(I) (A)
(1) Importance of Water - Dirty and Clean: Water is in need of protection and we need to protect it. Many people die due to not having access to clean water and many more other are at risks of getting infected with water-borne diseases. An unforgettable quote from Prof. Ng Wun Jern, "Technology may be useless due to human carelessness."
(2) Revolution of Microelectronics Technology: Asia is slowly becoming the focal point for electronic companies. There are abundant opportunities for electronic enterprises as technology provide entertainment, medicine, transportation and communication. A significant quote from Prof. Yeo Kiat Seng, "Unless you do electronic engineering, you will never know your limits."
(3) Innovative breakthroughs in Nano-Science and Nano-Technology: Nano-Technology has a very high potential in the future market. It can bring forward man-kind's greatest inventions to its next generation. I have learned that smaller size for a fixed volume equals to larger surface area. A inspirational quote taken from one of Prof. Ma Jan's slides, "There's plenty of room at the bottom".
(4) IT for Animation: Animations consists of images playing at 24 to 25 frames per second and are mainly based on story-telling. Although animation may seem to not require much intellectual thinking, I have found out that mathematics can be involved in the creation of animations and they are not a bit easy! Some words of wisdom by Prof. Seah Hock Soon, "Everybody can be an inventor, Take the first step, start something big, Start it simple, perfect it later."
(5) Disappearing glaciers, rising sea levels, and why gravity is even more important than you think: Geodesist are people who measure the shape and size of the earth, its gravity field and how they change over time. Space-based techniques, together with the use of technology, allow us to measure these things in great details. Last but not least a quote from Asst. Prof. Emma Hill, "Sea-level rise will not be the same everywhere."
(B) Deepest impression: The plenary session that leaves the deepest impression is Prof. Ng Wun Jern's talk on the importance of water. What I like about it is that he really knows how to make his presentation more interesting and most importantly easy for us to digest. He added constant humor into his presentation and the slides were not dull. Although, his topic may seem boring at first glance, he made it so natural and information and entertainment passed by like a flow. It was really smooth and interesting.
(II)
(1) I choose this project because I have an interest in computer engineering and I would like to understand more about this course. I also find that this is one of the more interesting projects compared to the others that were given to us. It is interesting as instead of the usual experimenting process, we are required to use a computer to create/improve a game based on enzymes.
(2) My role in the group is a programmer because I have a slightly more than basic knowledge of programming compared to the others in my group. Our group consists of members who are an expertise in a certain field. Arthur is a better leader and is mostly in charge of the presentation slides. Wei Kang is an expertise with drawing and mostly in charge of graphic design.
(3) We did experience a few hiccups such as the script on able to run properly, several bugs and encountered some problems when experimenting with the script. Most of these problems are solved when we approached our fellow project mates or team mates for assistance. If all else fails, we look for the student facilitators or the Professor-in-charge, Professor Seah.
(4) Through this project we discover and realised the importance of team work and how it improves the productivity rate of a team. Working in a team improves productivity rate because each member of the team has different skills and when put together it gives the team an advantage compared to working as an individual with only a limited skill set.
(5) As an individual, I have benefited from this programme. Firstly, I understand more about programming and its languages. Secondly, I understand more about enzymes, drugs and medicine. Lastly, I learned how technology can fuse with science and games can fuse with education.
(6) My aspiration is to be a person who is both an expertise at science and technology.
