The Last Post

English language is important especially in tertiary education where students are required to write the report, thesis and articles. Without being able to use the language correctly, the ideas in the report or thesis are hard to be expressed clearly. There are two difficulties I have writing in university class, namely informal writing style and unclear concluding sentence.

Firstly, my writing style is too casual and not academic. Every point or idea in the articles shall be strictly linked to the main idea and certain words like awesome and incredible shall be avoided in academic writing. Academic writing style is vital in the sense that every report and thesis we write in the tertiary level is professional and formal. In order to refine my writing into an academic one, reading newspaper such as The Straits Time is one of the viable and good ways.

Next, my concluding sentence is unclear and too short. It does not give a distinct stand. Concluding sentence is important because it is the last paragraph that gives the punch to the readers and to make our stand clear by summarizing what we have discussed earlier in the main body. Realizing this problem I face, the only way to rectify it would be learning from the mistakes and practicing to write quality concluding sentence after reading other authors’ articles.

In conclusion, without attending the class of EG1471, I would not have noticed my own mistakes and the underlying problems of my writing styles. EG1471 module is illuminating and I do learn a lot of writing skills from this module. Learning is a life-long journey and what we have learned in this module is the basis of University English. In order to truly master the essence of English language, it is necessary to take the initiative to self-study after accomplishing this module.

Grammar Mistakes

Grammar is the fundamental and the essence of English language. In order to correctly use the English grammar, certain rules need to be followed. The correct use of grammar can lead to a smooth flow of idea to be expressed while the wrong use of it can contribute to the central idea being vague. There are three common grammar mistakes where I usually made, namely the use of 'the' article, preposition and parallel structure.

'The' article should be used before the word 'government'
The erroneous version would be,
People should play their role in mitigating climate change and respond to the recycling program advocated by government.
The correct version would be,
People should play their role in mitigating climate change and respond to the recycling program advocated by the government.
Also, article shall not be used when an uncountable noun is nonspecific.
The erroneous version would be,
The internet is a rich source of the information.
The correct version would be,
The internet is a rich source of information.

Next, the use of preposition is also important.
The erroneous version would be,
Despite of the fact that global warming has already taken place, people still carry a passive attitude towards combating climate change.
The correct version would be,
Despite the fact that global warming has already taken place, people still carry a passive attitude towards combating climate change.


Finally, parallel structure is another common grammar mistake that people make.
The erroneous version would be,
These provide students with more background knowledge on this crisis that the earth is facing, thus allowing students to not only aid with the upcoming writing assignment but more importantly to create awareness that many are lacking.
The correct version would be,
These provide students with more background knowledge on this crisis that the earth is facing, thus allowing students to not only aid with the upcoming writing assignment but more importantly creating awareness that many are lacking.

In conclusion, grammar is indeed essential in English and this is the area where people tend to make mistakes. Articles with no or a few grammar mistakes would give a good impression to the readers, whereas those with a number of grammar mistakes would only frustrate the readers and result in the central ideas not being expressed clearly. Hence, there is a need to master English grammar to truly excel in English language.

Roundtable discussion

On the March 4 tutorial class, roundtable discussions were carried out by three groups of students, where topics such as technology resisted or adopted by certain groups, green chemistry and computational modeling in brain studies were being conferred.

The topic on computational modeling in brain studies is particularly interesting as that is a controversial issue where the pros and cons need to be weighed up carefully.

Chongren acted as a moderator who gave an overview of the topic. Yizhou touched on the positive effects of this technology whereas San talked about the potential adverse effects this technology would pose to our lives. Finally, Shiwei emphasized on the regulation that must be imposed on this technology.

Computational modeling in brain studies was theoretically similar to Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan. It located brain activities by detecting the level of oxygen in the brain and guessed what a person was thinking about.

This technology was beneficial in the sense that it could be used as a treatment for newborn babies, autistic patients and those who were speech-impaired. Since newborn babies and speech-impaired community were unable to verbalize their needs, brain studies enable their family members to know exactly what they need. By this technology, doctors could detect illnesses suffered by the newborn babies and gave precise early treatment. For autistic patients who hardly expressed their feelings to others, psychiatrics could use this technology to know their minds and gave appropriate counseling.

Besides, police force could use brain studies to detect whether a criminal was lying or otherwise during cross-examination. This could really save many innocent people’s or scapegoats’ lives.

There should be no doubt that this technology brought much advantages and convenience to our lives. However, the other side of the coin can be detrimental when it was misused. Some medical extremist might use this technology to determine if a child is smart and categorized him accordingly. This scenario can be a silent killer to the child or to a family happiness since the parents would have a misconception that their child is not competent compared to others.

There were a few details in this technology that should be ironed out. That was why enforcements must be incorporated to regulate this technology. Standard sets must be drawn up as regards to how accurate the information one could get from brain mapping. Scientists and the authorities must collaborate in order to enhance the accuracy of this technology.

To sum up, this group’s discussion was well-organized and well-researched and left good impression to the audience.

Articles for roundtable discussion

Genetic engineering has been the hottest field most undergraduate students would like to go into in recent years due to its latent potential to be developed widely in near future. However, the opposition this technology has received also snowballs along the way.

There are two articles that I have read regarding this issue, namely “Genetic Engineering Will Harm Human Health” by Eduardo Galeano and “Cloning Research Would Not Benefit Humans” by Kevin T. Fitzgerald.

According to Galeano(2001), by changing the genetic code for the coming generations, superior human beings can be produced in terms of intelligence, beauty and health. This is achievable as long as the parents are willing to pay and nobody will reject the opportunity to have a smarter child. By then, genetically modified people would be just as common as genetically modified (GM) foods today. Many of us do not really know what we eat as there are no specifications of the genetically modified ingredients in the food we consume stated on most of the food labels. Transgenic growth hormones can lead to cancer but on the other hand they can increase production and also profits. In this context, the economy of the country always comes before the health of the people. The Europeans are the only ones who take the initiative to protect themselves from GM products by trying to prohibit the importing of them. Their attitude are shaped under the pressure of public opinion and the recent deadly experience with mad cows.

Fitzgerald(1997) sees that human cloning is too risky and unnecessary. There is no doubt that cloning is beneficial in the sense that scientists are able to prevent extinction by cloning endangered species, study the processes of mammalian development for the purpose of organ regeneration and repair and curb cancer by normalizing the activity of the genes. However, the application of this method into human cloning has gained much discussion because it will risk the health and welfare of the initial clones. Human cloning may help people who require transplant, people who wish to have biological children but face obstacles and those whose child is dying. However, genetic solutions are not the remedies for social and psychological problems. Furthermore, the solutions to these problems have been carried out on animal research.

I find these two articles are particularly useful for my roundtable discussion. They provide excellent and interesting examples indicating the hidden dangers of genetic engineering. Also, they give a good overview on the benefits of genetic engineering, though not too in-depth. They look at the problem from a very different point of view where I find very intriguing and illuminating.

There are five words in these two articles where I find quite relevant to genetic engineering. Firstly, ‘despotism of science’ means the rule of a powerful ruler on science. Secondly, ‘transgenic’ means having genetic material introduced from another type of animal or plant. Then, ‘technocrats’ maneuvers’ means science and engineering experts’ control or influence a situation in a skilful but dishonest way. ‘Moratorium’ means a temporary stopping of an activity. Finally, ‘eugenics’ means the study of methods to improve the mental and physical characteristics of the human race.

References
Galeano, Eduardo(2001). "Genetic Engineering Will Harm Human Health and the Environment." Current Controversies: Genetic Engineering. Ed. Lisa Yount. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2002.

Fitzgerald, Kevin T(1997). "Cloning Research Would Not Benefit Humans." Opposing Viewpoints: Biomedical Ethics. Ed. Tamara L. Roleff. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1998.

Talks from Three Esteemed Professors

Global warming is real. It has already been happening and is the result of our activities, not a natural occurrence! On 30 January, we was given talks by three reputable professors, namely Professor Palmer, Dr Sovacool and Associate Professor Pala, who respectively specialized in their field of research. We gained a lot of information and knowledge from them who looked at the problem of global warming from very different perspectives in very different presentation styles.

The first speaker was Professor Palmer, who himself specialized in offshore research. He mainly focused on some real surprising statistics and the newest technology proposed to tackle with global warming. From year 1750 to proposed 2050, the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere had increased from 270 ppm to 370 ppm. If this trend went on, not only our atmosphere would be engulfed in high concentration of carbon dioxide, but carbon gas would also diffuse into the ocean, causing it to be more acidic than ever and not sustainable to life. Hence, Professor Palmer proposed a brilliant idea to combat global warming. Due to the fact that carbon dioxide gas is denser than the water at a certain depth under the sea, we could actually contain carbon gas in a membrane called 'sausage' and put it on the sea bed; thus indirectly reduced the carbon gas concentration in the atmosphere. However, the concern about whether the membrane would burst and released the contained carbon gas into the ocean killing aquatic life arouse. Carbon storage was technically feasible because more research could be done to find strong yet flexible material to withstand strong pressure under the sea. However, whether the will to do so was the major problem. We knew well that atmosphere is well-mixed and reducing carbon dioxide contents required collaboration. Thus, political issues kicked in and these were very often the most demanding and complex problem.

Then, we had Dr Sovacool, who gave us detailed information in two areas, those were renewable energy and electric vehicles. He emphasized that technology could succeed technically, but not socially in the sense that advancement of technology was always hindered by social issue. For instance, there were a number of renewable energy explored by scientist and engineers which could be used to replace the burning of fossil fuel, namely solar energy, wind energy, hydroelectric, biomass and geothermal energy. Unfortunately, market failures, political issues and cultural challenges became the blocking stones of the widespread uses of renewable energy. Besides renewable energy, electric vehicles faced the same major problem. In the past, electric vehicles outshone steam- and gasoline-vehicles and gained popularity among people. They were quieter and cleaner to operate, more luxurious and safer to drive. However, economic, political and social challenges stunted the growth of electric vehicles, resulting in petrol-driven vehicles superseded electric car in the years later. As a consequence, the amount of carbon gas was surging up and the condition of global warming went from bad to worse.

Last but not least, we had Associate Professor Pala, who gave us a very broad view about global warming. He stressed on the factors causing global warming, its consequences, the measures taken to combat it and the difficulties faced in dealing with global warming. There were few measures where I found particularly useful. For example, government taxed greenhouse gas emission, subsidized energy efficiency and renewable energy use and cooperated internationally in compliance with global warming regulations. In this context, Building and Construction Association (BCA) in Singapore played a vital role to work closely with the government. Hence, the policy of the government could indeed affect how a country would react when dealing with global warming.

To sum up, global warming is a global problem and has long lasting effects on our Mother Earth but the progress of curbing it is always hindered by political, economic and social issues. I believe that where there is a will, there is a way. If the world works hand in hand to fight global warming, nothing is impossible and we will definitely have a green planet. So, let us take action now!

An Inconvenient Truth

Carbon dioxide and other gases warm the surface of the planet naturally by trapping solar heat in the atmosphere. This is a good thing because it keeps our planet habitable. However, by burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil and clearing forests we have dramatically increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere and temperatures are rising.

The vast majority of scientists agree that global warming is real, it has already been happening and that it is the result of our activities and not a natural occurrence. The evidence is overwhelming and undeniable.We have already been seeing changes. Glaciers are melting, plants and animals are being forced from their habitat, and the number of severe storms and droughts is increasing.

There is always an apparent contradiction between the environment and the nation's economy. This is because instead of investing in the manufacturing industries which can certainly boost the economy of a nation, we need to put in huge amount of money in combating global warming which seems to yield no vivid benefits to nation's development. Although being a small developing country, Singapore never neglects its role in the fight with global warming. This can be seen by several policies made by Singapore government.

As we all know that forests play a vital role in global warming: storing carbon. When forests are burned or cut down, their stored carbon is released into atmosphere. Hence, Singapore government makes every attempt to protect and conserve existing forests. Even when there is a need to chop down the trees for development, constructors of the project will be required to replant the trees or at the very least produce a green landscape. A good example will be the Marina Barrage- Singapore 15th reservoir. It is built based on the environmental-friendly concept and has been the benchmark to raise awareness among people about the importance of combating global warming.

Research and development (R&D) is essential in solving many problems of today's world and aims at improving the quality of life of the people. Singapore government clearly knows the fact that successfully combating global warming requires a national transition to renewable energy resources such as solar. Thus, they put the R&D knowledge into action and most of the high-rise building now have been installed with solar panels to store energy. Besides, instead of using petrol which are the main culprit of the accumulation of carbon dioxide when burned to drive a car, hydrogen car can now be seen on the road. On the other hand, chemical and manufacturing factories have been legislated to install filtering system to convert greenhouse gases into harmless gases such as oxygen and water vapour.

Several other policies such as the ban on using polystyrene and air-conditioner that produce chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) takes effects long ago.The concept of reduce, reuse and recycle has also been instilled into almost every citizens in order to fight against global warming.

To sum up, there is no doubt we can solve this problem. In fact, we have a moral obligation to do so. Small changes to our daily routine can add up to big differences in helping to stop global warming. The time to come together as one to solve this problem is now - take action!

The Expanding World of Engineer

"Engineers are the ones who build high-rise buildings,make aeroplanes and manufacture electronic goods". This statement may be true in the past but it cannot be applied into today's fast-changing world. Nowadays, engineers can do much more than all those. Simply speaking, they can be found in every field of professions-from managing health-care system to running transportation system to banking!

Engineers are highly sought after in helping to systematically analyze complex information and apply a holistic approach in designing solutions. The reasons of this scenario are mainly contributed by the facts that engineers are critical-thinker, able to take up challenges and always on par with the technology.

Being a critical thinker, they are able to look at a problem from a very different prospective and aspect. Given a task, they will not accept it wholly or blindly without careful judgement. Rather, they will systematically analyze the task and tackling with it creatively and innovatively. In their tertiary studies in varsity, they are given broad view of the course of being an engineer which definitely broaden their minds in every aspect of life. Thus, generally speaking, engineers know more things and understand more in depth than others do.

After going through the engineering tertiary education in university, engineers are able to take up challenges. They are trained to solve the problems in life-from human needs to food, water, shelter, health, defence, communication, energy to the provision of entertainment and information. In short, they have high problem-solving skills and this make them a good reliable decision maker. Being able to make good decisions within a short time-frame is very important, especially in the management of a company where very often a wrong decision can cause fatal consequences.

As both the manufacturing and service sectors become more and more technology- and knowledge-intensive, to be on par with the technology is another trump card for engineers. Companies, organisations and even nations need a workforce that does not fear technology but embraces and thrives on it. Engineers often update themselves with the advancement of new technology. As a result, they can simplify a complex problem and provide a systematic solution with the help of technology.

In a nutshell, there are no doubts that engineers are indeed ones who are notable and respectable. I myself are proud to be an engineering student and hopefully I can be one of the successful engineers who will bring benefits to the society and even the whole world.