The toilet seems to be in the limelight again. In Japan of course. A Japanese company, Toto, has now manufactured a toilet that is capable of measuring the glucose level in the blood and blood pressure as well. This is done so that the mother of the family can provide the right meals according to the household. This article was published in The Star recently.
For as long as I can remember, the toilets here in Malaysia are no where near in comparison to what is available in Japan. There seems to be an endless designs coming from the Land of the Rising Sun. There was a toilet which used a different mode of flushing which apparently is better in getting rid of germs. Then there was this toilet with a sensor to hide 'unsightly' sounds. I think it was called Sound Princess. Apparently the company was thinking of making a Sound Prince, but men never asked for it, so they ditched that plan. Then there were gold-plated toilet seats. Pre-heated toilet seats. Toilets that spray air freshener when flushed. And the latest addition, with health check-up facilities. I think what we have so far in Malaysia is those with the air freshener.
I think this is a good step in instilling hygienic practice among people. As we all know, many diseases can be easily transmitted through toilet seats, most of it being STDs. And once contradicted with such diseases, you are usually stuck with it your entire life. My dad was saying that there was this one particular place he went, where each cubicle was provide with disinfectant wipes to obviously disinfect the toilet seat. A great preventative measure to curb unwanted diseases.
Some might think of it as something silly, but bear in mind that every single activity in your daily life can one day be the cause of some illness that you might contradict later on. It might seem like a menial task, but it makes a lot of difference. Malaysia has a long way to go in this toilet-business. I heard that these intelligent toilets ain't all that cheap. Some costing up to RM 10, 000. Not many would want to spend such a fortune on toilets. I wouldn't too, unless I was super-duper rich. But that's another thing altogether.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Monday, June 27, 2005
Durianated!
"Taste like heaven, smell like hell"Name:
Bombaceae Durio zibethinus L./Murr
(The family Bombacaceae is best known for showy flowers and woody or thin-shelled pods filled with small seeds and silky or cottonlike fiber. The durian, Durio zibethinus L., is one member that differs radically in having large seeds surrounded by fleshy arils.)
Better known as:
Durian (Malaysia/Worldwide), Duren (Indonesia),
Thurian (Thailand) Alert! ALERT! We now have: FAKE DURIAN!
(Apart from variants of the word "durian" in native dialects, there are few other vernacular names, though the notorious odor has given rise to the unflattering terms, "civet cat tree", and "civet fruit" in India and "stinkvrucht " in Dutch. Nevertheless the durian is the most important native fruit of southeastern Asia and neighboring islands.)
From:
South East Asia (Malaysia/Thailand/Indonesia, etc.)
For xtra info:
1. http://janganbersedih.blogspot.com/2005/06/durianated.html
2. http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/durian_ars.html#Food%20Uses
ps/ @Biotechnologists-out-there. There is something to do with durian.Maybe we can produce new hybrid of durian =lessen it smell and sweet.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Kita jadi model bioteknologi tani AS
Daripada MOHD. RIDZUAN MD. OMAN
PHILADELPHIA 22 Jun - Amerika Syarikat (AS) berhasrat menjadikan Malaysia model negara bioteknologi pertanian yang berjaya di Asia Tenggara melalui kerjasama penyelidikan pertanian antara kedua-dua negara.
Menteri Sains, Teknologi dan Inovasi, Datuk Seri Dr. Jamaluddin Jarjis berkata, hasrat itu boleh dicapai melalui program pertukaran saintis dan pelaksanaan projek penyelidikan pertanian secara bersama yang akan dijalankan nanti.
``Melalui program itu, saintis Malaysia berpeluang mempelajari kepakaran dari saintis bioteknologi pertanian AS serta menggunakan kemudahan penyelidikan termaju dunia di negara itu, begitu juga sebaliknya,'' katanya.
Beliau berkata demikian pada sidang akhbar selepas majlis menandatangani surat hasrat menjalin kerjasama penyelidikan pertanian antara kerajaan Malaysia dan AS sempena Persidangan Bioteknologi BIO 2005, di sini, hari ini.
Pada majlis itu, kerajaan AS diwakili oleh Setiausaha Bahagian Penyelidikan, Pendidikan dan Ekonomi, Jabatan Pertaniannya, Dr. Joseph J. Jen.
AS merupakan negara yang giat menjalankan penyelidikan dalam bidang pertanian melalui agensi penyelidikannya, Perkhidmatan Penyelidikan Pertanian (ARS) yang mempunyai 12,000 saintis dengan penyelidikan di 106 lokasi.
Jamaluddin berkata, mengikut perancangan, empat saintis dari kedua-dua negara akan menjalankan penyelidikan secara pertukaran dalam tempoh setahun yang menyaksikan saintis negara berada di AS dan sebaliknya.
``Program ini akan dilaksanakan sebaik sahaja kerajaan kedua-dua negara menyelesaikan urusan dokumentasi perjanjian itu dan menandatanganinya yang dijangka mengambil masa sembilan bulan ini,'' katanya.
Jamaluddin berkata, kementeriannya telah mendapatkan khidmat nasihat daripada Kementerian Pertanian dan Industri Asas Tani yang mencadangkan kerjasama itu boleh dilakukan melalui Institut Penyelidikan dan Pembangunan Pertanian Malaysia (MARDI) serta Universiti Putra Malaysia :(
Katanya, kerjasama itu akan menjimatkan kos penyelidikan dalam membangunkan teknologi biopertanian kerana saintis Malaysia tidak perlu memulakan projek dari peringkat asas tetapi menyesuaikan penyelidikan yang ada di AS untuk dilaksanakan terhadap produk pertanian negara.
``Sebagai contoh, mereka telah mempunyai teknologi meningkatkan ketahanan buah epal dan kita boleh menggunakan teknologi yang sama untuk dilaksanakan terhadap tanaman tempatan dengan melakukan sedikit penyesuaian,'' tambahnya.
Jen yang juga saintis pertanian terkenal di AS berkata, kerjasama itu mampu memberi faedah kepada kedua-dua negara kerana saintis Malaysia dapat mempelajari teknologi penyelidikan terkini di negaranya dan sebaliknya.
``Saintis AS dapat memperoleh kepakaran Malaysia dalam penyelidikan tanaman yang diusahakan di Malaysia seperti kelapa sawit, getah dan buah-buahan tropika,'' katanya.
ps/ Suka jika dapat exchange tech. Tapi aku nih skeptism dengan US.
PHILADELPHIA 22 Jun - Amerika Syarikat (AS) berhasrat menjadikan Malaysia model negara bioteknologi pertanian yang berjaya di Asia Tenggara melalui kerjasama penyelidikan pertanian antara kedua-dua negara.
Menteri Sains, Teknologi dan Inovasi, Datuk Seri Dr. Jamaluddin Jarjis berkata, hasrat itu boleh dicapai melalui program pertukaran saintis dan pelaksanaan projek penyelidikan pertanian secara bersama yang akan dijalankan nanti.
``Melalui program itu, saintis Malaysia berpeluang mempelajari kepakaran dari saintis bioteknologi pertanian AS serta menggunakan kemudahan penyelidikan termaju dunia di negara itu, begitu juga sebaliknya,'' katanya.
Beliau berkata demikian pada sidang akhbar selepas majlis menandatangani surat hasrat menjalin kerjasama penyelidikan pertanian antara kerajaan Malaysia dan AS sempena Persidangan Bioteknologi BIO 2005, di sini, hari ini.
Pada majlis itu, kerajaan AS diwakili oleh Setiausaha Bahagian Penyelidikan, Pendidikan dan Ekonomi, Jabatan Pertaniannya, Dr. Joseph J. Jen.
AS merupakan negara yang giat menjalankan penyelidikan dalam bidang pertanian melalui agensi penyelidikannya, Perkhidmatan Penyelidikan Pertanian (ARS) yang mempunyai 12,000 saintis dengan penyelidikan di 106 lokasi.
Jamaluddin berkata, mengikut perancangan, empat saintis dari kedua-dua negara akan menjalankan penyelidikan secara pertukaran dalam tempoh setahun yang menyaksikan saintis negara berada di AS dan sebaliknya.
``Program ini akan dilaksanakan sebaik sahaja kerajaan kedua-dua negara menyelesaikan urusan dokumentasi perjanjian itu dan menandatanganinya yang dijangka mengambil masa sembilan bulan ini,'' katanya.
Jamaluddin berkata, kementeriannya telah mendapatkan khidmat nasihat daripada Kementerian Pertanian dan Industri Asas Tani yang mencadangkan kerjasama itu boleh dilakukan melalui Institut Penyelidikan dan Pembangunan Pertanian Malaysia (MARDI) serta Universiti Putra Malaysia :(
Katanya, kerjasama itu akan menjimatkan kos penyelidikan dalam membangunkan teknologi biopertanian kerana saintis Malaysia tidak perlu memulakan projek dari peringkat asas tetapi menyesuaikan penyelidikan yang ada di AS untuk dilaksanakan terhadap produk pertanian negara.
``Sebagai contoh, mereka telah mempunyai teknologi meningkatkan ketahanan buah epal dan kita boleh menggunakan teknologi yang sama untuk dilaksanakan terhadap tanaman tempatan dengan melakukan sedikit penyesuaian,'' tambahnya.
Jen yang juga saintis pertanian terkenal di AS berkata, kerjasama itu mampu memberi faedah kepada kedua-dua negara kerana saintis Malaysia dapat mempelajari teknologi penyelidikan terkini di negaranya dan sebaliknya.
``Saintis AS dapat memperoleh kepakaran Malaysia dalam penyelidikan tanaman yang diusahakan di Malaysia seperti kelapa sawit, getah dan buah-buahan tropika,'' katanya.
ps/ Suka jika dapat exchange tech. Tapi aku nih skeptism dengan US.
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Ultra-Lifelike Robot Debuts in Japan
Just received the newsletter, or something like that, from National Geographic.
As quoted in the article:
I think it's absolutely awesome. At a glance it definitely looks like human. Not robot like at all. But with this, the ethical issues will soon rise, causing different views amongst different people. We'll just have to wait and see.
This article was taken from here.
As quoted in the article:
June 10, 2005—Quick, which one is the robot?
Repliee Q1 (at left in both pictures) appeared yesterday at the 2005 World Expo in Japan, where she gestured, blinked, spoke, and even appeared to breathe. Shown with co-creator Hiroshi Ishiguru of Osaka University, the android is partially covered in skinlike silicone. Q1 is powered by a nearby air compressor, and has 31 points of articulation in its upper body.
Internal sensors allow the android to react "naturally." It can block an attempted slap, for example. But it's the little, "unconscious" movements that give the robot its eerie verisimilitude: the slight flutter of the eyelids, the subtle rising and falling of the chest, the constant, nearly imperceptible shifting so familiar to humans.
Surrounded by machines that draw portraits, swat fast-moving balls, and snake through debris, Q1 is only one of the showstoppers at the expo's Prototype Robot Exposition, which aims to showcase Japan's growing role in the robotics industry.
But given Q1's reported glitch-related "spasms" at the expo, it may be a while before androids are escorting tour groups or looking after children—which may be just as well. "When a robot looks too much like the real thing, it's creepy," Hiroshi told the Associated Press.
I think it's absolutely awesome. At a glance it definitely looks like human. Not robot like at all. But with this, the ethical issues will soon rise, causing different views amongst different people. We'll just have to wait and see.
This article was taken from here.
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
The Findings of Scientific Research Relative to Keeping Dogs
*The ideas herein related to our guest's question (Mr. Maman) specifically and for all Muslim in general, about why Islam warns against this "best friend" of man?
Canine Tapeworms
For our benefit, we quote here a lengthy excerpt from an article by the German scientist, Dr. Gerard Finstimer, (Translated from the German magazine Kosinos.) in which the author sheds light on the dangers to human health resulting from keeping dogs or coming in contact with them. He says: The increasing interest shown by many people in recent times in keeping dogs as pets has compelled us to draw public attention to the dangers which result from this, especially because pet dogs are hugged and kissed and permitted to lick the hands of the young and the old, and what is worse, to lick the plates and utensils which are used by human beings for eating and drinking.
From the medical point of view, which is our main concern here, the hazards to human health and life from keeping and playing with dogs are not to be ignored. Many people have paid a high price for their ignorance, as the tapeworm carried by dogs is a cause of chronic disease, sometimes resulting in death.
This worm is found in man, in cattle, and in pigs, but it is found in fully-developed form only in dogs, wolves and rarely in cats. These worms differ from others in that they are minute and invisible, consequently, they were not discovered until very recently. He continues, Biologically the developmental process of this worm has some unique characteristics. In the lesions caused by them, one worm gives rise to many heads which spread and form other and varied kinds of lesions and abscesses. These heads develop into full-grown worms only in dogs' tonsils. In humans and in other animals they appear as lesions and abscesses completely different from the tapeworm itself In animals the size of an abscess may reach that of an apple, while the liver of the infected animal may grow from five to ten times its normal size. In human beings the size of the abscess may reach that of a clenched fist or even the head of an infant; it is filled with yellow fluid weighing from ten to twenty pounds. In the infected human it may cause diverse kinds of inflammations in the lungs, muscles, spleen, kidneys, and brain, and appears in such different forms that specialists, until very recently, had difficulty in recognizing it.
In any case, wherever this inflammation is found, it poses great danger to the health and life of the patient. What is worse is that, in spite of our knowledge of its life history, origin, and development, we have not been able to devise a cure for it, except that in some instances these parasites die out, possibly because of antibodies produced in the human body. Unfortunately, cases in which such parasites die without causing damage are rare indeed. For all these reasons we should use all possible resources to fight against this dreadful disease and save man from its dangers.
Professor Noeller, through post-mortem dissection of human bodies in Germany, found that the incidence of infection with dogs' worms is at least one percent. In some places such as Dalmatia, Iceland, southeastern Australia, and Holland, where dogs are used for pulling sleds, the incidence rate of tapeworm among dogs is 12 percent. In Iceland the number of people who suffer from the inflammation caused by this worm has reached the rate of 43 percent. If we add to this the human suffering, the loss of meat because of infection of cattle, and the permanent danger to human health because of the presence of tapeworms, we cannot be very complacent toward this problem.
Perhaps the best way to combat the problem is to limit the worms to dogs and not let them spread, since in actuality we need to keep some dogs. We should not neglect to treat dogs when necessary by getting rid of the tapeworms in their tonsils and perhaps repeating this process periodically on shepherd dogs and watchdogs.
Man can protect his life and health by keeping a safe distance from dogs. He should not hug them, play with them, or let them come close to children. Children should be taught not to play with dogs or to fondle them. Dogs should not be permitted to lick children's hands or come to places where they play. Unfortunately, dogs are allowed to roam about everywhere, especially in places where children play, and their bowls are scattered throughout the house. Dogs must have their own separate bowls, and they must not be allowed to lick bowls and plates used by humans. They should not be allowed inside grocery stores, restaurants, or marketplaces. In general, great care must be taken that they do not come in contact with anything which is used by people for eating and drinking.
In a nut shell, we already know that the Prophet (saws) forbade mixing with dogs, and that he warned against their licking plates and against keeping them without necessity. How is it possible that the teachings of an unlettered Arab, Muhammad, should agree with the latest findings of scientific research? Truly, we cannot say anything except to repeat the words of the Qur'an: Nor does he speak from (his own) desire. It is nothing other than a revelation sent down. (53:3-4)
related links:
1. Main source
2. THE LOYAL ANIMAL: THE DOG
3. The Internet animal Hospital. Must click!!!
p/s: In order to be a good Muslim, we have to assimilate religion and science properly. Perhaps, we can harvest a fruitful understanding on Islam.
Canine Tapeworms
For our benefit, we quote here a lengthy excerpt from an article by the German scientist, Dr. Gerard Finstimer, (Translated from the German magazine Kosinos.) in which the author sheds light on the dangers to human health resulting from keeping dogs or coming in contact with them. He says: The increasing interest shown by many people in recent times in keeping dogs as pets has compelled us to draw public attention to the dangers which result from this, especially because pet dogs are hugged and kissed and permitted to lick the hands of the young and the old, and what is worse, to lick the plates and utensils which are used by human beings for eating and drinking.
From the medical point of view, which is our main concern here, the hazards to human health and life from keeping and playing with dogs are not to be ignored. Many people have paid a high price for their ignorance, as the tapeworm carried by dogs is a cause of chronic disease, sometimes resulting in death.
This worm is found in man, in cattle, and in pigs, but it is found in fully-developed form only in dogs, wolves and rarely in cats. These worms differ from others in that they are minute and invisible, consequently, they were not discovered until very recently. He continues, Biologically the developmental process of this worm has some unique characteristics. In the lesions caused by them, one worm gives rise to many heads which spread and form other and varied kinds of lesions and abscesses. These heads develop into full-grown worms only in dogs' tonsils. In humans and in other animals they appear as lesions and abscesses completely different from the tapeworm itself In animals the size of an abscess may reach that of an apple, while the liver of the infected animal may grow from five to ten times its normal size. In human beings the size of the abscess may reach that of a clenched fist or even the head of an infant; it is filled with yellow fluid weighing from ten to twenty pounds. In the infected human it may cause diverse kinds of inflammations in the lungs, muscles, spleen, kidneys, and brain, and appears in such different forms that specialists, until very recently, had difficulty in recognizing it.
In any case, wherever this inflammation is found, it poses great danger to the health and life of the patient. What is worse is that, in spite of our knowledge of its life history, origin, and development, we have not been able to devise a cure for it, except that in some instances these parasites die out, possibly because of antibodies produced in the human body. Unfortunately, cases in which such parasites die without causing damage are rare indeed. For all these reasons we should use all possible resources to fight against this dreadful disease and save man from its dangers.
Professor Noeller, through post-mortem dissection of human bodies in Germany, found that the incidence of infection with dogs' worms is at least one percent. In some places such as Dalmatia, Iceland, southeastern Australia, and Holland, where dogs are used for pulling sleds, the incidence rate of tapeworm among dogs is 12 percent. In Iceland the number of people who suffer from the inflammation caused by this worm has reached the rate of 43 percent. If we add to this the human suffering, the loss of meat because of infection of cattle, and the permanent danger to human health because of the presence of tapeworms, we cannot be very complacent toward this problem.
Perhaps the best way to combat the problem is to limit the worms to dogs and not let them spread, since in actuality we need to keep some dogs. We should not neglect to treat dogs when necessary by getting rid of the tapeworms in their tonsils and perhaps repeating this process periodically on shepherd dogs and watchdogs.
Man can protect his life and health by keeping a safe distance from dogs. He should not hug them, play with them, or let them come close to children. Children should be taught not to play with dogs or to fondle them. Dogs should not be permitted to lick children's hands or come to places where they play. Unfortunately, dogs are allowed to roam about everywhere, especially in places where children play, and their bowls are scattered throughout the house. Dogs must have their own separate bowls, and they must not be allowed to lick bowls and plates used by humans. They should not be allowed inside grocery stores, restaurants, or marketplaces. In general, great care must be taken that they do not come in contact with anything which is used by people for eating and drinking.
In a nut shell, we already know that the Prophet (saws) forbade mixing with dogs, and that he warned against their licking plates and against keeping them without necessity. How is it possible that the teachings of an unlettered Arab, Muhammad, should agree with the latest findings of scientific research? Truly, we cannot say anything except to repeat the words of the Qur'an: Nor does he speak from (his own) desire. It is nothing other than a revelation sent down. (53:3-4)
related links:
1. Main source
2. THE LOYAL ANIMAL: THE DOG
3. The Internet animal Hospital. Must click!!!
p/s: In order to be a good Muslim, we have to assimilate religion and science properly. Perhaps, we can harvest a fruitful understanding on Islam.
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
How Biometric works to analyze your face?
Through friendster.com, i've found an interesting website, in which u can upload your picture in order to analyze your race+personality. How it works?
*By using state of the art facial recognition technology and the most recent developments in the field of evolutionary psychology it will provide you with a patented process that correlates facial characteristics to personality traits. The Biometric software allows this system to automatically find and measure certain key facial features. It used use these measurements with the algorithms to determine your inherent personality profile.
The Faceanalyzer process flows as follows:
1.Your picture is sent to our facial recognition engine.
2. The world's most accurate facial recognition software determines the placement of major facial characteristics (e.g. nose)
3. The measurements of these major characteristics are then inputted into the Faceanalyzer algorithms.
4. Your statistics are sent back to the page for you to view!To prove that this method contains factual data, this system is able to determine your race and gender with a 87% success rate. This system is continuously incorporating breakthrough developments so it can improve the accuracy of your data on an ongoing basis.
So what are you waiting for? log on this URL, perhaps u may have a fun; http://www.faceanalyzer.com/
Related links:
http://janganbersedih.blogspot.com/2005/06/analyze-your-face.html
ps/ Hahaha...
*By using state of the art facial recognition technology and the most recent developments in the field of evolutionary psychology it will provide you with a patented process that correlates facial characteristics to personality traits. The Biometric software allows this system to automatically find and measure certain key facial features. It used use these measurements with the algorithms to determine your inherent personality profile.
The Faceanalyzer process flows as follows:
1.Your picture is sent to our facial recognition engine.
2. The world's most accurate facial recognition software determines the placement of major facial characteristics (e.g. nose)
3. The measurements of these major characteristics are then inputted into the Faceanalyzer algorithms.
4. Your statistics are sent back to the page for you to view!To prove that this method contains factual data, this system is able to determine your race and gender with a 87% success rate. This system is continuously incorporating breakthrough developments so it can improve the accuracy of your data on an ongoing basis.
So what are you waiting for? log on this URL, perhaps u may have a fun; http://www.faceanalyzer.com/
Related links:
http://janganbersedih.blogspot.com/2005/06/analyze-your-face.html
ps/ Hahaha...
Sunday, June 12, 2005
*Hic* *Hic*
Based on the title, I'm sure all who are reading would now that I'm referring to alcohol. My dad was recounting his experience when he was young. He said that during his time, KFC used to serve beer together with their chicken. It depends on the customer whether they want the beer or not. One day, my dad went with a few of his friends. My dad was about mid-teen at that time. Probably around 13- 15 years old. There was another person following them who was obviously older than them, around 20 years old. He was doing the belanja-ing. He ordered the beer. My dad didn't touch it. He only ate the chicken. But his friends drank and all of 'em ended up drunk. All their dad's were very strict & when they found out, they were in for a lot of trouble.
So, the point of this story is some Muslims do DRINK alcohol. I don't see why they do. Alcohol is clearly prohibited in Islam but yet it is still consumed. Hasn't it already been stated in the Al-Qur'an? I shall not dwell further on this because I assume this is a basic fact that should be known by all Muslim.
Then there's the issue about non-alcoholic beer. Many Muslims staying especially in Western countries are known to drink this saying that there's no alcohol in this beverage. Another reason given was that these countries are cold, and they need alcohol to keep them warm. What?! There's no such thing as sweaters? I got to know of this little piece of info when I was browsing through the net looking for a suitable topic for one of our presentation. I came upon this in some online Islamic forum for Muslims living in the US. Many of the forumers have claimed that they do drink the non-alcoholic beer.
We did quite a thorough research for our presentation, and we came to a final conclusion that it is still haram. Just in case if you were wondering, what's non-alcoholic beer, it is originally a beer being boiled for a certain period of time. Since that alcohol & water has different boiling points, the alcohol evaporates faster than the water. So, according to some people it is halal. We had few lecturers for this course. One agreed that it should be haram. Another didn't quite agree completely.
During one of our field trip to JAKIM, one of us did pose this question to the rep that was present. There was an expert in the field of Islamic shariah and another in terms of science (I think she was a biochemist. Am I right Yati?). They said that it should not be consumed.
So, whether it is alcohol or non-alcoholic beer, it is should still not be taken. Besides that, there are also other reasons for prohibition in terms of medical & ethics. A good example would be the story I mentioned earlier. All of my dad's friends was beaten up by their fathers for taking alcohol, even though my dad insisted that they should not take it. So, what good can come out of this? My dad also said that on various occasion, he has noticed few Malays consuming alcohol. This is indeed a sad sight.
Keep in mind that KFC does NOT serve alcohol now. So, rest assured.
So, the point of this story is some Muslims do DRINK alcohol. I don't see why they do. Alcohol is clearly prohibited in Islam but yet it is still consumed. Hasn't it already been stated in the Al-Qur'an? I shall not dwell further on this because I assume this is a basic fact that should be known by all Muslim.
Then there's the issue about non-alcoholic beer. Many Muslims staying especially in Western countries are known to drink this saying that there's no alcohol in this beverage. Another reason given was that these countries are cold, and they need alcohol to keep them warm. What?! There's no such thing as sweaters? I got to know of this little piece of info when I was browsing through the net looking for a suitable topic for one of our presentation. I came upon this in some online Islamic forum for Muslims living in the US. Many of the forumers have claimed that they do drink the non-alcoholic beer.
We did quite a thorough research for our presentation, and we came to a final conclusion that it is still haram. Just in case if you were wondering, what's non-alcoholic beer, it is originally a beer being boiled for a certain period of time. Since that alcohol & water has different boiling points, the alcohol evaporates faster than the water. So, according to some people it is halal. We had few lecturers for this course. One agreed that it should be haram. Another didn't quite agree completely.
During one of our field trip to JAKIM, one of us did pose this question to the rep that was present. There was an expert in the field of Islamic shariah and another in terms of science (I think she was a biochemist. Am I right Yati?). They said that it should not be consumed.
So, whether it is alcohol or non-alcoholic beer, it is should still not be taken. Besides that, there are also other reasons for prohibition in terms of medical & ethics. A good example would be the story I mentioned earlier. All of my dad's friends was beaten up by their fathers for taking alcohol, even though my dad insisted that they should not take it. So, what good can come out of this? My dad also said that on various occasion, he has noticed few Malays consuming alcohol. This is indeed a sad sight.
Keep in mind that KFC does NOT serve alcohol now. So, rest assured.
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Robot Suit
Japan has finally created a robot suit. What is it you ask? It's a suit worn by people and it's supposed to increase your strength and power to do tasks such as carrying loads. It's like something out of Gundam and the sort. Really cool.
Japan is currently the world leader when it comes to robotics. Over the years, they have created various robots with a plethora of functions ranging from being a nurse, receptionist, pets, dancing partners and with the latest addition, a robot suit. While this is still in preliminary testing, it is believed that a complete a robot suit with more functional capability will be built.
Here's the pic of the prototype of the robot suit made, the project being lead by a professor & engineer, Yoshiyuki Sankai from the Tsukuba University. The robot suit is named HAL-5.
By the way, that's not the Prof. who created the suit. It's one his student. As quoted in the papers, "The 15-kilogram (33-pound) battery-powered suit, code-named HAL-5, detects muscle movements through electrical-signal flows on the skin surface and then amplifies them." So, that's how it works.
And for those of you who don't know what Gundam is, here's a pic just for the fun of it. Ta-daa! (Taken from http://www.gundamofficial.com/)
But, it would take a lot more years to build something like that.
Japan is currently the world leader when it comes to robotics. Over the years, they have created various robots with a plethora of functions ranging from being a nurse, receptionist, pets, dancing partners and with the latest addition, a robot suit. While this is still in preliminary testing, it is believed that a complete a robot suit with more functional capability will be built.
Here's the pic of the prototype of the robot suit made, the project being lead by a professor & engineer, Yoshiyuki Sankai from the Tsukuba University. The robot suit is named HAL-5.
By the way, that's not the Prof. who created the suit. It's one his student. As quoted in the papers, "The 15-kilogram (33-pound) battery-powered suit, code-named HAL-5, detects muscle movements through electrical-signal flows on the skin surface and then amplifies them." So, that's how it works.
And for those of you who don't know what Gundam is, here's a pic just for the fun of it. Ta-daa! (Taken from http://www.gundamofficial.com/)
But, it would take a lot more years to build something like that.
Thursday, June 09, 2005
PFP Limited
As I told Arshana before, my family and I went to Hat Yai last weekends. One thing about being in a family who does a "family business" is that the time for family to get together means the time for family to do business. In short, the trip is all three in one; my youngest brother gets to enjoy swimming, my mom and I get to do some shopping, and my father have an appointment with his friend.
About my father's meeting with his friend; that's what I want to tell.
It's called Pacific Food Processing (PFP) Ltd, located not far away from the beach (Songkhla Beach, I think); right in front of it to be exact. The first thing that catched my eyes were the big signs of Halal, HACCP, ISO, and several other logos that I didn't managed to remember.
The first thought that came to my mind; "It's so clean, and adorable in biotechnology kind of way (Please figure out what it means yourself)."
There are several big buildings, a few ports of cleaning area for the staffs. All staffs are wearing white head covers, white shoes and white aprons.
The meeting was held at one of the buldings, which is quite wide, clean, and at minimal decorations. Remember Department of Chemistry? Sort of.
The company produced a processed food made of fish, shrimps, or crabs like fish ball, fish cake, surimi, etc. It is halal, at the meeting room the Halal Certificate of JAKIM was also displayed. And read this, the owner is not a Muslim! I find it very impressive, don't you think?
I like it most because it is VERY CLEAN, and seems to be VERY WELL-ORGANIZED. I think they mentioned the company is only about three years old.
I mean, all those sayings about the potential of Halal Food, Quality Control, and everything. Since I just used to only read about them, and now I found it right before my eyes, it's kind of exciting, especially for anyone interested to venture into food business or food technology. I wonder if Malaysia have this sort of clean and organized factory.
Well, that's all. I sort of thinking maybe I should suggest our lecturer to make Class Trip to Hat Yai. He he.
About my father's meeting with his friend; that's what I want to tell.
It's called Pacific Food Processing (PFP) Ltd, located not far away from the beach (Songkhla Beach, I think); right in front of it to be exact. The first thing that catched my eyes were the big signs of Halal, HACCP, ISO, and several other logos that I didn't managed to remember.
The first thought that came to my mind; "It's so clean, and adorable in biotechnology kind of way (Please figure out what it means yourself)."
There are several big buildings, a few ports of cleaning area for the staffs. All staffs are wearing white head covers, white shoes and white aprons.
The meeting was held at one of the buldings, which is quite wide, clean, and at minimal decorations. Remember Department of Chemistry? Sort of.
The company produced a processed food made of fish, shrimps, or crabs like fish ball, fish cake, surimi, etc. It is halal, at the meeting room the Halal Certificate of JAKIM was also displayed. And read this, the owner is not a Muslim! I find it very impressive, don't you think?
I like it most because it is VERY CLEAN, and seems to be VERY WELL-ORGANIZED. I think they mentioned the company is only about three years old.
I mean, all those sayings about the potential of Halal Food, Quality Control, and everything. Since I just used to only read about them, and now I found it right before my eyes, it's kind of exciting, especially for anyone interested to venture into food business or food technology. I wonder if Malaysia have this sort of clean and organized factory.
Well, that's all. I sort of thinking maybe I should suggest our lecturer to make Class Trip to Hat Yai. He he.
Monday, June 06, 2005
Gimme All Your Money!!
Scientists have now discovered the 'trust' hormone. Yes, even 'trust' has its own hormone. Just like how Dr. Ahmad Aman said, there's even a 'botak' gene. So I believe trust should have a gene as well, since that gene controls production of protein and hormone is a protein.
Apparently, with this hormone it can make robbing a lot easier. Just spray oxytocin in the air. And voila! Give all your money to the robber. As simple as that. As stated in this article:
Naturally, the scientists did offer a warning as to possible misuse of this touchy-feely hormone, concluding: "Of course, this finding could be misused to induce trusting behaviors that selfish actors subsequently exploit."
That's to say, you might find yourself suddenly finding Tony Blair and George Bush strangely plausible, without realising that your entire neighbourhood has been dosed with Oxytocin deployed via aerosol from stealth black helicopters. You have been warned.
Check out this article too.
Apparently, with this hormone it can make robbing a lot easier. Just spray oxytocin in the air. And voila! Give all your money to the robber. As simple as that. As stated in this article:
Naturally, the scientists did offer a warning as to possible misuse of this touchy-feely hormone, concluding: "Of course, this finding could be misused to induce trusting behaviors that selfish actors subsequently exploit."
That's to say, you might find yourself suddenly finding Tony Blair and George Bush strangely plausible, without realising that your entire neighbourhood has been dosed with Oxytocin deployed via aerosol from stealth black helicopters. You have been warned.
Check out this article too.
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