Thursday 30 June 2016

Independent learning log 5

Apple voids warranty for those who smoke while using apple computers and are caught.

This is a really weird fact...

what I did: People said that there are many weird things in the terms and conditions of the apple products. Some are rather ridiculous and not applicable for apple products at all! Here is one of the ridiculous ones:
Open at own risk
This is extremely weird!

What I learnt: I am not going to keep talking about the biological weapons, but more of voiding the warranty. Why is this even a rule! According to the apple legal, If you are caught smoking while using an apple computer, your warranty is no longer applicable and usable... I do not understand the logic to this. It probably is because apple wants people to stop smoking and they are doing their part to help people quit smoking. Even so, they should not be so cruel to take people's warranty away. This can cause people to stop buying apple products and choose Microsoft. People might also think that apple is being unreasonable. These facts are all taken from the terms and conditions of apple products, and it is not nice to make people read the many pages or rules and regulations.They should at least get their staff to inform people of these rules. (Plus+)The voiding of warranty is probably apple's way of taking advantage of people's weakness, smoking! So they could save money....

Summary: basically, do not smoke near apple products as all the warranties would be void...

Extras(if you have nothing better to do)
purely at your own risk, you have been warned

(spoiler...)
credits to apple. www.apple.com #apple_fan

Independent learning log 4

Snails Have Teeth?
What I did: I researched on snails. 

What I learnt: We often think of snails as useless, slow and insignificant creatures. But if you observe them closely, you can find many more things and features about them. If you think snails are disgusting creatures, here is a fact to make you even more disgusted. Snails, not only do these tiny creatures have teeth, they have lots of teeth. By lots of teeth, I mean 14,000 teeth! 120x100 per row, tough and unbreakable, enough to kill humans. The teeth are mostly stuck to the tongue of the snail, used to eat the plants and fungi of the forest.

Summary: Snails actually have lots of teeth stuck to their tongue. Although unexpected, but it has much more teeth than most creatures!

independent learning log 3 By Lee Dominic

Internet addiction disorder? Facebook addiction disorder?

What I did?: I was looking on the internet for different types of disorders(just for knowledge). This one looked very interesting.

What I learnt: The Internet is a very useful tool for us, whether it for studying or for looking for news. Although it is very useful, it can drive you crazy too. This 'amazing' disorder is created along with the internet. This is not a joke, it actually exists and is proven by researchers and found to be a very big problem with young teenagers. There is not only one type of internet disorder, there are Facebook addiction, online shopping addiction, gaming addiction and excessive use of blogging and emails to name a few. As technology gets more advanced, the amount of people who get 'infected' with this problem rapidly increases. We should always be careful while using the internet and not get addicted. I also think that people of younger age 1-6 should not get to use devices such as smartphones. Even though you are using it to educate them, you are actually harming them. When they are younger, they get influenced by all these problems more easily and more easily get addicted to it. Imagine a scenario where a 4 year old child has been using an iPad(I am a fan of apple) since 2 years old. His/her parents think they are helping their child get smarter through technology, but no! It is causing them to get addicted. Then again, imagine the same child screaming and crying because his/her parents refuse to let him/her use the iPad. This is a sign of a severe case of...   addiction! DUN🌩🌩 DUN🌩🌩! It's no wonder why people now a days are less efficient than people of the past. Technology does not 100% help us, in fact, it is slowly destroying us and creating more and more problems. THE Internet sure is dangerous!

Summary: The internet is a very useful platform for us to study and get smarter, but a misuse of it can cause major problems, We need to be very careful!

Thanks to:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_addiction_disorder#Internet_Addiction_Test and http://www.thefactsite.com/2011/07/top-100-random-funny-facts.html

Sunday 26 June 2016

Independent learning log 5 by Jasper Yong

What I did: I was scrolling through BBC technology when I came across an article about Uber hiding their surge price notifications.

What I learnt:During busy periods, the taxi firm's customers are currently told they will be charged a "surge price" such as 1.7 or 2.3 times the standard fare.Customers will instead be shown a fixed fee with a notice that fares are higher due to increased demand.One analyst said hiding the surge price multiplier could stop people being discouraged from using the service.

Summary:Uber is to hide surge pricing notifications for more of its users to make its app less "complicated".

Independent learning log 4 by Jasper Yong

What I did: I was browsing around the BBC news when I came upon an interesting article about Apple ditching the audio jack for the future iPhone 7.

What I learnt:Apple plans to omit the 3.5mm socket to make the iPhone 7 thinner and more waterproof, with more room for the battery.The Fast Company reported it would rely on the Lightning cable port, currently used for charging, for sound output.Apple will ship the iPhone 7 with wireless headphones.Removing the headphone socket from phones is something that no-one is asking for and has serious drawbacks including poor compatibility and accessibility, and DRM audio.

Summary: Apple is planning to remove the headphone sockets from phones. Whether good, or bad, it is up to the future for us to find out.

Saturday 25 June 2016

Independent learning log 3 by Jasper Yong

What I did: Again, I was browsing through BBC news when I came across something fresh and shocking, Microsofts new high-tech mosquito trap!

What I learnt: Harris County officials announced “Project Premonition” on Wednesday in partnership with Microsoft. The new mosquito trap device observes distinctive profiles to determine the species of the insect before capturing it. It uses profiling techniques to monitor characteristics like how the mosquito flaps its wings to determine its species

Summary: New technology is very cool and useful in many different ways, such as preventing mosquito diseases from being spread.

Independent learning log 2 by Jasper Yong

What I did: I was scrolling through BBC news when I came upon an article about the US military lifting up their transgender ban.

What I learnt:Defence Secretary Ash Carter has called the regulation outdated and harmful to the military.The disclosure has been welcomed by campaigners for transgender rights.It comes after the US Army Secretary, Eric Fanning, formally took office. He is the first openly gay person to become the top civilian official in any branch of the American military.

Summary: Transgender rights are becoming better, with the US military understanding to forge a better future with transgenders, gays and lesbians.

Friday 24 June 2016

Independent Learning Log 5 by Brandon (17)

What I did: Read a book on paleontology breakthroughs.

What I learnt: Birds are the main predecessors of the dinosaurs and the bird with the most dormant dinosaur genes inside their cells are...Chickens. It is shocking to see such common produce be the most similar to the roaring dinosaurs we know and love. Geneticists were able to activate these dormant genes and give chickens dinosaur-like teeth in their beaks. Could this mean we could bring dinosaurs back?

Summary: Sometimes the largest potentials lie in the most unsuspected of things, such as chickens being the closest to dinosaurs.

Independent Learning Log 4 by Brandon (17)

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/world/crops-grown-on-mars-soil-safe-to-eat

What I did: Read up on an article about crops growing on Mars like soil.

What I learnt: Crops can grow on soil with "Mars's soil" conditions, with no dangerous metals. This is astounding in terms of astronomy. This could mean space exploration could be made more possible. It relieves the need for food on space missions to Mars now. This is a great step forward.

Summary: Many things are possible, they've just yet to have been discovered.

Independent Learning Log 3 by Brandon (17)

What I did: Watched the movie "Independence Day"

What I Learnt: The movie, when you see pass the jam-packed action in the film, the underlying message is quite touching and shocking. Near the climax of the movie, presidents and ministers from all over the world unite, their combined armies taking on the fleet of alien spacecraft. Through the combined might, the world's armies fought off the alien fleet. This is a message that the director wanted to bring across, despite our disputes, when facing a common threat, the only thing that can overcome it is the combined will of the whole of humanity to survive, as one.

Summary: Many movies have underlying messages, most in relation to the main story.

Independent Learning Log 2 by Brandon (17)

What I did: Learnt/ Read Up on an article about HD 188753.

What I learnt: This planet dismayed scientist since its original discovery, its existence should be impossible. The planet has not 1, not 2 but 3 suns orbiting it! It orbits around the main star in its system. But there are the two other stars orbiting around the star as well. Its existence defies logic as the gravity from the two orbiting suns should have ripped apart any matter that would form the planet in the first place. It is similar to the fictional home planet of "Luke Skywalker", Tatooine,  in the science fiction novel "Star Wars", which orbits 2 suns.

Summary: Sometimes science is stranger than fiction, such is the case of HD 188753.

Independent Learning Log 1 by Brandon (17)

What I did: Read up on the "Vampire Squid"

What I learnt: Most People think of bats when it comes to vampires, and not a squid. However, beneath the depths of the great Pacific, under an astounding 900m beneath the ocean surface, lies an 15cm creature known as the "Vampire Squid". Its blood is of a blue hue and it has gills with a unusually large surface area. It, however, doesn't consume blood, or have any characteristics that we associate with vampires. Its nickname was derived from its suckers, which have sharp teeth, like the fangs of a vampire.

Summary: There are many interesting creatures underneath the sea, one of which is the "Vampire Squid".

Independent Learning Log 5 By Tan Jing Yu (22)

What i did: Read up a list on deadliest animals on earth

What i learnt: What many may first think of as a deadly animal, is probably a tiger, lion or snake. But the truth is, the highest death rates of humans comes from a bug that is smaller than our eyeball, a mosquito. The mosquito mainly kills by being a carrier of malaria, a deadly disease that kills thousands every year. If we do not stop these mosquitoes from spreading, more and more deaths via malaria would happen. Thus it is vital that we rid of any stagnant water present to stop these deadly virus carriers from spreading

Summary: Mosquitoes are the deadliest animals on the planet

Independent Learning Log 4 By Tan Jing Yu (22)

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/lta-rolls-out-new-enforcement-team-to-deter-speedsters-on-footpaths

What I did: Read an article on LTA's new plans to roll out new enforcement 

What i learnt: Due to the increasing number of people on bicycles speeding on pathways meant for people, LTA is introducing new officers to deter speedsters. If any speedsters are caught red handed, they will be issued tickets with a fine tied to them.

Summary: LTA is introducing new enforcement to protect people walking on walkways from bicycle speedsters.

Independent Learning Log 3 By Tan Jing Yu (22)

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/hdb-season-parking-fee-for-2nd-car-may-rise

What I did: Read up about an article about parking fees in HDBs

What I learnt: In HDB parking lots, the parking lots are often too crowded, and to counter this, the Government has formed a flawless plan to increase the prices of season parking fees.

Summary: Due to overcrowding of cars in parking lots, the government is increasing parking charges.

Independent Learning Log 2 By Tan Jing Yu (22)

Source: http://www.mnn.com/family/protection-safety/blogs/why-manchineel-might-be-earths-most-dangerous-tree

What I did: Read up on an article about the Manchineel Tree.

What I learnt: The Manchineel Tree, despite being endangered is one of the most deadliest plants on earth. The fruit of the tree, contains a toxin that causes intense heat in the body as if it was being burnt alive, shortly after the victim's throat closes up. And death follows. The sap of the tree, is white and sticky. When in contact with skin, it instantly burns up and forms painful blisters. Even without coming into contact with the sap and fruit, the sap can be dispersed through rainfall and cause, quite literally: "acid rain". That is why most tourists have horrific injuries by the tree, as they seek shelter from rain under such a poisonous tree.

Summary: The Manchineel Tree is the most poisonous tree in the world 

Independent Leaning Log 1 By Tan Jing Yu (22)

What I did: Watch a movie called "Unbroken"

What I learnt: I leant about a man named Louis Zamperini, an olympic runner and also a soldier during WW2. Louis enlisted into the military, and was immediately sent on a mission to drop bombs on part of Japan. Unfortunately the plane was shot down by Japanese artillery, and Louis along with 3 other fellow soldiers. Despite surviving the plane crash, were captured as POWs by the Japanese. For the next few agonizing years of his life, Louis and other POWs were tortured in harsh conditions by the Japanese soldiers, especially a particular prison commander, Mutsushiro Watanabe,
 whom was beaten by Louis in the olympics. Held a grudge against Louis and treated him harshly. Ordering the other POWs to all punch him in the face as hard as they can, then beat him with a cane sword until his nosebleed. This continued eventually until the Japanese finally surrendered, and Louis returned back to his family being one of the many few POWs that survived. 

Summary: How the POWs were treated by the Japanese during WW2

Monday 20 June 2016

Independent Learning Log 5 by Ethan (20)

Date: 20th June 2016

Source: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2016/06/juarez-mexico-border-city-drug-cartels-murder-revival/

What I did:
Crime is increasing without any question, and it is hard to find any motivation to fight back with the threats of terrorism and drug abuse. However, this article talks about the city that broke all odds during the worst of its time, and after a period of unrest, life is finally starting to return to normal.

Summary:
This article talks about a city in Mexico called Juárez, a city notorious for drug lords. It faced a time when police were corrupted and at least 10 people were killed each day. Known as the Drug War, it left behind a huge scar in Mexico. Not just the murder, about 1/4 of cars stolen were stolen from Juárez itself. Just when there was no hope for this city, it has miraculously started its was of recovery. It also featured a comparison of when a journalist first visited this city in 1996, during the Drug War and when it started its way to recovery. After the Drug War ended, there was still chaos, it took time for the police to gain control and let life breathe onto the city. Even if there is still no hope, we must still persevere and not give up. Although stories like this are rare to find, the moral behind can be applied to nearly everything.

Words I learnt:
- Cordial
- Suave
- booze
- Heft
- messiah

Independent Learning Log 4 by Ethan (20)

Date: 20th June 2016

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/party-in-silence

What I did:
I wanted to find something creative and out of the ordinary. Thus, I read this article which can change stereotypes of disco partying when more well-known of.

Summary:
This article talks about a company which hosts parties that did something out of the ordinary. Instead of blasting music through speakers, they replaced speakers with noise-cancelling headphones that has different channels of music. LED lights will indicate which channel you are listening to, and the DJ can tune the songs accordingly. This allows the party to be much more silent and others will not be disturbed by the noise and can talk without shouting.

Independent Learning Log 3 by Ethan (20)

Date: 20th June 2016

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/8-tech-breakthroughs-in-2015-that-could-help-power-the-world

What I did:
I decided to read up on technology since this is SST. So, I read this article about technological breakthroughs 2015 has seen.

Summary:
This article talks about technological breakthroughs of 2015, some of which range from self-driving cars to advanced nuclear generators to fuel-cell cars. These are just some of the innovations the world has seen. However, things are not as smooth as optimum. For example, some have customer issues and some are too expensive. However, creators believe that these breakthroughs can still change our future.

Independent Learning Log 2 by Ethan (20)

Date: 20th June 2016

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/what-type-of-parent-are-you

What I did:
Lately, parenting styles have varied over the years. I wanted to know what kind of parenting styles there are and know the pros and cons for each style.

Summary:
This article talks about parenting styles, how it originated and its pros and cons. Namely there are 5 known styles so far, although some are not deeply researched yet. To name a few, there are helicopter parents, tiger parents, snowplough parents, free-range parents and attachment parents. There is no right or wrong style however, and it is judged by how culturally-determined the parents are that leads to some judging of some parents at times.

Independent Learning Log 1 by Ethan (20)

Date: 20th June 2016

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/shiok-19-singlish-items-added-to-the-oxford-english-dictionary

What I did:
I wanted to read up more on Singapore's latest news and development. Hence, I found this article talking about more Singlish words being added into Oxford English Dictionary.

Summary:
       This article talks about 19 more Singlish words which are being added into Oxford English Dictionary. There were discussions between locals about this and included a small peek into a day of the English editor of Oxford English Dictionary and how words are chosen.
       In summary of the discussions in the article, Singlish is a double-edged sword; it can make texts more lively ad humorous, but overuse may cause adverse effects to our daily use of language, sometimes we may not be able to differentiate between English and Singlish.

Independent Learning Log 5 by Chris

Independent Learning Log

Date: 20th of June 2016

Source: http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2016/06/17/our-earliest-example-of-an-animal-moving-on-its-own/

What I did:
Read an article about the earliest example about locomotion of animals.

Summary (Includes what I learnt):
The article writes about the findings of an impression left by an ediacaran organism. These organisms can be flowerlike, some are like little plops of mud and some look like a palm leaf. They are the evidence of the earliest form of locomotion (the ability to move from one place to another). These traces have been fossilised by lava a million years ago.

A young paleobiologist went to the location where these fossilised impression were and noticed there was a slime trail that crossed the rock surface.  These traces left behind seemed that the ediacaran had a suction cup foot to cling on to the surface not swim in the water.

But the question everyone wanted to know the answer to was that," why bother to move?"
Some assume this to be a relentless behaviour to be passed down in generations or they just moved for comfort. No one really knows the reason why.

Friday 17 June 2016

Independent Learning Log 4 by Chris

Independent Learning Log

Date: 17th June 2016

Source: http://theplate.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/12/how-to-track-a-brutal-cereal-killer-extreme-weather/

What I did:
Wanted to know more about how climate change is impacting us today. So I read this article about droughts that are affecting the crops.

Summary:
California's droughts have cost the agricultural sector a lot of money in 2015 alone and we may be seeing more of this in the future. This causes more food security problems.

A team of researchers gathered data to find out more whether how bad this really is. After analysing the chunks of data, they have finally come to a conclusion. They discovered that droughts and extreme heat reduce cereal production by 9 to 10 percent in countries they strike. By contrast, they couldn't find much of an effect from floods or extreme cold.

Independent Learning Log 3 by Chris

Independent Learning Log

Date: 17th June 2016

Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/06/what-happened-day-dinosaurs-died-chicxulub-drilling-asteroid-science/

What I did:
Wanted to know more about what had happened when dinosaurs became extinct. Apart knowing that it was a meteorite that killed them.

Summary: 
It turns out that it was not a meteorite. Instead, it was an asteroid that hit the Earth that had an explosive yield estimated at over one hundred trillion tonnes of TNT. This created an impact that penetrated the Earth's crust and vaporised thousands of cubic miles of rock. This wiped out eight percent of life on Earth. A team of British scientists had recently obtained the first-ever core samples from the "peak ring" of the Chicxulub Crater. Researchers hope that this could help them gain a better understanding the phenomenal forces unleashed that day.

The researchers would describe what would happen if we were still there that day when it happened. I found out that we most likely would all have died as natural disasters such as tsunamis would start to happen, and the trees would get set on fire. And the carbon footprint left behind is massive. Lots of carbon dioxide and monoxide, along with other deadly gases, would linger in the atmosphere. This would make it hard for plants to photosynthesize, the air would be unhealthy and the rain would be acidic. These conditions would make living on Earth impossible. But this is only a part of what would happen.

These first-ever core samples are what researchers hope that will fill in the gaps of this theory.

Wednesday 15 June 2016

Independent Learning Log 5 by Max

Date: 13/6/16

Source http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/02/150213-tuvalu-sopoaga-kench-kiribati-maldives-cyclone-marshall-islands/

What I did
I noticed this article while looking through the Nat Geo website.
      
What I learnt
       I learnt that we must not just complain about our problems, we must find a solution to them and if we do something, maybe what we are complaining about will be solved. i also learned that we must not be so negtive about our losses. There may be a bright side to your loss and you must not lose hope.

Summary
      Overall, this article is very uplifting and shows me that even though public media potrays Tuvalu and other Pacific Island Nations as doomed places, they do not lose hope. I also learnt about the natural process of sediment movement on reef islands.

Independent Learning Log 4 by Max

Date: 13/6/16

Source http://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/features/ten-places-that-deserve-more-travelers/

What I did
       While looking through the Nat Geo website, I found this interesting article.

What I learnt
       I learned that we have to go out and explore, there may be hidden treasures waiting for us to find. We should not judge entire countries based on a stereotype. Countries we would never have thought of visiting, could be our next holiday destination. 

Summary
       In short we must not judge a book by its cover, we should go out and explore the treasures that the world has to offer.

Independent Learning Log 3 by Max

Date: 12/6/16

Source:http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/smiley-smrt-bus-captain-draws-praise-for-both-his-friendly-service-and-cool-pilots-cap

What I did
         I wanted to find an article from home (Singapore), so I searched the Straits Times and gound this interesting article,

What I learnt
         Part of having a job does not just mean doing the job well, we must also enjoy the job and we can do it with a smile. Mr Krishnanraw's dedication and willingness to serve with a smile is an example of everybody. Being helpful and friendly while doing your job might just make someone's day. If you are doing something you love, it isn't that hard to be polite and friendly with others.

Summary
       Whatever you do, do it with a positive attitude and be kind, friendly and helpful.

Tuesday 14 June 2016

Independent Learning Log 2 by Chris

Independent Learning Log 2

Date: 14th June 2016 (12 35p.m.-1.00p.m.)

Source: http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160601-is-cancer-inevitable

What I did:
Wanted to know more about Cancer. So I read this long article on BBC, Science.

Summary:
Cancer is inevitable. Cancer is a lost of control of our cells; they do not carry out what they are supposed to do and harm us. They can evolve just like any living organism, they mutate and become more resistant to drugs. A tumour is just like a tree, that one cancer cells would divide itself into more cells that have mutated, branching into more mutated cells. Scientist tried to find ways to cure cancer by taking out the cell that started the cell division but it was not promising. They have tried another way, which was to fight cancer with cancer. They "cloned" these cancer cells and put them against the original cancer cells and hence a fight would start. There would only be one victorious and by then these cancer cells would have been weakened and the drugs would take action to wipe them out. But the bottom line is that prevention is better than cure. Tobacco is the main leading cause of cancer and it is a problem that we can solve. Despite preventing ourselves from these causes of cancer, we eventually would start to have mutations in our cells which would cause cancer. Thankfully, or body is able to respond to it and fight back before it can advance on. That is why cancer is inevitable.

Words I've Learnt:
- Proliferation
- Pervasive

Independent Learning Log 1 by Chris

Independent Learning Log 1

Date: 14th June 2016 (11.40 a.m-12.10p.m.)

Source: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2016/06/brian-skerry-sharks

What I did:
Wanted to learn more about great white sharks through a photographer's/person who got up close to a shark's perspective. So I heard this article written by the photographer himself on National Geographic.

Summary:
The photographer and his team had a hard time trying to capture photos of the sharks. I've learnt from the article that these sharks are greatly endangered as they have been hunted and due to our actions that have caused them to move from their natural habitats. Their role in the ecosystem is important and people are now trying their best to protect these sharks. When the photographer got up close to a great white shark, he felt that the shark was rather "polite" it didn't seem like it meant any harm to him. This is very different from what we hear and see in the news and on television. The photographer learnt that these sharks need the care and love of human beings, what we know and heard about them is not enitrely true. We need to take action and help them.

New words I've learnt:
- Galvanzng
- Elusive
- Apex
- Daunting
- Donning
- Welded
- Analogous
- Congregate


Learning Log 5 By Ryan Li

What I did: I was surfing the web about Japanese culture.

What I learnt:Ryokan are Japanese style inns found throughout the country, especially in Hot spring resorts. More than just a place to sleep, ryokan are an opportunity to experience the traditional Japanese lifestyle and hospitality, incorporating elements such as tatami floors, fouton beds, Japanese style baths and local cuinese, making them popular with both Japanese and foreign tourists alike.
There are many different kinds of ryokan, varying greatly in terms of size, cost and style. Some ryokan are small, family run establishments with just a few rooms, while others are large, hotel-like facilities with hundreds of rooms. Ryokan also range from no-frills, budget varieties to costly establishments catering to the very wealthy.

Summary: Ryokan is a part of Japanese culture that differs greatly from house to house.

Monday 13 June 2016

Learning log 4 By Ryan Li

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning ( Reference)

What I did: I was searching the internet when I came up on an aritcle on

What I learnt: Lightning is a sudden electrostatic discharge between regieons of two opposing electricaly charged cloud. Lightning is produced when the sections of the cloud that have opposing electric charge come close enough to each other that a spark jumps between them. Lightning is seen by the light it emmits and heard by the sound it makes (Thunder). Contrary to popular belief, Lightning is not energy, but a form of plasma.(Plasma is the fourth state of matter.)A typical cloud to ground lightning flash culminates in the formation of an electrically conducting plasma channel through the air in excess of 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) tall, from within the cloud to the ground's surface. The actual discharge is the final stage of a very complex process.

Summary:Lighting is a very complex occurence.

Learning Log 3 By Ryan Li

What I did: I went to Brunei as part of the GCP Brunei trip

What I learnt: I learnt that the Bruneiean people are very much rooted in tradition. They have spectacular Msoques and the quiet water village. Even though I said that, Brunei has state-of-art schools, oil refineries, and mathematics. I learn that the Brunei culture of welcoming people is to prepare a feast for them. while there, we also visited a radio station and we learned how radio television, printed newspaper and other forms of tangible media are made.

Summary: Brunei is an interisting contry where modern and traditional ways are combined.

Independent learning log 2 by Ryan Li

What I did: I was playing World of Tanks, and I wondered how the Tanks came about.

What I learnt: I learned that during the First world war, also known as the war of the trenches, tanks were used as breakthrough vehicles to break through a stalemate between two opposing trenches. The heavy armour tanks sported were impenetrable by even 50' calibres fired by heavy assault rifles. The British were the first to develop these machines, but during the second world war, the Germans perfected these designs when they created the Panzer series which sported massive calibre guns. The British meanwhile developed the Churchill series which had thick armour. The Russians combined both in the Isof-Stalin and KV series the former had large calibre guns and heavily sloped armour which caused shells to bounce off or ricochet, the later had an unreal amount of thick armour and solid guns. In response to these Tanks, the Tank Destroyer was created. Some were thick armoured behemoths like the German Jadgpanzer E-100, others were lightly armoured but fast like the Russian Object-268. All of the Tank Destroyers had massive calibre guns that stretched from 10cm guns to 17cm guns or even the massive Naval Gun, the 18.5 cm gun.

Summary: Tanks sported an arms race to make tanks that were even thicker armoured of had massive amounts of sloped armour and guns that could penetrate these forms of armour.

Independent learning log 1 by Ryan Li

What I did: I was participating in a Scouts Drone workshop.

What I learnt: I learnt that the majority of Drones are quadcopters, which are flying vehicles that have four rotors which spin in the opposite direction from the one that is across from it. What this does is that it cancels out the rotational force from the rotor across from it, thus creating lift.  The rotors at the rear allow the Drone to move forward or backwards depending on how much power is put into those rotors, the concept is the same for moving in other directions. But, the more rotors a craft has, the more aerodynamically stable it is and it can also bear more weight.

Summary: Rotors help a craft fly and control its flight path.

Independent learning log 2 by lee dominic

Hippos can produce natural sunscreen.


What I did:I was looking for random facts on the internet.

What I learnt:I learnt that hippos can produce a pigment which is red-orange in colour. Some people call it sweat but it is actually not. Like humans, hippos can also get sunburns. They require this pigment to protect them from the sun. not only is it able to protect them from sunburns, it can also kill bacteria from their bodies like pathogens. It is because of these pigments, the hippos appear red sometimes. After some time, the orange will blend with the red and turn into the brown colour of the hippo. This special pigment helps to also allow the hippo's wounds to heal quicker.

Summary:The hippos get their colour from the pigment and it can also serve as a sunscreen to prevent them from getting sunburns. These pigments can also help speed up the recovery of the hippo's wounds.

Sunday 12 June 2016

Independent Learning Log 1 by Ian Izree

source: http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/genetic/real-jurassic-park.htm

What I did: I was browsing through articles of Jurassic Park when I saw this

What I learnt: scientists say it is impossible to clone dinosaurs as the blood sample from mosquitos in blood samples may not be genetically pure. Even if they were able to extract genetically pure blood, there would not be embryos to hatch the egg.

summary: it is impossible to clone dinosaurs just unlike the movie

Friday 10 June 2016

independent learning Log 1 by Lee Dominic

link: https://youtu.be/9f_ztTlZV58

what I did: I was very bored at night and did not feel like sleeping. I then started to notice something that not many people would pay much attention to. That was the cicadas. I began to wonder how they make a sound even louder than the sound that humans could make. While I was looking through YouTube, I happened to find a video on it by National Geographic.

What I learnt: I learnt that the cicadas are able to make such a loud sound due to their hollow abdomens. They have a tymbal which rapidly contracts about 300-400 times a second while their hollow abdomen amplifies the sound like how a guitar works. They create these loud sounds to attract a mate before they die.

Summary: cicadas are able to create such loud noises due to their hollow abdomen and use it to attract a mate.


New word: Tymbal- a corrugated exoskeletal structure used to produce sounds in insects.

end

Thursday 9 June 2016

Independent Learning Log 5 by Josh Teo

Date:10/6/16

Source: How It Works Magazine

What I did:
I was reading one of my recently bought "How It Works" magazine when I found an interesting article about noise-cancelling headphones.

What I learnt+summary:

There are two ways that noise cancelling headphones can block noise. The simplest way, passive noise reduction, works by blocking sound waves with layers of high-density foam. This is good for masking High frequency sounds like an explosion, but these headphones will struggle at stopping noise at a lower frequency.

The second way is known as active noise cancelling. These also have special materials, but they go one step further, by creating their own sound waves. Inside the earpiece is a small microphone that detects ambient sounds and feeds it to a digital processor, which analyzes the sound wave's composition, and creates another sound wave that is the complete opposite of the wave detected. When these anti-sound waves are then played back, actively blocking the sound wave, as the name suggests. This is also known as destructive interference.

Independent Learning Log 4 by Josh Teo

Date:10/6/16

Source:How It Works Magazine

What I did: I was reading one of my "How It Works" Magazine and I found a very interesting article about eyes

What I learnt:

-Eyes were merely light-dark sensors before we started adapting

-The Iris controls the amount of light going into your eyes by contracting and relaxing to alter the size of the pupil.

-Our eyes are positioned at average 5 centimetres apart

-Both eyes see different images by themselves but when the brain combines these two images to form one image, allowing us to perceive depth.

-Hyperopia, also known as farsightedness happens when the eye is too short, and the cornea is too flat, incoming light is focused on the back of the retina, making the object appear blurry, and particularly dark.

Independent Learning Log 5 by Keith Tan (24)



Date: 9/6/2016

Source: http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150707-the-whales-that-never-forget

What I did:
Looking through BBC, I found an article that caught my eye, thus I decided to read up on it

What I learnt:
-Sperm whales have specific preferences for others, in the same way we might have a favourite cousin or aunt.
-The whales remember their distant friends and relatives despite spending most of their lives apart.
-Sperm whales have extremely powerful sonar systems, used for hunting prey, which can be heard from 1km down.

Summary:
This article elaborates more on sperm whales, specifically, that they do not forget their friends and family even after a long period of time

Independent Learning Log 5 by Eldon Ng

Source:  http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/06/fish-stuck-inside-jellyfish/

What I Did:  I came across an article about a fish in a jellyfish.

What I Learnt:  
1.  Fish can be inside a jellyfish to deteriorate it.
2.  It is normal for fish to eat jellyfish.

Summary:  This article is about a small fish inside a bigger jellyfish.  Some say the fish was eating the jellyfish while some say it was taking cover.  Experts say that it was a rare sighting.

Independent Learning Log 4 by Eldon Ng

Source:  http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/06/hobbits-humans-older-ancestors-island-fossils-archaeology/

What I Did:  I came across an article about fossils of humans.

What I Learnt:  
1.  The fossils of older humans are very small.
2.  From 2010 onwards, thousands of fossils, both human and animal, were found.
3.  Humans dated back to around 700,000 years and more.

Summary:  This article explains about our early ancestors and also about their fossils.

Independent Learning Log 3 by Eldon Ng

Source:  http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/06/space-archaeology-satellite-petra-ancient-city-discovery-jordan-monument/

What I Did:  I came across an article about a new monument found in Petra.

What I Learnt:
1.  Petra is a famous archaeological site in Jordan's southwestern desert.
2.  Petra once served as the capital of the Arab tribe known as Nabataeans.
3.  Petra was abandoned seventh century A.D.

Summary:  This article is about a huge monument was covered in sand and was discovered by an air drone recently.

Independent Learning Log 5 By Ray Shyuan

Link : http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/malaysian-jailed-6-months/2858232.html

What i did : I wanted to see more of Singapore's news.

What I learnt:
The importation of any animals without an AVA permit is illegal and carries a maximum penalty of S$10,000 and/or imprisonment of up to one year. 


Summary: A Malaysian man has been sentenced to six months’ jail for importing six puppies into Singapore without the relevant permits.

Independent Learning Log 4 By Ray Shyuan

 Link : http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/yishun-man-sentenced-to/2851478.html


What i did : I wanted search more about the Yishun Cat murder incidents.

What I learnt : Even if you suffer from intellectual disabilities, you can still be charged and put to jail for Animal Cruelty under the Animals and Birds Act.

       He is the first to be convicted and sentenced under enhanced animal cruelty laws, passed by Parliament in 2014.


Summary:  A 41-year-old man was sentenced to 18 months’ probation on Tuesday (Jun 7) for animal cruelty.

#5 Independent Learning Log by Ria D.N

Date: 9th June 2016

Sourcelink

What I did: I looked for articles on pollution to understand more about it and its detrimental affects and found this intriguing article. 

SummaryCoral reefs are declining around the world because a combination of factors; overfishing, nutrient pollution, and pathogenic disease, ultimately become deadly in the face of higher ocean temperatures, researchers have concluded. The findings are based on one of the largest and longest studies done on this issue.

New words I learnt

sheer- nothing other than
pathogens- a bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease

Independent learning log 3 By Ray Shyuan

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bunny-rabbit-fuzzy-pants-attack_us_575843a9e4b00f97fba6dc78

What i did: As an owner of 2 bunnies, i wanted to see of there was any news article related to them.


What i learnt : Most rabbit bought are on impulse during easter.
                       No one should ever abuse a rabbit or animals.
                        you can get arrested for animal cruelty no matter how young you are.

 
     
Summary: Teens are 13 to 14 reportedly posted a video on Snapchat showing them kicking, throwing and hurting a bunny. Thankfully, they were arrested and the bunny is now being treated at a veterinary centre.

Independent Learning Log 4 by Keith Tan

Date: 9/6/2016

Source:http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160511-almost-all-snakes-have-the-same-mindboggling-superpower

What I did: While looking through the "discoveries" segment of BBC, I found this article that caught my attention, so I decided to read it and enquire more about snakes

What I learnt:
-The western diamondback rattlesnake can go on for two years without feeding
-If a human moved as fast as a snake could, they would lose consciousness
-The human body contains between 700 to 800 muscles while a snake has between 10000 to 15000 muscles
-A snake can absorb the impact of a strike easier because of its incredibly kinetic and mobile skull

Summary:
This article elaborates more on the snakes "superpower" that is not their size or strength, but rather its speed

#4 Independent Learning Log Ria D.N

Date: 9th June 2016

Source:link

What I did: Climate Change is something that has been a rising issue and I thought I could read up more about climate change and global warming and found an interesting national geographic article.

What I learnt: Climate has changed naturally even within human history and sea level has changed with it but not as fast as we are changing it right now. The physics of ice predicts that sea level will rise twice as much by the end of the century as previously estimated.

Summary: The last sea-level alarm came just a month ago. That analysis showed that in the 20th century, sea level rose faster than at any time in the past 2800 years, and that our fossil-fuel emissions were very likely responsible. Not only the polar animals such as polar bears, seals and penguins are affected by this but we will be too.

Independent Learning Log 2 by Max

Date: 4/6/16

Source: http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20160316-the-hidden-psychology-of-failure

What I did
            While scrolling through the BBC News Website, I found a interesting article about failure. I clicked it and started to read.

What I learnt
            I learned that failure does not mean that success cannot be achieved and is instead the polar opposite. Failure is instead critical to the achievement of success. Failure helps you find the problems that caused the failure in the first place.
Summary 
           From the article, I can deduce when we encounter failure, we should not think of it as a fail, but as a learning point. Failure is but a mere stumble in the path to success. by looking through and learning from our failures, we can increase the chance of success. Failure was the cause of many innovations seen today.

Independent Learning Log 3 by Keith Tan

Date: 9/6/2016

Source:http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160314-the-worlds-largest-spider-is-the-size-of-a-dinner-plate

What I did:
While looking through articles, I found one that seemed interesting so I decided to read up on it

What I learnt:
-The Desertas wolf spider is one of the world's largest spiders with a body length of 4cm
-Wolf spiders are named for their active hunting style
-One of Asia's largest spiders is the giant huntsman spider with a leg span of up to 30cm
-The Hysterocrates hercules spider was less than a third of the size of Goliath bird eater spider
-The Goliath bird eater spider is second to the giant huntsman spider by leg span, but the largest by mass

Summary:
This article elaborates about some of the world's largest spiders and why their numbers are dwindling.

#3 Independent Learning Log by Ria D.N

Date: 9th June 2016 

Sourcelink

What i did: I was browsing through articles and the title, "why youth is overrated" caught my eyes. I was also hoping to find some tough words to improve my vocabulary.

What I learnt

vertebrate- having vertebrae; having a backbone or spinal column
cryptic- having a meaning that is mysterious or obscure/(of coloration or markings) serving to camouflage an animal in its natural environment
taxon- a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit.
ambient- relating to the immediate surroundings of something.

Summary:

Being older has advantages one being, they are better equipped to adapt to future environmental stresses, precisely because their ancient relatives have done so before. Organisms that have persisted for a long time, and have survived across a wide range of environmental conditions, may be more likely to deal with future modifications of their environment.Colour can provide camouflage and therefore influence how successful an animal is when hunting or being hunted. It can also help them to exploit more habitats. If they are small they want to be cryptic otherwise other species might eat them. 

Wednesday 8 June 2016

Independent Learning Log 2 By Eldon Ng

Source:  http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/06/seaworld-orca-morgan-beaches-tenerife-canary-islands/

What I Did:  I came across an article about an orca trying to save itself from other orcas.

What I Learnt:  
1.  Orcas belong to the dolphin family.
2.  Orcas bully their own family.
3.  Orcas are known for killing their prey.

Summary:  An orca, named Morgan was seen beaching herself during a performance.  Some say she was committing suicide, but experts say she was trying to save herself by escaping from other orcas in the pool.

Independent Learning Log 1 by Eldon Ng

Source:  http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/06/spiders-ballooning-tasmania-floods-animals/

What I Did: I came across an article about an Australian Town covered with silk.

What I Learnt:  
1. Record rains have fuelled major floods around Launceston, the second-largest city in the Australian state of Tasmania.
2. Some spider webs are made up of silk.
3. Spiders can produce silk webs that can cover an area of 800m.

Summary:
This article is about a major flood brought a lot of spiders to Launceston, hence allowing the spiders to produce a beautiful 800m spider web made out of silk.


Independent Learning Log 2 by Ray Shyuan

Link : http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/06/hobbits-humans-older-ancestors-island-fossils-archaeology/

What i did : I like the book The Hobbits, thus i wanted to see if they were actually real, so researched about it.


What i learnt : Hobbits-a member of an imaginary race similar to humans, of small size and with hairy feet\
    
                          Defect- A shortcoming
                        
                         archaeologist- a person who studies human history

summary
   
The 700,000-year-old human remains are the first found outside Liang Bua cave, the site on Flores that yielded the original hobbit fossils. The much older samples show intriguing similarities to H. floresiensis, including their small size, and so provide the best evidence yet of a potential hobbit ancestor.
  
                         

Independent Learning Log 5 by Saffron Lim

Date:
9/06/16

Source:

What I did:
I came across an interesting article on the rise of sea levels due to climate change.

What I learnt:
  1. Scientists first realised that sea levels were on the rise during the early 20th Century
  2. Tide gauges are instruments along coastlines that measure sea level. Reliable tide gauge data existed for about 100 years, and during that time, the sea level was rising. Now, tide gauge data is considered unreliable.
  3. Thermal expansion through warmer ocean waters was the largest contributor to global sea level rise over the past century.
  4. There might be a total of 2m of sea level rise by 2100

Summary:
This article is about the causes of the rise in sea level and how it can be prevented.