(the rain could not hide our tears)

Dear Mr Lee,

Thank you. For being the strong leader Singapore needed, back in those tumultuous days, unimaginable to my generation, when everything was uncertain. Thank you for your honesty and directness. Thank you for setting a standard for future generations to follow. You were strict and firm but ultimately benevolent, and that was exactly what this country needed.

Today, the skies cried over your coffin. The nation grieves together. Tomorrow, we carry on. We will do our best to build something you would have been proud of.

Thank you, and rest in peace.

Distracted Driving

This is kind of brilliant. It's a video summarising an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine, about distractions which affect novice and experienced drivers.

 
Link to the original journal article.

The animators obviously had fun (love the brick joke with the ninjas), but what's more pertinent is that the study was presented in a manner which could be easily understood by anyone. I think it's important for journals to reach out to common man, because their staff actually understand the subject matter and know how to discuss it in an accurate manner (Dr Jeffrey Drazen, who narrated the above video, is actually the Editor-in-Chief of NEJM). Media such as reputable newspapers and news programs are better sources of scientific information that, say, certain celebrities who are not qualified to discuss vaccination, but may still unintentionally misrepresent facts or make exaggerated claims. While we're discussing it, science textbooks aren't perfect sources of information either. Especially the ones which present tongue maps as being accurate.

I'd like it if journals articles became more accessible to the public. Open access is a step in the right direction, and easy-to-understand summaries are helpful when the original article is too technical for a lay audience. Perhaps this is a maverick proposal, but I'd like secondary school students to have some experience reading real journal articles. I think it's important to expose students to the terse, specific style of scientific writing as early as possible, get them used to the idea of reading primary sources and not the rehashes presented in textbooks and newspapers, get them used to writing in a succinct yet informative manner. Maybe I'm overestimating the attention span of the typical student, but I only learned - properly learned - to write scientifically when I was doing my Honours degree, thanks to my supervisor's patient tutelage. What would have happened if my supervisor was less than ideal?

I guess I'm just sad that there's a substantial proportion of the population who lack the capability to keep up with the very cutting edge of science. Knowledge should be for everyone.

Hey, 'Sup

It's been a while...again.

I have legitimate reasons, I really do. Wrapping up the thesis, getting a job, doing the necessary shopping and whatnot for said job... There's honestly a lot to do, moreso when abovementioned job actually starts. 

It's a strange thing, responsibility. It's easier to be lazy, but being hardworking feels good. 

On the subject of hardworking (or lack thereof), I haven't been adding much to this blog, even though I actually have several new recipes. However, Pi Day swiftly approaches, and I would rather not miss it. There is something to say for tradition, after all. Extremely modern tradition.

I notice I don't talk about myself much, not really. My love of sharks is obvious, as is my general love of LEGO and particular love of Bionicle, but I only touched on Doctor Who briefly, Cracked.com is mentioned occasionally, and I've never mentioned the manga I read, or the few television shows I follow (well, one, really), or the books I enjoy. I'm a rather private person, which is a strange thing to say on a blog on the Internet, but there you go.

Hmm, this post was almost a stream of consciousness. Shall we call it an edited stream of consciousness? We shall.

Closing In

I have the deplorable habit of talking when I have nothing to say, so I make up for it by not writing when I have nothing to say. That's the theory, anyway.

I must be growing old, because the prospect of Christmas and the end of the year no longer fills me with excitement. It's... just another day. Another year. I've had plenty of those. There will be good times and bad times, just like any other year. This year had too much excitement - the wrong kind of excitement. I think I could use a little peace for a change.

My PhD thesis will be finished soon - really finished soon. All the chapter writing is done, it's just a question of editing out every last mistake and stitching it into a book. It feels like the end of an era. Certainly, the PhD course was a difficult experience, both mentally and physically. I didn't quite handle it the way I would have liked, but wasn't that the point? The difficulty of completing a PhD is not the coursework itself, I don't think, although the work can be intensive and writing a thesis is a novel form of torture. It's the psychological part. Having the discipline to come in to work everyday including weekends, plan out experiments, meet deadlines and milestones. Dealing with office politics. Handling the various crises which inevitably arise from working with dangerous equipment in the company of many other individuals. Supervisors are there for guidance, but only minimally; most of it is self-directed. It's like a primer for the real life working experience. And you do work alongside postdoctoral fellows and research assistances who are there for the money, and you learn from how they handle things. 

In fewer words, doing a PhD is a horrible experience and I strongly recommend it.

Bionicle will be rebooted next year. That's a good move, I think. It's been gone too long to rely on old fans, and the old story is far too convoluted to bring in new fans. Back then, it was pretty obvious that the writers were making a lot of things up as they went along, especially in the early years. A fresh start will be good for the series. And the new sets do look pretty sweet.

I think I might actually be looking forward to the new year after all. There'll be good times, and bad times, but they won't be same good and bad times as before (stunning observation, there). 

In the meantime, enjoy these fifteen minutes of Wheatley's nattering.

Keep Calm and Carry On

I've done it again! I've managed to give myself a moderately serious injury via kitchen implements. (For previous incidents, see the One-Armed Scientist category.) This time, boiling-hot potato soup, a blender and a lid which came right off mid-blend were involved. One could argue that nobody should ever attempt to purée hot soup. One would be right.

Anyway, I have some fun burns on my arms and shoulders. They're actually pretty mild, because I headed straight for the cold shower, but unfortunately extensive. I'm regretting not investing in more strapless tops.

As it happens, my burns are positioned just right that they don't interfere with my thesis writing. Someone up there is probably laughing it up, that jerk.

Lazy Recipe: Sardine Pasta Bake

One might ask, "What's with all these recipes?" Well, you see, this blog is a record of stuff I do, so it's either recipes or my thesis-writing. No one wants to hear me whinge about my thesis-writing.

Anyway, it was an hour from lunch so I raided my kitchen for ingredients and put something together semi-randomly. I do this fairly often, but this particular dish was of a surprisingly legitimate quality.

Sardine Pasta Bake
Loosely adapted from this recipe.

Ingredients

100 g fusilli pasta
1 can Ayam Brand Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Green Peppercorns
1/2 cup plain Greek-style yoghurt
1 tbs tomato sauce
1/2 tbs dried thyme or oregano
Pinch salt
1-2 tbs shredded mozzarella cheese
1-2 tsp panko bread crumbs
Dash cayenne pepper
1/2 tbs butter

Preheat oven to 220°C. Alternatively, use a toaster oven (no preheating required).

Cook fusilli pasta in boiling, salted water until it just turns al dente. Drain and set aside.

Empty sardine can into a small bowl (do not drain). Use 1 tbs of the olive oil to grease the bottom and sides of a 750 ml capacity oven-proof dish. Split the sardines lengthwise in half and remove the vertebral bones. Arrange the fish evenly on the base of the oven-proof dish. Scatter the peppercorns over the fish. Place the drained pasta on top.

Mix yoghurt and tomato sauce until combined. Stir in the thyme and salt. Pour the sauce evenly over the pasta. Spread another 1 tbs of the olive oil from the can on top.

Sprinkle shredded mozzarella to cover the surface of the sauce evenly. Top with panko bread crumbs and cayenne pepper. Place butter in a chilled metal spoon. Working quickly, use your fingers to press the butter into flakes. Scatter the butter flakes evenly on top of the dish.

Bake in the preheated oven or toaster oven for 5-10 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Serve immediately.

Recipe: Italian Bread

The other day, my mother wanted some Italian-style bread for making garlic bread. The problem was, the bakeries near us either didn't carry the right kind of bread, or had it pre-sliced crosswise (the recipe required the bread to be cut lengthwise). And therefore...

Italian Bread (makes 1 loaf)
Adapted from this recipe at The Fresh Loaf

Ingredients
Starter

1/4 cup skim milk, scalded
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup bread flour
1/3 tsp active dry yeast, or 1/4 tsp instant yeast

Dough
Pre-prepared starter
2 1/2 cups (scooped) bread flour, plus extra
1/2 cup skim milk, scalded
1/3 cup water
1/2 tbs brown sugar
1/2 tbs salt
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast, or 1 tsp instant yeast
1/2 tbs olive oil

To prepare the starter, scald the milk in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl and allow it to cool to body temperature (about 37°C - test by dropping a little onto the back of your hand). Stir in yeast and allow to reactivate for 5 minutes. Mix in water and bread flour. Cover with cling wrap and incubate in at room temperature (25-28°C) for 4-16 hours.

Prepare the dough. Scald milk and allow to cool, as before. Dissolve the brown sugar in the milk. Stir in yeast and leave for 5 minutes to reactivate. In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture, all the starter, water, olive oil, salt and 1 cup of the flour. Mix thoroughly using a wooden spoon or your hands.

Knead in more flour 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough is only slightly sticky, and comes off the bowl when lifted up. Grease a bowl well with olive oil; shape the dough into a ball and place it in the greased bowl. Lightly grease a piece of cling-wrap with olive oil and place it, greased side down, over the dough and the bowl. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature until doubled in size (1-2 hours). Punch down the dough and knead for 1 minute. Allow to rise at room temperature for another 30-60 minutes.

Punch down the dough again and shape into a ball. Return the dough to the greased bowl, cover with greased cling-wrap and allow to relax for 10-20 minutes.

Shape dough into a boule or bâtard shape. Cover loosely with greased cling-wrap and allow to rise until doubled in size (30-60 minutes). Do not over-rise.

Place baking stone in oven, and preheat to 240°C. Right before placing the bread in the oven, brush or spray  the dough lightly with water. Use a sharp knife or razor to slash the bread. Lightly sprinkle some flour onto the baking stone before placing the bread on top.

Bake bread at 240°C for 1 minute. Without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 220°C and bake for another 20 minutes. Rotate the loaf around and bake for a further 20-30 minutes, until the loaf is evenly browned and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Remove and cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Notes

To scald milk, place milk in a microwave-safe bowl or mug. Place a wooden chopstick such that it breaks the surface of the milk; this is to prevent the milk from over-boiling. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes until the milk starts to boil. Stop the microwave immediately and allow the milk to cool.

For instructions on shaping loaves, this is a great site with pictures, and this video demonstrates how to shape and slash a bâtard.

If you haven't got a baking stone, use an upside-down cast-iron skillet or heavy baking pan.

I actually use a microwave oven with a convection setting for baking bread. Since it has a rotating turntable and uses hot air to maintain the internal temperature, the bread comes out evenly browned and perfectly baked.