Wet Bangkok

           

http://variety.horoworld.com/gallery/?img=http://ho.files-media.com/ud/gallery/1/1952/317261_273661699331027_273432429353954_939789_372366324_n.jpg&entry_id=5983&na=น้ำท่วม2554

                Nature is not something we can fight, predict or control.  The moment nature strikes back is the moment that mankind will have to be strong.  Nature has been cruel to Thailand in the year 2011.  Huge amount of rainfall pours down onto the northern part and now the gigantic amount of water is running down south flooding Bangkok.  Just as a video that I watched on youtube says, the water this year amounts equivalent to fifty millions blue whales which is quite A LOT! 

These blue whales are desperate to be freed into the Gulf of Thailand and I am sure that everyone is trying their hardest to free these whales.  I am quite happy to see people help each other without thinking about the consequences.  There are pictures, news, and stories of people helping people, people helping dogs and even dogs helping people.  The picture I posted is depicting the moment of peace between Thai people, not discriminated by political parties.  It is because of these people with their attempts with flood reliefs that will help the victims survive this disaster.  The flood affects everyone which also includes me although my house is not flooded yet.  The ways it affect me is that I have much longer October break, I have over 500 sand bags placed on front of my home, and that my front door is sealed with a wall of cement.  I am not flooded yet and I can’t imagine the lives of those who are already flooded such my friend Wasin.  Nonetheless, I have few concerns for some group of people that appeared to be troublesome for the government. 

These people include people who are trying to destroy the gate for draining out the water, people who are destroying the sand bag walls, people who are cutting open the “Big Bags”, thieves robbing flooded houses, and the Don Mueang people who are trying to remove the Big Bags and let water flood the rest of Bangkok.  These people are not much difference than the trashes floating on the water.  They prove to be unnecessary obstacles to the government in draining the water.  These people are selfish unlike the people in the rural areas who show gratitude to all the help and work together as a strong community.  These selfish people either think only about themselves or think of reaping as much profits as possible from the pain of others. 

Homeopathy: FAKE OR NOT???

Homeopathy is the idea that very diluted solutions of chemicals are given as cures and that water has a memory of what chemical has been in it.  The solution is so diluted that none of the original substance remains inside the water after dilution.  However, in homoepahty, water can remembers the original substance before dilution and still have the same healing properties.

I think that homeopathy is a myth just like turning lead into gold.  How can water, a compound (non liivng) have memory?  Does water has a brain?  The ideas of water having a memory of the chemical that is diluted is a wild idea without proof.  No proof means no validity.  If there is a doctor that prescribed me to homeopahty, suing the doctor is the first thing I would do.  How can a doctor who has all the knowledge in biology and chemistry believe in a myth such as homoepathy?  The doctor must be overly exposed to x-ray radiation in order to believe in such wild ideas because there is not scientific evidence backing up for it.

Nonetheless, homeopathy works similarly to some types of treatment for allergies.  An example given in the BBC page about homeopahty states that "For example, it is believed that onions, which produce streaming, itchy eyes, can be used to relieve the symptoms of hay fever."

Amazing CELLSSSSS!! :)

The cells are the most amazing creation of nature.  Most of us perceive objects from the big picture and we cannot see any of the cells but we know that they are a part of our body.  Earlier, before I take Biology and study about cells, all I know is that I am made up of these insignificant “things” but my view of the world changed after I study what these (in)significant “things” are capable of.  They exist inside millions of cells that are born from two cells.  I cannot imagine how millions of functions are being automatically operated inside something so small that we cannot see.  The complicated organelles or little organs that perform these functions are awesome; they corporate with one another for our survival.  Moreover, we tend to overlook the microscopic world that surrounds us.  The inside of the cells is like another chaotic world (busier than New York or Tokyo) but there is still an order controlling all the components.  This is done by DNA and all the instructions for all the organelles come from the DNA.  Therefore, DNA is like the president of the United Organelles of Cells that has done his job almost perfectly.

A very interesting fact that I got from reading this passage about cells from Bill Bryson’s book is that the DNA is being damaged every 8.4 seconds.  DNA is the genetic materials within our body and it being attacked by rapid chemicals reactions within the cells themselves can become harmful.  However, these injuries are healed quickly over and over again.  I find this fact interesting because it proves to use that cells are not perfect since mistakes occur but they manage to fix those problems up very fast.  My favorite quote from this passage about cells is a line spoken by de Durve “The molecular world must necessarily remain entirely beyond the powers of our imagination owing to the incredible speed with which things happen in it.”