery compartment, which are thoughtful design features.

2. The glassy LCD screen is tad reflective when viewed under direct sunlight.

3. Ability to decode both GPS and GLONASS satellite signals is a very useful feature. In the field, it takes less than a minute to get a position fix, and the precision is quite good, around 4 metres at best.

4. It works well inside vehicles too, I've tried it in buses and get practically instantaneous position and speed readings. It will definitely work as a car GPS, though that is not its intended function.

Would you like to know more?
- GPS (Wikipedia)
- GLONASS (Wikipedia)

Space Launch System: The "Shutturn V" ?

2011-09-15T12:02:00.010+08:00

NASA has announced their latest plan for a heavy launch vehicle - capable of manned missions into space - called the "Space Launch System (SLS)".

That isn't a particularly imaginative name.

YouTube commenter linghun dubbed it the "Shutturn V", which is actually quite appropriate, since the SLS is both technological and visually a hybrid of the Space Shuttle and Saturn V vehicles.

Here, check out NASA's video...

The SLS is a multistage, non-reusable vehicle that can launch both cargo-only and human-rated missions, much like the Saturn V.

The core stage uses an arrangement of five engines (Saturn V), which will consist of five RS-25 engines (Space Shuttle), while the upper stage uses a modernized version of the J-2 engine (Saturn V).

The first stage fuel tank will have the same diameter as the external tank of the Space Shuttle, and likely manufactured using similar methods. Two solid-fuel rocket boosters are attached, one on each side (Space Shuttle).

Visually, it either looks like a short Saturn V flanked with extra boosters, or a tall Space Shuttle external tank but without the Shuttle orbiter itself.

Appearances aside, expert observers seem to be unimpressed with the SLS programme and are already predicting its demise, calling it more of a job-creation exercise that may cost more than a completely new launch system, due to the re-hiring of the expensive legacy workforce.

To me, the SLS appears to have a much safer layout than the recently cancelled Ares I which perched human passengers on top of a solid-fuel first stage that cannot be throttled down or even shut down after ignition.

Of course the longevity of this new initiative is difficult to predict in this gloomy economic climate, and in light of less costly alternatives such as the SpaceX Falcon Heavy system, which is further along in development and has better scalability by using essentially the same engines and fuel tank components throughout.

Nevertheless, the SLS vehicle can initially lift 70 tonnes of payload into low-Earth orbit, up to a maximum of 129 tonnes in later configurations (more than Saturn V's 118 tonnes!). Even at 70 tonnes it would already be the heaviest lift launch vehicle in the world, compared to other launch systems currently in service.

Maximum lift capacity to LEO:
Delta IV-H (USA) ~ 23 tonnes
Proton M (Russia) ~ 21.6 tonnes
Ariane 5 (EU) ~ 21 tonnes
H-IIB (Japan) ~ 19 tonnes
Atlas V (USA) ~ 18.5 tonnes

If all goes according to plan, the first flight (unmanned) of the SLS is slated to be in December 2017.

Would you like to know more?
- NASA’s Space Launch System Unveiled: Analysis (Popular Mechanics)

Space Shuttle Rolls Into History

2011-07-21T18:50:00.005+08:00

A quiet night landing of the space shuttle Atlantis, returning from the STS-135 mission, marked the end of the US space shuttle programme.

NASA's Constellation Program, which was projected to develop a replacement rocket for the space shuttle, was cancelled last year.

While the government is not currently working on a shuttle replacement, potential private sector candidates include the Falcon 9-Dragon vehicle from SpaceX, which has been successful in test launches so far, but is still in early development.

Thus for the foreseeable future the USA will no longer have any human-rated launch vehicle.

Without manned spacecraft, US astronauts will now have to rely solely on the Russian Soyuz to access the International Space Station.

Would you like to know more?

About the ~~past~~ future of spaceship design:
- Counterintuitive Science: Fast Speed, Fat Shape

Goodbye To Tanjong Pagar!

2011-07-01T01:21:00.002+08:00

Here's my video of the last train service to leave Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, taken from a pedestrian bridge.

Apparently there was an additional 11:00pm train driven by the Sultan of Johor himself.

I didn't catch that but somebody else did; please check out his video.

So... I only managed to film the penultimate train.

I love that word.

Would you like to know more?
- Video of last train out of Tanjong Pagar, driven by the Sultan of Johor
- Video of last afternoon train

Snapshots of Malaysia

2011-06-25T18:01:00.039+08:00

Here is a video and some photos I took on my travels in Malaysia over the past year.

For this video, I took fairly short clips because my previous computer had less than 10 Gb free space to store all my media files, but this is no longer a limitation. In future videos, longer segments will be more common.

As for the photos, I picked those with striking colours and patterns... plus some with a touch of curious.

I try not to feature photos of regular touristy attractions - because, as you know, they have been photographed millions of times.

Public hand wash (May 2010) - Johor Bahru

Motorcycle park (May 2010) - Johor Bahru

Sculpture (May 2010) - Johor Bahru

Bus number 666 (Jun 2010) - Larkin

Gazebo (Jun 2010) - Kota Tinggi

Raw latex (Jun 2010) - Kota Tinggi

Street football (Jun 2010) - Kota Tinggi

Melaka Sentral (Jun 2010) - Melaka

V formation (Jun 2010) - Melaka

Viaduct (Jun 2010) - Melaka

Menara Taming Sari (Jun 2010) - Melaka

Colourful trishaws (Jun 2010) - Melaka

Old propeller (Jun 2010) - Melaka

Rusty musket (Jun 2010) - Melaka

Ornate bridge (Jun 2010) - Melaka

Jonker Walk (Jun 2010) - Melaka

Use Malaysian rubber (Jun 2010) - Melaka

Berjaya Times Square (Jul 2010) - Kuala Lumpur

Maybank (Jul 2010) - Kuala Lumpur

Muzium Negara (Jul 2010) - Kuala Lumpur

Sultanate of Malacca (Jul 2010) - Kuala Lumpur

Communist hat (Jul 2010) - Kuala Lumpur

Demolishing Pudu Prison (Jul 2010) - Kuala Lumpur

Petaling Street (Jul 2010) - Kuala Lumpur

Petronas Twin Towers (Jul 2010) - Kuala Lumpur

Parit Waterfall (Aug 2010) - Cameron Highlands

Giant vegetables (Aug 2010) - Cameron Highlands

Double helix (Aug 2010) - Cameron Highlands

Strawberry (Aug 2010) - Cameron Highlands

Unlike in my previous photo galleries, I've decided not to mention the brand and model of the cameras used for these pictures, since it doesn't really matter.

Suffice to say that they were not SLRs and no tripods were used for any of the above shots. That's right, they were all handheld.

Please tune in next time for a media-rich, day-by-day account of my recent journey to Japan!

Planes And Trains

2011-06-21T16:40:00.008+08:00

I've been travelling a bit in the past year, and thus I have accumulated so many hundreds of photos and videos that I'm not sure where to start.

Stay tuned for a more substantial series of blog entries soon, but for now, here are some videos about the transportation I took during a short trip to Kuala Lumpur a couple of months ago.

Enjoy!

Flying from Singapore to KL

Taking the KLIA Ekspres

Taking the Aerotrain at KLIA

Return flight to Singapore

Steamshovel Harry

2011-05-24T14:34:00.005+08:00

Everything is better with Auto-Tune.

You won't get it unless you play the game first...

Steamshovel Harry Song
----------
by Brad Sucks

Lyrics:

Watch out for that gravity, watch out, watch out.
Gravity, watch out... watch out for that gravity.

Science times mass equals gravity.

Gravity is gonna kill you, Harry.
Gravity is gonna kill you... gravity.

It's time to learn about astronomy.
It's time to learn about astronomy.
It's time to learn about astronomy. Hey...

Steamshovel Harry, Steamshovel Harry.
Steamshovel Harry, Steamshovel Harry.

Asteroids are smaller than planets.
Asteroids are smaller, wo oh wo oh.

Asteroids are larger than meteorites.
I meant to say meteroids then, wo oh wo oh wo oh wo oh.

Steamshovel Harry, Steamshovel Harry.
Steamshovel Harry, Steamshovel Harry.

That meteor is gonna kill you, Harry.

Physics are gonna kill you, Harry.

Physics are gonna kill you, Harry!
Physics are gonna kill you, Harry!

It's gonna kill you and make you dead.

Physics gonna pull out a gun.
Shoot you right in the head.
BLAM oh no, look out now! Hey...

Physics.

Oh yeah. Oh...

Oh...

I can't wait to make love... to physics.

Gonna love her all night long.
Making physics love, singing the physics song.
Throw another downwards to double jump.
Or throw it up to not jump as high.

Do it Harry, do it to win.

Punch that missile right in the face.
Punch that missile all over the place.
One two three four, punch that missile!

When we open the door...

Steamshovel Harry, Steamshovel Harry.
Steamshovel Harry, Steamshovel Harry.
Steamshovel Harry, Steamshovel Harry.
Steamshovel Harry, Steamshovel Harry.

Physics are gonna hunt you down and kill you in the middle of the night.
Physics are gonna hunt you down and make everything all right.

Would you like to know more?

About the Steamshovel Harry game:
- Steamshovel Harry flash game
- Steamshovel Harry music

What the hell is going on!?!!:
- Metagames: Games About Games

Explanation Of Millisievert

2011-03-18T11:27:00.002+08:00

With the international media spotlight on the Fukushima 1 nuclear power plant emergency, radiological terms such as "millisievert" have entered the public consciousness.

Here is a video that clearly explains what the sievert is, plus a demonstration of two instruments that are used for measuring radioactivity:

It is understandable that the international media is more focused on Fukushima than the devastation caused by the tsunami, since they reflect the concerns of foreign nationals living in Japan.

However, some of their headlines seem sensationalistic and have the potential to cause unnecessary worry among Japanese residents.

Take for example this headline - "Tokyo radiation levels 23 times normal: officials". This brief article states that radiation levels in Tokyo "surged to 23 times normal on Tuesday" and reported a measurement of 0.809 microsieverts, presumably over the hour (10am local time) mentioned.

Without explaining the significance of this reading, a 23-fold increase in radiation levels sounds very serious indeed.

However, if we take into account the average annual background radiation dose per person, which is around 2000 microsieverts, we can see that the reported radiation level spike is actually about 1/2470 of the average annual dose.

Further, by doing this form of comparison, we can find out that 0.809 microsieverts is about:

- the dose received during 6 hours of flying time in a jet airliner.
- 1/120 of the dose of a chest X-ray.
- 1/12400 of the dose of a CT scan.
- 1/24700 of the annual limit of a radiation worker (20mSv).
- 1/124000 of the lowest level that can cause a measurable increase in cancer rates.
- 1/309000 of the lower limit for acute radiation sickness.

Just for comparison, a news report about more recent readings in Tokyo has this headline - "Tokyo Area Radiation Around Typical Background Levels - City Government", which I think is a more responsible headline.

The article states a measurement of 0.05 microsieverts per hour, slightly higher than the background level of 0.035 microsieverts per hour - which could have led to a headline like "Tokyo radiation levels 143% of normal!", but their editors didn't do that.

Would you like to know more?

About units used for measuring radiation dose:
- Sievert (SI unit)
- Roentgen
- Rem
- Gray
- Rad

Japan Hit By Severe Earthquake And Tsunami

2011-03-11T20:26:00.024+08:00

A severe earthquake hit Japan today at 2.46pm local time (0546h GMT).

The epicentre of the quake was about 100km off the east coast of main island Honshu, at a depth of about 20km.

The Japan Meteorological Agency reported it to be 8.8 on the Richter scale, which makes it the most intense earthquake ever recorded in Japan.

In addition, the northeastern coast of Honshu was hit by tsunamis as high as 10m. Boats, cars and even houses were swept away in the flood caused by a series of tsunamis. The worst hit areas appear to be in the region around the city of Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture.

Earlier today I watched some of the live TV coverage of the earthquake on NHK World; for those of you without cable TV, here are a couple of videos:

Severe Tremors at NHK Sendai Newsroom (from NHK World)

CCTV Footage of Tsunami Wave at Sendai Airport (from Russia Today)

I think this footage of the wave front sweeping into the airport - almost at a walking pace but gradually covering the entire tarmac - is especially chilling.

It is disturbing to see how unstoppable and how much damage the visually unspectacular flood flow was causing, if you compare these scenes to the hyped-up special effects in Hollywood disaster movies.

Videos taken by the NHK helicopter also show the wave front moving gradually and relentlessly, engulfing everything in its path. As it moved inland over farmlands and residential areas, the wave front picked up so much mud and debris that it became dark in colour and had a chunky appearance.

Live video from the air also helped to convey the huge scale of the tsunami waves as they approached the coast. The photo below is a screen capture from NHK video that shows several such waves, each of them hundreds of metres long, about to reach the coast of Sendai (treeline at the lower left):

Based on latest reports, at least 300 people are dead.

Please click here for a compilation of the latest reports on casualties and damage.

Would you like to know more?

Latest warnings:
- Japan Meteorological Agency: Tsunami Warnings/Advisories

Latest news:
- NHK World English
- LIVE: Japan earthquake (BBC News)

Latest casualty and damage reports:
- Massive earthquake brings a destructive tsunami in Japan (Earthquake-Report)

How To Avoid The Featured Video On YouTube

2011-01-07T21:50:00.011+08:00

For quite a while now, the YouTube.com main page has been showing a "Featured Video" section on the top right part of the page.

This feature appears every time you visit YouTube.com, whether you are logged in or not, and often displays videos that are completely irrelevant to your interests.

Unfortunately, it cannot be removed like the customizable modules on the left side of the page. It also cannot be minimized or even shifted downwards.

Apparently there are many YouTube users who dislike this "Featured Video" section on their YouTube homepage.

If you google "how to remove featured videos on youtube", you'll get a whopping 777,000,000 results!

Just to get an idea of why some users are unhappy, here are some of their comments on the YouTube help forum:

"I agree completely. I used to love watching featured videos when they were good, but now, all they feature now is stupid makeup and gossip videos I don't even want to see"

"I know , i hate those Featured Videos , they got nothing interesting on it, not only that, i have blocked some of the users on my account and still they keep showing up on the feature list, i don't want to see them at all, i don't like their videos , i don't want to know about them , and i wish i could remove them from my list forever and never see them again. but they keep showing up. Youtube pls ."

"I hate the featured videos. But what I hate more is the fact that youtube does not give us the option of disabling them. Who cares if they pay to have them on there? Some of these featured videos are just garbage that equate to visual polution. Let us turn it off!!! Well I guess there's always Vimeo; hmmm, maybe I'll give them a try."

As mentioned by some other commenters, one method of preventing the Featured Video from appearing is to use the Mozilla Firefox browser and install ad blocker addons.

However, there is a simpler method to avoid seeing Featured Videos - by avoiding the YouTube.com page altogether!

Here at Fresh Brainz we have worked out how to do this:

First, you'll need to delete the "http://youtube.com/" autocomplete entry from your Web browser.

Eg. For IE8, just type "youtube" in the address bar and a dropdown box will appear below with the "http://youtube.com/" suggestion. Use arrow keys to highlight this line and press delete (or click the red "X") to remove the entry.

Next...

1. If you have a YouTube account

Enter "http://www.youtube.com/my_subscriptions" in the address bar.

If you are logged in to your YouTube account, you will reach your Subscriptions page, which is full of videos that you like.

If you are not yet logged in, you will get a login page to key in your username and password, before you get directed to your Subscriptions page.

Either way, you will not encounter any Featured Videos.

Once you are in your Subscriptions page, you can use the top search bar to navigate throughout YouTube.

"http://www.youtube.com/my_subscriptions" is now your new YouTube homepage.

2. If you don't have a YouTube account

Enter "http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=" in the address bar.

You will reach an empty search page that says "No video results for “”".

There are no videos on this page and certainly no Featured Videos.

Just use the top search bar to navigate throughout YouTube.

"http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=" is now your new YouTube homepage.

Of course, this method also works if you have a YouTube account.

Easy, isn't it?

林湘萍 (Yvonne Lim) vs 陈邦鋆 (Andie Chen)

2010-12-30T13:33:00.011+08:00

I can't be the first person on the planet to have noticed this...

The resemblance is uncanny.

That. Same. Smile.

From the side, there are some differences.

Andie clearly has a more angular jaw and broader chin, but MAN... the positions of the eyebrows, eyes, nose and mouth are spot on.

Did I mention that Yvonne Lim was a Star Search '97 finalist while Andie Chen was the '07 winner?

Or that both of them are Poly grads (albeit Yvonne was in SP while Andie was in NP)?

Oooh scary!

It's the exact same smile I tell you... the way the smile line extends straight below the edges of the mouth.

As you can see, other facial features are pretty similar too.

I guess it doesn't help my case to point out that at 1.83 m tall, Andie is a towering 21 cm taller than Yvonne.

Though you don't have to be Jedi Twins to have the same smile.

Would you like to know more?

- Andie Chen's photos

Science Reporting By The Straits Times

2010-12-18T23:09:00.016+08:00

Just read a science article in the Straits Times entitled "Brain Illness Leaves Woman Fearless." (ST 18 Dec 2010 Page C14)

The research study that is featured in the article (diminished fear experience of a woman with a genetic condition of the amygdala) is quite interesting, but what is even more interesting is how the Straits Times presented the news.

Since the ST article was edited mainly from an original article by Agence France-Presse (with some details from an Associated Press report added in), it is informative to compare the ST and AFP versions to see the differences.

Words that are different or missing in either version are highlighted in RED (additional source marked with asterix).

~~~~~~~~~~

ST Version

Brain illness leaves woman fearless

WASHINGTON - United States scientists have discovered a woman with a rare brain disease that makes her afraid of nothing - not a huge snake lurking near her children, not a knife to her throat, and certainly not a horror movie.

The 44-year-old* woman cannot experience fear because of a condition that has destroyed the part of her brain - the amygdala - where researchers believe the feeling of fear is made.

Over the past two decades researchers have been analysing the woman, known as SM, for clues about her condition which they say could help them treat post-traumatic stress disorder, particularly in soldiers returning from war.

A study of her fearlessness was published online on Thursday in the journal Current Biology by University of Iowa researcher Justin Feinstein and colleagues.*

"It is quite remarkable that she is still alive," said Mr Feinstein. "The nature of fear is survival and the amygdala helps us stay alive by avoiding situations, people, or objects that put our life in danger," he said.

Instead of fear, SM, whose rare condition is known as Urbach-Wiethe disease, describes "an overwhelming feeling of curiosity."

The woman's eldest son, who is in his 20s, told researchers he could not ever recall seeing his mother afraid.

He said he remembered one event in particular from his childhood when he was playing with his two brothers and they saw a big snake in the road nearby.

"Well, mum just ran over there and picked it up and brought it out of the street, put it in the grass and let it go on its way," he said.

The woman also told researchers that when she was in her 30s, a man grabbed her and stuck a knife to her throat.

"She looked at the man and confidently replied, 'If you're going to kill me, you're gonna have to go through my God's angels first.' The man suddenly let her go," said the study, adding the woman then described walking calmly home.

Other experiments devised by the researchers - leading her through a haunted house where people dressed as monsters and ghosts sprung from the darkness, and showing her a series of scary video clips - fell flat too.

She considered the haunted house to be "highly exciting and entertaining", like the rush she gets from a roller coaster, Mr Feinstein said.*

Scientists believe she was once able to feel fear because she has described childhood memories of being afraid of the dark, and being once frightened by a dog.

Mr Feinstein said he hopes that SM's experience could help treat people with post-traumatic stress disorder, a problem he has seen in his work treating US soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Their lives are marred by fear, often times unable to even leave their home due to the ever-present feeling of danger," he said.

"By understanding how the brain processes fear, we may one day be able to create treatments that selectively target the brain areas that allow fear to take over our lives."

*From AP report

AFP Version

Woman who knows no fear could offer brain clues

WASHINGTON - US scientists have discovered a woman with a rare brain disease that makes her afraid of nothing - not a huge snake lurking near her children, not a knife to her throat, and certainly not a horror movie.

The woman cannot experience fear because of a condition that has destroyed the part of her brain - the amygdala - where researchers say they believe the feeling of fear is made.

Over the past two decades researchers have been analysing the woman, known as SM, for clues about her condition which they say could help them treat post-traumatic stress disorder, particularly in soldiers returning from war.

"It is quite remarkable that she is still alive," said lead author Justin Feinstein whose study appears in the journal Current Biology.

"The nature of fear is survival and the amygdala helps us stay alive by avoiding situations, people, or objects that put our life in danger," he said.

"Because SM is missing her amygdala, she is also missing the ability to detect and avoid danger in the world."

Instead of fear, SM, whose rare condition is known as Urbach-Wiethe disease, describes "an overwhelming feeling of curiosity."

To test her reaction, researchers led her into an exotic pet store filled with spiders and snakes, animals she repeatedly said she "hates" and tries to avoid.

"Upon entering the store, SM was spontaneously drawn to the snake terrariums and appeared visually captivated by the large collection of snakes," the study said.

Asked by a store employee if she would like to hold one, SM agreed and then played with one for about three minutes.

"She rubbed its leathery scales, touched its flicking tongue, and closely watched its movements as it slithered through her hands," it said.

"Her verbal behavior revealed a comparable degree of fascination and inquisitiveness: she repeatedly commented, 'This is so cool!'"

When she reached for a tarantula, however, she had to be stopped because there was a high risk she could be bitten.

"When asked why she would want to touch something that she knows is dangerous and that she claims to hate, SM replied that she was overcome with 'curiosity,'" the study said.

The woman's eldest son, who is in his 20s, told researchers he could not ever recall seeing his mother afraid of anything.

He said he remembered one event in particular from his childhood when he was playing with his two brothers and they saw a big snake in the road nearby.

"Well, Mom just ran over there and picked it up and brought it out of the street, put it in the grass and let it go on its way," he said.

"I thought that was kind of weird."

The woman also told researchers that when she was in her 30s, a man grabbed her and stuck a knife to her throat.

"She looked at the man and confidently replied, 'If you're going to kill me, you're gonna have to go through my God's angels first.' The man suddenly let her go," said the study, adding the woman then described walking calmly home.

Other experiments devised by the researchers - leading her through a haunted house where people dressed as monsters and ghosts sprung from the darkness, and showing her a series of scary video clips - fell flat too.

"She reacted to the monsters by smiling, laughing, or trying to talk to them," the study said.

"She found the fear films to be exciting and entertaining, and in one case, she inquired about the name of the movie so she could rent it from the video store later that day."

Scientists believe she was once able to feel fear because she has described a childhood memory of being afraid of a dog.

They also note that "SM has never been convicted of any crime, but rather has been the victim of numerous crimes."

Feinstein said he hopes that SM's experience could help treat people with post-traumatic stress disorder, a problem he has seen in his work treating US soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Their lives are marred by fear, often times unable to even leave their home due to the ever-present feeling of danger," he said.

"By understanding how the brain processes fear, we may one day be able to create treatments that selectively target the brain areas that allow fear to take over our lives."

Feinstein said science should look for PTSD treatments that "focus on ways to safely and non-invasively dampen amygdala activity," mainly through medication and psychotherapy.

~~~~~~~~~~

A significant portion of the original AFP article is omitted from the ST version.

Interestingly, the missing parts are mostly related to the downside of having practically no fear, such as the inability to detect and avoid danger, fascination with potentially dangerous animals, becoming a victim of crimes etc.

A quick survey of other new reports indicates that this danger of lacking fear is actually an important message from the researchers - here are some excerpts:

~~~~~~~~~~

1. Associated Press

a) Her case shows that the amygdala plays a key role in making people feel afraid in threatening situations, researchers say.

Her life history also shows that living without fear can be dangerous, they said.

b) She apparently hasn't felt fear as an adult, not even 15 years ago in an incident described by the researchers. A man jumped up from a park bench, pressed a knife to her throat and hissed, "I'm going to cut you."

SM, who heard a church choir practicing in the distance, looked coolly at him and replied, "If you're going to kill me, you're going to have to go through my God's angels first."

The man suddenly let her go. She didn't run home. She walked.

"Her lack of fear may have freaked the guy out," Feinstein said.

But it also got her into that situation in the first place, he noted. SM had willingly approached the man when he asked her to, even though it was late at night and she was alone, and even though she thought he looked "drugged out."

SM has also walked into other dangerous situations because of her lack of fear, and all in all, it's remarkable she's still alive, Feinstein said.

2. ABC News

a) S.M. also had exposure to fearful situations in her past. She was held up at gunpoint and at knifepoint and was almost killed during a domestic incident. S.M. told researchers she did not feel fear during these life-threatening situations. She was also aware that her inability to react to fearful stimuli was not normal.

b) S.M.'s case is also important to understand because the ability to experience fear and respond to it is essential to survival. The researchers believe that because she could not detect threats to her safety and avoid them, she wound up in numerous life-threatening situations.

"Indeed, it appears that without the amygdala, the evolutionary value of fear is lost," the authors wrote.

3. Time.com (Healthland)

a) The authors note that SM's response to what would normally be considered fear-inducing situations was not characterized simply by a lack of responsiveness, but rather a heightened arousal and interest. In other words, she practically courted danger.

b) The researchers stress that SM's condition is more a curse than a blessing: "[SM's] behavior, time and time again, leads her back to the very situations she should be avoiding, highlighting the indispensable role that the amygdala plays in promoting survival by compelling the organism away from danger. Indeed, it appears that without the amygdala, the evolutionary value of fear is lost."

4. Discovery News

a) That wasn't the only occasion that SM, who was living in the projects in a seedy part of town, got herself into a precarious situation. There was the time, for example, that a man approached her from behind, put a gun to her head, yelled "Boom!" and then ran away. She figured her attacker was a drug dealer whom she had repeatedly turned in to the police, but she didn't consider calling the cops after the incident.

"She described the situation as strange," Feinstein said. "She's not reacting in normal ways that anyone who had fear would."

b) "We don't suggest by any means to remove this area of the brain," Feinstein said. "We don't want a million SM's walking around getting in trouble. This one case highlights why we do need an amygdala."

Instead, it's possible that drugs or behavioral methods could quiet the amygdala just enough to free people whose lives have been taken over by fear.

5. Scienceblogs.com (Neurophilosophy)

a) SM has been studied extensively during the past two decades. Early investigations showed that her non-verbal visual memory was signficantly impaired but that otherwise she had an IQ in the low-average range. She also displayed inappropriate social behaviours, quickly becoming friendly with the experimenters and making sexual remarks, due to disturbed executive control. Subsequently, it was found that she was unable to recognize emotions in facial expressions, and a study published earlier this year showed that the brain damage had eliminated her monetary loss aversion - that is, she makes risky financial decisions that most of us would avoid because of a fear of losing money.

b) But based on interviews with her and her three children, the authors suggest that she probably has not experienced fear at all throughout the whole duration of her adult life, despite having encountered an unusually high number of traumatic and life-threatening events. Aged 30, she had a knife held to her throat by a drug addict while she walked through a park at night, but did not panic and walked away calmly when he let her go. She has also been held at gun point, was nearly killed in an act of domestic violence, and has been the victim of numerous crimes in the poverty-stricken area in which she lives.

~~~~~~~~~~

From these excerpts, it can be seen that all the above news articles - except for the Straits Times version - emphasize the researchers' point about the dangers of lacking fear.

Would you like to know more?

- The Human Amygdala and the Induction and Experience of Fear (Feinstein et al. 2010) Current Biology

Right Round Round Round

2010-11-23T20:48:00.007+08:00

Enjoy unsolved mysteries?

Here's one for you: why do people travel in circles when they can't see a fixed landmark?

Apparently, difference in limb lengths doesn't explain this behaviour (eg. driving the car) so this remains an unsolved question.

I wonder if you'll see the same circling movement if you make the blindfolded person lie down on a skateboard, so as to position the inner ear balance organs 90 degrees to the usual orientation.

Or if there is still circling if you give the subject a fixed auditory landmark, like a tall loudspeaker.

Via Mind Hacks.

Would you like to know more?

- A Mystery: Why Can't We Walk Straight? (npr.org)

Beware Of Geeks Bearing Fembots

2010-11-02T11:46:00.005+08:00

Latest development by Hiroshi Ishiguro's group: the Actroid-F.

Now attempting to bridge the uncanny valley with fast facial expressions!

The multiple eye blink demonstration from 1:26 - 1:33 is very impressive. To me, one major reason why androids today look so stiff is due to the sluggishness of the actuators.

People don't slowly move their heads and facial muscles into position; they sort of "snap" into it.

In that respect, the current Actroid-F appears to have the fastest motor response of any android so far. Older videos of the Actroid-F in April still show the slow eye blink and head movement, so something must have been enhanced since then, be it faster motors and/or software.

Also, I think there is one point in this video where the Actroid briefly slips across the uncanny valley.

It's at 1:46, when after repeating a series of mechanical-looking mouth movements, the Actroid suddenly shifts attention to the left in a snappy, human sort of way.

In that instant, the robot seemed to be alive.

Looking at the progress so far, this is merely a little taste of what is to come.

Would you like to know more?

- ACTROID-F: Android robot that coexists with human (AIST Channel)

Pick Your Brain For Some Loose Change... And Your Watch

2010-10-29T11:14:00.004+08:00

Here's an intriguing Scientific American video that uses street magic to help illustrate some concepts in neuroscience.

Or is it using neuroscience to help illustrate some concepts in street magic?

Not surprisingly the street magician steals the show, after all, it's his job to capture your attention by being in your face, enthusiastic and funny.

Whereas the scientists appear standoffish and matter-of-fact.

This distinct contrast tells us that there's some showmanship going on here, and obviously it's the magician who's doing it.

Or is it?

via Mind Hacks

Next Up, World Domination. But First, Here's A Song For You!

2010-10-20T11:23:00.010+08:00

You know them pop stars - celebrities who don't play instruments, can't sing and can't really dance either.

Behold the next step in prepackaged, manufactured entertainment...

Whoa, that's almost... adorable.

As YouTubber anharmyenone grimly observed: "Skynet is a Japanese idol singer."

Verily I say, beware of Those with the half-bent knees and awkward head-shake.

Heh.

via Tokyo Mango

Update 24 Dec 2010: Video with clearer (less buzzy) sound quality and some close-ups of the robot - from AIST Channel.

Would you like to know more?

- The star: HRP-4C Gynoid
- The synthesized singing: Vocaloid Hatsune Miku
- The song: "出逢った頃のように" by EveryLittleThing

Later!

2010-07-25T19:47:00.003+08:00

Wow, it's been months since my last post! Currently I don't have the need to blog any more, and I'm often travelling regionally, so unlikely to have regular updates.

For the long time readers of Fresh Brainz, many thanks for your support in the past four years! Cheers and so long!

Many Or Most?

2010-05-19T13:10:00.004+08:00

In Singapore, the mainstream media has often been criticized by our online community for biased, pro-ruling party reporting.

However, I think that even the mainstream media itself is not entirely homogeneous.

Compare these two news articles, both reporting on the response of Mr. S. Iswaran (Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry) in Parliament to questions about the Integrated Resorts.

Click on the headlines for the full articles:

1. No compromise to concept of IRs, with small portion for gambling (Channel NewsAsia 18 May 2010)

2. Too early to judge success of IRs: Iswaran (TODAYonline 19 May 2010)

Here are excerpts from both reports to highlight a small but crucial difference between them:

1. Channel NewsAsia - He also addressed concerns from opposition MP Low Thia Khiang that many Singaporeans were hitting the casinos. He felt there is a novelty factor at play, but pledged that agencies are monitoring the trends closely.

Hougang MP Low Thia Khiang said: "There are reports that most visitors to the casinos are actually Singaporeans, is that a concern of the government?"

Mr Iswaran replied: "Obviously we want to ensure that Singaporeans who choose to go to the casinos give due thought to that before they go in and not do it on an impulse — which is why we have a whole slew of measures that have been put in place.

"It would be fair to say that there is a novelty factor in place, and to say that whatever we see at play in terms of numbers, in terms of performance in the first few weeks and months is an accurate predictor of what will be happening 12 months, 24 months down the road, I think may be stretching the argument a little bit."

"I think what I can assure the member is that the agencies are monitoring the situation closely and I think once we have a better sense of the patterns and trends, then I think we will better know how the measures we have put in place are working."

2. TODAYonline - Opposition MP (Hougang) Low Thia Khiang asked if the Government was concerned that many of the casinos' patrons so far seem to be Singaporeans.

To this, Mr Iswaran replied that the "novelty factor" was at play and may not accurately reflect the situation one or two years down the road.

"The agencies are monitoring the situation closely, and once we have a better sense of the patterns and trends, then I think we'll know how the measures (against problem gambling) we've put in place are working," he said.

If the Channel NewsAsia's direct quote is accurate, then Mr. Low actually asked if the government was concerned that MOST casino visitors appear to be Singaporeans.

He didn't ask if the government was concerned that MANY casino patrons appear to be Singaporeans, which is how TODAYonline paraphrased it.

MOST is not the same as MANY.

There is a difference because MANY refers to raw numbers whereas MOST refers to a proportion.

Over time, any foreign-owned casino that opens its door to native citizens will have MANY native visitors.

But if the casino was planned to be a tool for boosting tourism, then MOST of its visitors should be foreigners, not natives!

Otherwise it would have become yet another shiny new avenue for citizens to transfer their money to foreign corporations.

Interestingly, Mr. Iswaran did not dispute Mr. Low's observation; instead, he talked about the novelty factor and the need for more time to determine the trends, which seems to be a tacit acknowledgement of the current situation - if you read the Channel NewsAsia version, that is.

In contrast, that insight cannot be obtained from the TODAYonline version.

For any piece of news, I think it's a good idea to read a number of sources to get a better picture of what is going on.

Gong Fu, Noh, And A Magical Robot Unicorn

2010-05-17T13:34:00.005+08:00

During the 1990s, the 80's must have seemed like the gayest decade in human history, with its big shiny clothes and big multicoloured hair.

Little did we realize that the 90's turned out to be even gayer than the 80's.

Ladies and gentleman, may I present to you the Year 1994:

And with the advent of free flash games, kids today are rediscovering the gayness of the 1990's all over again, one high score at a time...

Would you like to know more?

- The Gay '90's

- Robot Unicorn Attack flash game by [adult swim]

- I want to be a magical rainbow unicorn, chasing neon butterflies and flying dolphins through a purple marshmellowly land! OH YES!

- I am secure with my masculinity.

Can Science Answer Moral Questions?

2010-04-23T01:19:00.004+08:00

Just watched an interesting TED talk by Sam Harris about how science can shed some light about questions of morality.

I like many of Harris' talks, and as a structuralist I agree with the overall premise that questions of morality can be investigated scientifically.

Thus I was looking forward to hearing his arguments; however, after listening to him I realized that I mainly disagreed with him instead!

Here, check it out first:

Eloquently articulated, to be sure, but I have so many disagreements with his view that... wow, where do I even begin?

1. "Values are a certain kind of fact. They are facts about the well-being of conscious creatures."

Firstly, I don't know which moral philosopher would agree with Harris' definition of "values", but dictionary.com defines "values" as "the ideals, customs, institutions, etc., of a society toward which the people of the group have an affective regard."

In common language the term "values" has a very strong social component which is missing in Harris' definition - making "values" appear to be some kind of individual-level property.

This is a very big problem. There is a difference between the moral sense/personal principles of individuals and the social values of groups.

Harris makes it look as if social values can ultimately be reducible to neuroscience, which in my view is pitching it at the wrong organization level.

Secondly, how would you measure "well-being" in the context of social values?

There are many cultures that consider some amount of physical/psychological pain to be an important aspect of a person's development toward adulthood, or to be recognized as a legit member of society.

Even if someone was able to create some kind of standardized "well-being" metric, how would you convince other people to agree with it?

Take for example, our "civilized" culture in Singapore where children are subject to at least a decade of institutional education, usually longer.

It is a system which regularly inflicts pain of varying degrees.

Does anyone think that most teenagers want to be scolded by teachers/prefects, spend their holidays on homework/tuition, learn calculus/linear law, or train furiously/contort their bodies in order to get silver for their NAPFA test to avoid PTP during NS?

So are all these activities immoral?

2. "There are truths to be known about how human communities flourish - whether or not we understand these truths. And morality relates to these truths."

During the talk, Harris constantly emphasized human "flourishing".

Harris was trained as a biologist, as was I. From a biological perspective, the survival of a population can be easily measured - in terms of reproductive fitness, children per woman, population growth rates etc.

But how would anyone agree on what "flourishing" means, let alone how to measure it?

Take for example, the Spartan civilization in Ancient Greece.

Spartan society was highly structured, militaristic and brutal - from the cradle to the grave.

Small or deformed babies were left to die of exposure. Boys began military training at age seven - deliberately underfed to encourage them to learn the skill of stealing food.

By eighteen they were trained to kill members of the Helot minority; at twenty they were eligible for military service and they would remain on duty until they were 60 years old.

If a Spartan soldier lost his shield in battle and returned alive, it was assumed that he attempted to flee and thus was subject to punishment by death or banishment. Even mothers enforced the militaristic lifestyle that Spartan men endured!

Yet, for such a cruel and warlike society, Sparta was well-admired during its day, considered by many people - even some of its rivals in Athens - to be an ideal state free from the corruption of commerce and money. Spartan women also enjoyed more rights and equality to men than elsewhere during that time period.

In terms of survival as a group, Sparta managed to maintain its political independence for several centuries.

So did the Spartans "flourish"?

And how do we critique the morality of their societal practices scientifically?

**********

There are many, many other things that I disagree with, but it's late and I need to sleep.

Suffice to say that I am amazed to see how reductionist Harris' view is, and how much he is attracted by the concept of a universal morality - eg. continuum along a single dimension, fixed peaks and valleys in his "moral landscape".

I realize that the systems perspective is not immediately intuitive, and people, even science-trained people, like to see things along a simple spectrum of black and white, right and wrong.

This spectrum, especially for social values, cannot exist because of confounding variables such as short-term vs long-term benefit, individual vs group benefit, stability vs flexibility etc - there are multidimensional trade-offs that preclude simple optimality.

Ash By Any Other Name Would NOT Smell As Sulphurous

2010-04-17T12:30:00.007+08:00

The Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland must surely count as one of the most unpronounceable volcano names in the world.

Nonetheless, the effects of its latest eruption can be easily communicated.

Check out this satellite photo by NASA:

Iceland is outlined on the upper left of the photo, spewing what looks like atmospheric diarrhoea towards northern Europe on the lower right.

Volcanic ash clouds gradually spread over Europe causing numerous cancelled airline flights in... SINGAPORE?!??

That's right.

About 6,000 travellers at the Changi Airport have been affected by flight disruptions in Europe, many of them stranded at the transit lounges due to insufficient hotel rooms.

According to the Straits Times, about one in two travellers at Changi are transiting through Singapore to destinations in Europe or North America.

Also in that news report - an affected traveller Mr. Ken Jones said: "I am resigned to what is happening. It is nobody's fault, I guess, but of course I am annoyed and frustrated."

Understandably he is annoyed, but Mr. Jones may also add "relieved" to his mixture of emotions if he only knew what happens when a jet aeroplane flies through a plume of volcanic ash at 900 klicks an hour.

On the 24th of June 1982, passengers and crew of British Airways Flight 9 had the terrifying experience of just how that feels like:

Ah, the imprecision of the English language - volcanic "ash" sounds harmless enough, but it is not the same sort of "ash" that you get from burning paper or cigarettes.

Volcanic "ash" is actually made up of tiny, irregular pieces of rock and glass.

Oh my.

Would you like to know more?

More satellite photos of the Icelandic eruption:
- NASA Observes Ash Plume of Icelandic Volcano (NASA)

News of passengers stuck in Singapore:
- Stranded in Singapore (Straits Times)

Full video of the British Airways Flight 9 incident:
- Air Crash Investigation - British Airways Flight 9 (Google videos)

Another imprecision of the English language:
- Seven Years Of Science (Fresh Brainz)

A Grey Lizard That Isn't Really Grey

2010-03-09T10:40:00.010+08:00

Last month, during the Chinese New Year period, I was passing through a jogging track beside a canal in Ghim Moh when I spotted this little critter:

GREY LIZARD!

It had a surprisingly deep grey colour that matched the surrounding asphalt very well. If not for the fact that it was dashing across the track right in front of me, I would have missed it.

I think that its grey skin is a good camouflage to protect the lizard against predators, such as birds.

I don't know much about lizards, but I find its even grey tone surprising since I've only seen garden lizards in brown and green.

My first thought when I saw it was - maybe there is a selection pressure for "jogging track lizards" to be grey?

Here's the fellow next to a ten cent coin.

The lizard was about 3 cm long. It could be a juvenile, so the grey colouration could be a transitory feature.

Most scientists who study the evolution of animal features tend to focus on the adult form. That doesn't mean that the features of young animals are less important.

We must remember that the environment starts to act against an animal, even before it was born!

If an animal cannot survive its youth, it cannot become an adult.

When I took a close-up photo of the lizard, I realized that it wasn't really grey!

The scales were in a mottled pattern of light and dark brown, and coupled with the fact that the lizard appeared to be moulting, the resultant colour from a distance was a dull, dark grey.

It made me ponder about the concept that quantitatively different features at the component level can result in qualitatively different features at the system level, ie. emergence.

After all, if you try to find a novel "grey gene" on this grey lizard, you might end up finding nothing! It might have been the combination of expression level changes to existing brown colour genes and opacity of the scales that contributed to its overall grey appearance.

Well, that's too much speculation for one day.

So I left the lizard, which had remained frozen in that position for minutes on the asphalt and didn't leave even after I had walked several metres away.

Survival instinct or excessive fear?

Seconds later, a bicycle zipped by that same spot.

I didn't look back.

Would you like to know more?
- Tertiary color (Wikipedia)

Minister Pay To Increase By 8.8%

2010-02-25T06:52:00.006+08:00

Despite the raging debate among citizens about the government's performance regarding the foreign talent policy, HDB price spike, losses by Temasek Holdings and GIC etc., looks like the government has decided to raise the salaries of ministers yet again in this year's Budget.

Committed to going green (TODAYonline)
by Teo Xuanwei 05:55 AM Feb 23, 2010

Excerpt:

"Salaries for political appointments - ministers, ministers of state and parliamentary secretaries - are estimated to be $58.28 million, or 8.8 per cent higher than last year."

Ministers in Singapore are already the highest paid politicians in the world, earning over a million dollars a year and beating their counterparts in other countries by a large margin.

Check out this graph that compares the salary of the Prime Minister with prominent leaders of first world countries:

It is shockingly inappropriate timing to raise their salaries while our country has barely recovered from the recession, and the sustained recovery of the global economy is still in doubt.

Some commenters on sociopolitical blogs say that this pay hike suggests that the government is not confident of winning the next general election and thus is increasing their salaries while they can.

Alternatively, it is also possible that the election will not be held this year after all, since it is inconceivable that the government would make such an insensitive move shortly before the election.

Le mariage est il la tombe de l'amour

2010-02-17T17:27:00.009+08:00

Another piece of biting satire from the Onion News Network, this time parodying the same-sex marriage controversy in California, USA:

Ha ha ha... imagine the total chaos that would result when they try to enforce the law.

What is the legal definition of love (or lovelessness) anyway?