The Star Online: Business
The Star Online: Business |
- Life seems to revolve around mobile phones
- Will we find life on Mars?
- What a leap of faith means to me
| Life seems to revolve around mobile phones Posted: 14 Sep 2012 06:38 PM PDT ARE you as attached to your mobile phone as your body is to your arms? I'm not sure about you but I discovered I had an unhealthy attachment to my cell phone. I can't keep it away! I was out with friends over the weekend and I realised that every one of us had our smartphones on the table, checking them constantly while we're supposed to be catching up with each other. One might wonder what happened to face to face interaction without wondering if you received an email or Facebook notification. There was also moment when we were so engrossed with our smartphones that we were not talking to each other. The scenario is not exactly unique. There's growing trend on how people are getting obsessed with their mobile phone and are not communicating face to face anymore. The Star recently reported how unhealthy and exposed mobile users are to various risks when they use their mobile devices while crossing the road, using the stairs or walking alone. The mobile phone obsession or distraction has even prompted some states in the United States to consider laws to stop pedestrians from using mobile phones, headphones or other electronic devices which can cause distraction while crossing streets after 1,152 people were injured last year when walking and using electronic devices. Locally, Under Section 17A (1) of The Road Transport Act, motorists are liable to a fine of RM300 if caught using a cell phone while driving. Traffic authorities recently warned against the dangerous trend of motorists being on Facebook, Twitter or even uploading photos while driving. In a recent YouTube video depicting Malaysian drivers, one scene showed how the driver threw his mobile phone on the passenger seat upon seeing a traffic policeman on duty. At the same time, the driver shouted "Police! Police!" to the person at the other end of the line. While we laughed at the scene, it's all too familiar to many of us. My boring qwerty keypad smartphone does not stop me from obsessive habits such as repetitive checks of instant messages on WhatsApp, emails, posting pictures of various foods on social networks and using other applications. These checks typically last less than a minute and I will pause for a while before the my routine inspection begins again. This habit is common and very hard to be rid off. Sometimes, we don't even realise that we're doing it. It's like a small jolt each time you get a message on your phone. An addiction in a way. Once you become accustomed to notifications from your phone, you won't be reaching out for the phone as often as you used to when you just got your device. While I make sure I have my phone with me whenever I leave the house, I have outgrown the phase where I reach for my phone the moment it beeps. A couple of years ago, I was robbed but my phone was safe because I was using it when the thieves ran away with my bag. We have come to a point where we reached out for our phone more than our bag. Some say mobile phones ruin our social interaction. I think it is an opinion. I have seen how it has enriched me. I have group chats with siblings, friends and colleagues and we update each other on what we are thinking and doing. In such instances, we can exchange instant messages and pictures among ourselves. It's just social evolution. With the iPhone 5 now launched, we'll be seeing long queues again of people trying to get the latest phone from Apple. I believe it's a borderline addiction for me. Mental note to self. Get off your phone! |
| Posted: 14 Sep 2012 06:38 PM PDT Space exploration has always captured human imagination with its infinite galaxies and solar systems, while the many theories about existence of life on other planets never fails to pique mankind's imagination until today. Indeed the launch of the Curiosity rover to Mars last month by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) aims to do just that: to search for signs of life on the red planet. This highly expensive search cost NASA about RM7.68bil (US$2.5bil). Despite the global economic recession, the Curiosity rover shows the insatiable quest for extraterrestrial life is important to enable us to reach the next frontier in technological knowledge and development. The launch of the Curiosity rover to the planet Mars on Aug 6 has been followed very closely by many people including myself. I followed the events through a live streaming feed through my smartphone during lunch time. Curiosity's journey to Mars has not been an easy feat mind you, given that the rover is the fourth robot to be launched from earth while the time span for this latest journey to the red planet took a staggering 11 months. This goes to show despite the exponential technological advances mankind has achieved over the past 100 years, it is still not up to par with the high technological standards that are required for space exploration. NASA states in its fact sheet that Curiosity's assignment is to investigate whether conditions have been favourable for microbial life and for preserving clues in the rocks on Mars about possible past life. Indeed the possibilities are infinite should Curiosity eventually find microbial life on Mars, and this may also hold the key to preserving the future of the human race today given that most of the modern civilisation's edifice today is due to how we are able to put petroleum to its full potential. The many types of hydrocarbons which petroleum is derived from is needed not only as a fuel source but hydrocarbons are also required in many materials and industries we commonly require today including plastics, fertilisers, alcohol and medicine. Given that petroleum is a finite resource here on earth, the presence of microbial life on other planets such as Mars could hold the key to the future of mankind including our very continued existence. |
| What a leap of faith means to me Posted: 14 Sep 2012 06:38 PM PDT I have never been a good swimmer so the idea of swimming in open waters has been too "ambitious" for me. Every time I go to the beach, I will only take a stroll on the sand, splash some water at friends or just enjoy the view. When my friends invite me to join them, I will usually decline. The monologue that usually plays in my head says: "You should not swim in the sea because you're not good enough". Hence, I continue to find comfort in going to the swimming pool. There are lifeguards, the water is calm and I feel safe. I practise my not-so-perfect swimming style, increase the number of laps once in a while and am content with what I can do. One day, The Star organised a trip to Pulau Perhentian under the Do Good. Volunteer programme that aimed to create environmental and cultural awareness. As part of the programme, it was natural for participants to follow what the villagers practised. We ate home-cooked dishes, stayed in wooden houses and wore sarong. On top of that, we were told that one of the things the villagers do is "jetty jump" (jumping into the water from the jetty). Jetty jump? The name of the activity alone was sufficient to pump my adrenaline. Some of my colleagues were excited while others hesitated. I was numb. I could only recall how fast my heart was beating when the "jumping ceremony" began. I remember telling people around me before the critical moment: "I don't swim well, so please look after me." After witnessing some of my friends jumped a few meters high from the jetty into the sea, I jumped too. That few seconds before hitting the water was inevitably thrilling but what fascinated me was not that. It was my natural response to keep my head above the water when I was in the sea. I was enthralled to find out that I actually had the ability to float and swim towards my friends without much help. That leap, was not merely a physical activity, it was a psychological breakthrough for me! I never thought that I could actually swim beyond the confines of tiles in a pool and the watchful eye of a lifeguard. More importantly, I have dispensed with the limiting self-thought that I could not swim in open water. This lesson taught me not to underestimate my own capabilities and believe it is applicable to the other "first times" in life. Psychological barriers may exist in things we have not done before, such as changing to a new job, moving to a new city or getting married. On an organisational level, it could mean transformation or expansion. Sometimes, it takes calculated risk and some courage to overcome that hurdle. Of course, one must always gauge one's readiness and the conditions before taking the leap. Some might need more preparation than others but when the opportunity presents itself, action has to be taken. If we hold on to doubt, we might miss out a lot in life. Progress can be made when we let go of shackles. |
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