1st, lets not forget. HAPPY NEW YEAR to all those who are reading :D
Just went out for dinner with my family, the food was great, and the prices reasonable. However, what struck me about that restaurant, and compelled me to write a post on them is not about the food or ambience. Rather, it was instead the quality of the service of the staff there that impressed me. Ok, a general description of the place: its not a restaurant in the general sense of the word, as in those air conditioned, high/ mid class places located in an upmarket building with lavish decor. In fact, its enviornment is more like a typical hawker centre, with all the grime, dirt and smells associated with it. The floor is pretty dirty, the place looks slightly run down... yea you get the idea. The food is also like what an average 'zhi cha' store in yourneighbourhood coffee shop/ hawker centre serves up, tasty, but not to die for, with a few 'specialities' ( including fish head steamboat ) thrown in. Yet, the quality of service the staff provided was excellent. One of the waiters ( again, not in the strict sense of the word ) basically dressed like your typical 'ah beng' with the dyed hair and the baggy jeans, yet, when responding to the customers, he was very earnest and sincere, while we were eating, he even dropped by to ask us if the stock for the steamboat is alright. When complying to our table's request for extra rice, taking of orders, settling the bill, the staff were always efficient and you get the feeling that they were happy for your patronage, and that they valued you as a customer, unlike the countless establishments whose staff i have encountered serving you with a gloomy face, as if they were impatient to get their business with you over and done with.
Overall, decent food, price and great service, wouldnt mind dining there again. The only thing lacking was the enviornment but that can be negated in light of theother plus points. Its called Hong Kong Road Fishhead Steamboat if i remembered correctly, and is located somewhere very close to the Singapore General Hospital, in outram. Do pay it a visit if you wanna look for food, and have a brain drain
Cheers 2008
Monday, December 31, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
Brain and Computers
Rencently did a comprehension on computers and human beings and how computers should be given the propensity to err. The article mention computers having the ability to outperform humans in every department with their superior processing speed and other 'qualities'.
However, take a step out of the fast lane, and use your in my opinion underestimated processing unit in your skull. Are today's modern computers truely superior?. yes computers are capable of being programmed to do enormous mathematical calculations, having the ability to consider the possible moves of every chess piece in a chess game several turns ahead. it might apper that we are outclassed outfought and outthought by today's computers.
Lets take another perspective shall we, your brain has to merge information coming from over a million ( or possibly more ) sensors from your entire body ( courtesy of your skin ), as well as visual, audio, imput from your eyes and ears to decide upon a best course of action for something. It has to constantly maintain your body's stable equlibrium to allow you all to stand and move without falling over ( seems effortless right? ). In addition to sensing air pressure, processing communication, controlling your body functions etc.. to name a few. and these are the stuff it has to do 24/7 without stopping, i mean after all when u are lying on ur bed resting, you can still feel your clothes on you, sense the wind, breathe air right?. The best thing is, it almost never crashes :D. if it somehow crashes, then either A) you're dead, B) you're brain dead, or C) you're insane. How often do you see a computer crash, or got brought down by a virus.
The thing is we humans have our processing power directed at analysing a multitude of totally different inputs as well as generating our own output. As opposed to a chess computer, lets say, which have its entire focus diverted to winning the said game of chess. It does not care about its own survival, whether its ca catch a virus or not, whether there is a fault in its programming or not, does it have the capability to even care in the 1st place? i guess not.
maybe one day where we can clone a human brain and genetically engineer it so that all its energies would be directed towards a particular process, can we appreciate its true potential. for now though, i prefer to think that my brain reigns supreme over any computers :D
Cheers, below are some random facts i lifted from wikipedia
common misconceptions:
- Humans use only 10% or less of their brain: Even though many mysteries of brain function persist, every part of the brain has a known function
- New neurons cannot be created, they only die as one ages. In fact, new neurons can grow within the mature adult brain; this process is known as neurogenesis. Regardless of neuron growth or death, brain function and capabilities can be learned and developed throughout life.
- The brain cells do not duplicate at all after it has developed (around late childhood). Although most of the brain does not grow, the cells in the hypothalamus are still growing.The human brain loses 50,000 brain cells a day after you turn 30.
However, take a step out of the fast lane, and use your in my opinion underestimated processing unit in your skull. Are today's modern computers truely superior?. yes computers are capable of being programmed to do enormous mathematical calculations, having the ability to consider the possible moves of every chess piece in a chess game several turns ahead. it might apper that we are outclassed outfought and outthought by today's computers.
Lets take another perspective shall we, your brain has to merge information coming from over a million ( or possibly more ) sensors from your entire body ( courtesy of your skin ), as well as visual, audio, imput from your eyes and ears to decide upon a best course of action for something. It has to constantly maintain your body's stable equlibrium to allow you all to stand and move without falling over ( seems effortless right? ). In addition to sensing air pressure, processing communication, controlling your body functions etc.. to name a few. and these are the stuff it has to do 24/7 without stopping, i mean after all when u are lying on ur bed resting, you can still feel your clothes on you, sense the wind, breathe air right?. The best thing is, it almost never crashes :D. if it somehow crashes, then either A) you're dead, B) you're brain dead, or C) you're insane. How often do you see a computer crash, or got brought down by a virus.
The thing is we humans have our processing power directed at analysing a multitude of totally different inputs as well as generating our own output. As opposed to a chess computer, lets say, which have its entire focus diverted to winning the said game of chess. It does not care about its own survival, whether its ca catch a virus or not, whether there is a fault in its programming or not, does it have the capability to even care in the 1st place? i guess not.
maybe one day where we can clone a human brain and genetically engineer it so that all its energies would be directed towards a particular process, can we appreciate its true potential. for now though, i prefer to think that my brain reigns supreme over any computers :D
Cheers, below are some random facts i lifted from wikipedia
common misconceptions:
- Humans use only 10% or less of their brain: Even though many mysteries of brain function persist, every part of the brain has a known function
- New neurons cannot be created, they only die as one ages. In fact, new neurons can grow within the mature adult brain; this process is known as neurogenesis. Regardless of neuron growth or death, brain function and capabilities can be learned and developed throughout life.
- The brain cells do not duplicate at all after it has developed (around late childhood). Although most of the brain does not grow, the cells in the hypothalamus are still growing.The human brain loses 50,000 brain cells a day after you turn 30.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Me and Blog
OK, hi people. seriously i have no idea who will be reading this but here goes. Never thought i would create a blog ( actually i didnt ) or post in one. Upon the persistent requests from ykm for me to have a blog, lol and with his considerable assistance this blog was born. Hmm lets get one thing about this blog straght, actually a couple of things rather
1) I will post only when and if i feel like it no point writing for the sake of writing. So, posting will be quite erractic, sry to disappoint anyone out there hoping for regular updates.
2) There will be zero posts on my private life, e.g. my family, my friends, what i did yesterday that sort of stuff. class outings, maybe.. if there is a demand for it. This is for privacy reasons, and to avoid sensitive issues from arising, and cases of accidently washing your dirty linen in public.
3) School stuff would also be at a minimum ( dont you guys/girls already have enough of school? an average of 35hrs a week is pretty high by my standards already so yup ).
To end off my 1st post. hope you guys find this blog interesting entertaining, and enjoy reading it.
1) I will post only when and if i feel like it no point writing for the sake of writing. So, posting will be quite erractic, sry to disappoint anyone out there hoping for regular updates.
2) There will be zero posts on my private life, e.g. my family, my friends, what i did yesterday that sort of stuff. class outings, maybe.. if there is a demand for it. This is for privacy reasons, and to avoid sensitive issues from arising, and cases of accidently washing your dirty linen in public.
3) School stuff would also be at a minimum ( dont you guys/girls already have enough of school? an average of 35hrs a week is pretty high by my standards already so yup ).
To end off my 1st post. hope you guys find this blog interesting entertaining, and enjoy reading it.
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