Question Week 3 :
Which do you prefer - 'open book' exam or 'close book' exam?
Please use the comment section to write briefly about the topic.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
First Fuzzy Photo of Planets Outside Solar System
This could be interesting...
WASHINGTON – Earth seems to have its first fuzzy photos of alien planets outside our solar system, images captured by two teams of astronomers. The pictures show four likely planets that appear as specks of white, nearly indecipherable except to the most eagle-eyed experts. All are trillions of miles away — three of them orbiting the same star, and the fourth circling a different star.
None of the four giant gaseous planets are remotely habitable or remotely like Earth. But they raise the possibility of others more hospitable.
It's only a matter of time before "we get a dot that's blue and Earthlike," said astronomer Bruce Macintosh of the Lawrence Livermore National Lab. He led one of the two teams of photographers.
"It is a step on that road to understand if there are other planets like Earth and potentially life out there," he said.
Macintosh's team used two ground-based telescopes, while the second team relied on photos from the 18-year-old Hubble Space Telescope to gather images of the exoplanets — planets that don't circle our sun. The research from both teams was published in Thursday's online edition of the journal Science.
In the past 13 years, scientists have discovered more than 300 planets outside our solar system, but they have done so indirectly, by measuring changes in gravity, speed or light around stars.
NASA's space sciences chief Ed Weiler said the actual photos are important. He compared it to a hunt for elusive elephants: "For years we've been hearing the elephants, finding the tracks, seeing the trees knocked down by them, but we've never been able to snap a picture. Now we have a picture."
In a news conference Thursday, Weiler said this fulfills the last of the major goals that NASA had for the Hubble telescope before it launched in 1990: "This is an 18 1/2-year dream come true."
There are disputes about whether these are the first exoplanet photos. Others have made earlier claims, but those pictures haven't been confirmed as planets or universally accepted yet. The photos released Thursday are being published in a scientifically prominent journal, but that still hasn't convinced all the experts. Alan Boss, an exoplanet expert at the Carnegie Institution of Washington, and Harvard exoplanet hunter Lisa Kaltenegger both said more study is needed to confirm these photos are proven planets and not just brown dwarf stars.
WASHINGTON – Earth seems to have its first fuzzy photos of alien planets outside our solar system, images captured by two teams of astronomers. The pictures show four likely planets that appear as specks of white, nearly indecipherable except to the most eagle-eyed experts. All are trillions of miles away — three of them orbiting the same star, and the fourth circling a different star.
None of the four giant gaseous planets are remotely habitable or remotely like Earth. But they raise the possibility of others more hospitable.
It's only a matter of time before "we get a dot that's blue and Earthlike," said astronomer Bruce Macintosh of the Lawrence Livermore National Lab. He led one of the two teams of photographers.
"It is a step on that road to understand if there are other planets like Earth and potentially life out there," he said.
Macintosh's team used two ground-based telescopes, while the second team relied on photos from the 18-year-old Hubble Space Telescope to gather images of the exoplanets — planets that don't circle our sun. The research from both teams was published in Thursday's online edition of the journal Science.
In the past 13 years, scientists have discovered more than 300 planets outside our solar system, but they have done so indirectly, by measuring changes in gravity, speed or light around stars.
NASA's space sciences chief Ed Weiler said the actual photos are important. He compared it to a hunt for elusive elephants: "For years we've been hearing the elephants, finding the tracks, seeing the trees knocked down by them, but we've never been able to snap a picture. Now we have a picture."
In a news conference Thursday, Weiler said this fulfills the last of the major goals that NASA had for the Hubble telescope before it launched in 1990: "This is an 18 1/2-year dream come true."
There are disputes about whether these are the first exoplanet photos. Others have made earlier claims, but those pictures haven't been confirmed as planets or universally accepted yet. The photos released Thursday are being published in a scientifically prominent journal, but that still hasn't convinced all the experts. Alan Boss, an exoplanet expert at the Carnegie Institution of Washington, and Harvard exoplanet hunter Lisa Kaltenegger both said more study is needed to confirm these photos are proven planets and not just brown dwarf stars.
(taken from Yahoo News, 14th November 2008)
Monday, November 10, 2008
New Vice Chancellor for UM
PETALING JAYA: Former Multimedia University (MMU) president Prof Datuk Dr Ghauth Jasmon has been appointed Universiti Malaya (UM) vice-chancellor effective today. Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said he was convinced that Prof Ghauth was the “right vice-chancellor for the university at the present time”.
“This is because he was formerly from UM and has experience leading a private university,” he said when contacted in Britain. Mohamed Khaled said he hoped Prof Ghauth would be able to continue to strengthen and shape UM into a world class university. Prof Ghauth replaces Datuk Rafiah Salim whose contract has expired.
Rafiah, the first woman to head a public university, was initially appointed in May 2006. Her tenure was extended for another six months from May this year. Higher Education Department director-general Prof Datuk Dr Radin Umar Radin Sohadi said the appointment of Prof Ghauth was based on an independent search committee and believed that he could further transform the university.
When contacted in Indonesia, Prof Ghauth said he was honoured and thankful for his appointment and that he would begin his duties next Tuesday. “I can’t wait to start work to get UM back into the top class again,” he said, adding that he retired from MMU at the end of last year after serving as president for 11 years.
He then took over as Unity College International chief executive officer in January this year. Unity College International board of governors chairman Emeritus Prof Datuk Dr Sham Sani congratulated Prof Ghauth stating that the appointment was too big an opportunity for him to turn down.
(taken from The Star Online, 8th November 2008)
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Mr Loghandran in NTV7
Dear All,
The World Championship of Public Speaking (WCPS) 1st runner-up, Mr. Loghandran, will be featured in the NTV7 breakfast show on 10th November 2008, around 8.40am. He would be talking about public speaking and Toastmasters.
SO DONT MISS IT!!!
UM TMC.
The World Championship of Public Speaking (WCPS) 1st runner-up, Mr. Loghandran, will be featured in the NTV7 breakfast show on 10th November 2008, around 8.40am. He would be talking about public speaking and Toastmasters.
SO DONT MISS IT!!!
UM TMC.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Evaluation Workshop on 8th November 2008
Dear Members,
There will be an Evaluation Workshop this Saturday, 8th November 2008.
It's conducted by Former District 51 Champion, DTM Lee Swee Seng.
Venue: Level 19, Uptown 1, Damansara Uptown
Time: 2pm ( Lunch is served from 1pm onwards)
Venue: Level 19, Uptown 1, Damansara Uptown
Time: 2pm ( Lunch is served from 1pm onwards)
Tickets are sold at RM 50 each. There are still 8 seats left, so better be fast!!!
Good Luck For Your Final Exams!!!
UM TMC would like to wish good luck to all our members and guests who will be sitting for their final examinations.
May good luck always be with you.
May good luck always be with you.
GOOD LUCK FOR YOUR EXAMS!!!
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Asian Achievement in International Speech Contest
Dear All,
Below is an article appeared in The Sunday Post on 26 October 2008 regarding Toastmasters and an interview session of Asia's Top - Loghandran. You can have a read on it with larger view.
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