The Best and Worst of Technology: 2013

Once again, 2013 was a year of impressive innovations in the field of technology, with gadgets accounting for billions and billions of dollars in sales for the year. It seemed as though the world was seeing the release of some type of new phone, tablet, console, or electronic release every week throughout the year. At the same time, consumers continue to spend money on this new technology, as the market continues to flourish. With 2014 just around the corner, we look back at 2013’s best and worst technology of 2013.

Best:

Photo from: http://www.trustedreviews.com/xbox-one_Games_review

Play Station 4 & Xbox One

Probably the biggest technology release(s) in 2013 were the two latest video game consoles from Microsoft and Sony: the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4, respectively. It’s been 8 years since Microsoft’s previous release and 7 years since Sony’s, and neither of the console giants disappointed with their newest systems. With both selling more than 1 million units within 24 hours of its release, the two consoles have set the sales bar higher than ever before. Despite the increase in sales, the prices of the consoles have also increased with the Xbox’s price jumping $100 from $400 to $500, and PlayStation’s jumping from $300 to $400. Of course the increase in price correlates with the improvement in the unit’s specifications as its technical capabilities, video quality, and sound quality have all improved. The new PS 4 system comes with a new state-of-the-art design, as well as new social media capabilities, and amazing hardware, including an 8-core X86 AMD Jaguar CPU, which basically eliminates any loading times as experienced in previous systems. The Xbox One also comes with a sleek new design, as well as an updated version of Xbox Kinect, new voice controls, and an updated 8-core CPU. These things add up to the newest and most advanced gaming systems available on the market today, which more than warrants its selling price. With its high demand and impressive sales for the year 2013, the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 come in as the best technology of 2013.

Worst:

Photo from: http://www.t3.com/news/google-smart-watch-all-the-latest-news-rumours-on-google-gem

The Smartwatch

One of the most creative pieces of technology to make a statement in 2013 was the smartwatch. The smartwatch is a computerized wrist watch with extra functions such as a calculator, games, radio, and other applications to make life easier. The problem with the smartwatch is it doesn’t do anything which the smart phone cannot, which was the initial cause of the dying watch market. To put it simply, the smartwatch, though cool at first use, does nothing new and is actually quite boring. Some of its basic functions include acting as a second screen for your smart phone to screen and channel texts, calls, music, email, and other. The biggest problem with the smartwatch was the tiny screen. For a watch to function as such, the screen should be kept small, as to not take away from its initial function, but the screen being to small renders it useless as people can just as easily run the same apps on a bigger screen on their smartphones. While, the original idea was interesting, the biggest problem with the smartwatch was that it didn’t do anything new. In a world where the newest and latest technologies are the ones in demand, the smartwatch simply doesn’t have anything new, which has yet to be seen. It is because of this, that sales have floundered this 2013, making it a flop for consumers, and 2013’s worst technology.

Blogpost by: Peter Paras Bugayong

References:

Lal Shimpi. A, 2013. Anandtech. [Online] Available at http://www.anandtech.com/show/7528/the-xbox-one-mini-review-hardware-analysis. [Accessed 29 December 2013]

Haywald, J. 2013. Gamespot. [Online] Available at http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-and-xbox-one-launch-broken-hardware-and-one-million-sales/1100-6416478/  [Accessed 29 December 2013]

Kenrick, J. 2013. ZDnet.com [Online] Available at http://www.zdnet.com/the-problems-with-the-smartwatch-even-apple-cant-solve-7000019996/ [Accessed 29 December 2013]

Wong, David. 2013 Cracked.com [Online] Available at http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-signs-tech-industry-finally-ran-out-ideas-in-2013/ [Accessed 29 December 2013]

A New Discovery for Solar Energy

   Researchers in Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory discover that the wavelike property of organic nanostructures can be utilized to make efficient and cheaper organic solar cells.

  Light absorption is seen in the organic nanostructures and some wavelike properties of the electrons like their rapid formation and fast separation is also observed by the researchers using an ultrafast camera.

     

   These properties are only expected to be seen in expensive inorganic structures but the discovery of this phenomenon will lead to the production of cheaper and roll-to-roll solar cells (much cheaper than silicon solar cell production). The printing of solar cells could also be done in room temperatures rather than at very high temperatures (500^OC).

      

  A study that was published in a Science Journal shows a mechanism that allows an efficient separation of protons and electrons which can lead to a very efficient absorption of light and very high solar energy conversion as well. This could be seen in nature as the photosynthesis process.

   At a very small period of time, each charge prefers to spread itself on multiple molecules than for the charges to be localized as one. This phenomenon, called as spatial coherence, allows the charge to move very fast and to be separated from the one that has an opposite charge. This phenomenon can be utilized to generate electricity or making chemical reactions more efficient.

  Continuous research is done by scientists to solve the global challenges that we encounter in our daily lives. We, as students, should help in solving these challenges by generating bright ideas that will not only benefit ourselves, but also benefit other people as well.  

Blogpost by: Jocel Tonido

References:

Anon., 2013. SciTechDaily. [Online] Available at: http://scitechdaily.com/surprise-discovery-revolutionize-solar-energy/ [Accessed 14 December 2013].

Anon., n.d. Xennia. [Online] Available at: http://www.xennia.com/knowledgecentre/inkjet-printed-solar-cells.asp [Accessed 14 December 2013].

Bellis,M.,n.d.About.com.[Online]Available at: 

http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/solar_cell.htm [Accessed 14 December 2013].

A reaction on Zamboanga Crisis forum

 

Photo from: http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/8039/mi5w.jpg


When I have learned about the history of the Sultanate of Sulu and other sultanates in Mindanao, and how even the Spaniards and Americans entered into treaties with these sultanates in order to show that the sovereignty of these sultanates were respected, I felt a deep respect for these sultanates.  It means that they are strong enough to show that they are independent and to fight for their independence.  They were able to stand strong against invaders and conquerors from outside the Philippines, even if these conquerors were able to conquer almost every other region in the Philippines.  Actually, I have always admired the bravery of the members of these sultanates in Mindanao.

       However, I was disappointed when the speaker said that ARMM, specifically the sultanate of Sulu which was once a proud sultanate, is now the poorest region in the Philippines.  I agree with the speaker that Sulu is indeed in poverty at present since she showed statistics that show this.  The statistics she showed were the statistics of households with access to water and statistics of households with access to electricity.  According to the statistics of households with access to water, in 1970, Sulu was once ranked number 37 in the country but in 1990, Sulu became number 52.  And according to the statistics of households with access to electricity, Sulu was once ranked number 38 in the country but in 1990 its’ ranking went down to number 73.  Although the statistics of the year 2013 were not shown, she said that the 1990 statistics remain constant up to the present year so if this is true I believe that it is very unfortunate that Sulu is in poverty now.  However, it would still be better if the statistics were closer to the present year for more accurate data.  Nevertheless, I commend the speaker for showing statistics of households with access to water and electricity since access to water and electricity are factors that determine the poverty of a certain region.

Another point that the speaker said was that political marginalization was a cause of threat to Moro identity.  And this political marginalization is caused by the misinformation and discrimination caused to the Bangsamoro by the popular media and culture.  I agree that there really is misinformation and discrimination against the Bangsamoro especially in religion because I sometimes go to masses which say that the Catholic religion should be the only religion in the world and that every non-Catholic person must convert to Catholicism and Christianity.  I agreed more when the speaker cited an example of misinformation and discrimination against the Bangsamoro when she said that a sect in Manila stated on radio that the Bangsamoro were evil and that we should all hurt them.  Whoever said that on radio is very deluded in my opinion and these comments are hurtful and should really be neutralized and not allowed to be aired.

Lastly, I would like to say that I am in full agreement with the speaker when she said that they key to solving the Zamboanga crisis would be for the Chavacanos (Christians) to accept the Bangsamoro (Muslim) and for Christians in general to accept the Muslims in the Philippines.  We should find common ground between the Christians and the Muslims (for example the kind of music we listen to) in order to promote unity between the Christians and the Muslims.  Technology could be used to help achieve unity since the speaker said that young Muslim people are also tech-savvy just like young Christian people, so we could create a big, free forum and even use social networking sites to find common ground between the Christian people and the Muslim people and when we find similar things that we could all talk about, then we could get to know more about each other and feel closer to one another.  I agree with the speaker that we are all in the same boat.  If there is no peace in the South (Mindanao) then there is no peace in the Philippines as a whole so we should all get together and accept one another.    

Blogpost by: Elaine Lee Ramos

The Good in Gaming

Photo from: http://www.kidsandmedia.co.uk/images/products/colourbox/gaming-videos-large.jpg

Honestly, I do not exactly consider myself a gamer. I can probably count with my fingers and toes the number of games I’ve played in my life. However, when I start playing, I probably won’t stop until something’s broken. Thus, personally, I can attest to one fact:  playing video games will eat so much of your time and it’s hard to go back to the things you must do in reality. For example, the time that should be spent studying will be spent on the quest to become the best pokemon trainer ever. And then after, there’s this guilty feeling that you’ve wasted precious time. However, a very recent article would argue that the time spent on video games is time not wasted.

Many studies on video games focus on its negative effect, like that of Anderson and Dill’s which found that those who played more violent video games are more likely to express aggressive and delinquent behaviours, andthat there is a short-term increase of aggressive behaviour in subjects who were exposed to violent video games. However, it can also be argued that maybe people who play violent video games are high on aggressiveness to begin with. But, Granic, Lobel, and Engels propose that there are benefits from playing video games. They pointed out that there are four possible benefits from video games: cognitive, motivational, emotional, and social.

In playing video games like Plants vs. Zombies or World of Warcraft, you don’t just sit there, press some keys, and wait for the game to be finished; you think, strategize. Different levels or different battles would also enable (if not require) you to come up with different game plans as well. Thus, in a cognitive level, video games that need the gamer to strategize can lead to better cognitive skills, especially problem-solving skills. Not only that, there seems to be a relation with playing video games and one’s creativity and spatial ability.

Also, though this would come off little obvious, playing video games is related to having positive affect or emotions. And, who doesn’t want to be happy? Besides, it was found that those who are happy are more likely to be healthier than those who are not.

However, video games are not just about fun and rainbows. Whether one admits or not, there will be times of failure while playing. It can be expected that the difficulty will soar up as it nears the end (or the boss fights). But, as anyone should know, nobody reaches the finish line by quitting halfway. And, in video games, perseverance and determination is rewarded. For example, in Pokemon, one cannot be able to fly unless a certain gym leader is not defeated, and not being able to use fly is one of the most annoying things in my own opinion. Thus, video games teach one to stand up after a fall by reinforcing such behaviour. Though, the extent to which this is brought to real life yet remains to be seen.

And, finally, we may put the stereotype of gamers as isolated, anti-social geeks away for many video games actually promote cooperation. It’s not just competition! In fact, there’s a study that found that the likelihood of engaging in a helping behaviour is related to a child’s playing – more specifically with prosocial games. Also, if you search online, there are actually groups of people sharing the same love for a game who arrange meetings in real life.

So, the next time somebody tells you to stop playing because it leads to nothing, you can tell them that there are evidences that suggest otherwise.

Blogpost by: Glessa Francesca Garibay

References:

Adachi, P. J., & Willoughby, T. (2013). More than just fun and games: The longitudinal relationships between strategic video games, self reported problem solving skills, and academic grades. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 42, 1041–1052. doi:10.1007/s10964-013-9913-9

Anderson, C. A., & Dill, K. E. (2000). Video Games And Aggressive Thoughts, Feelings, And Behavior In The Laboratory And In Life.. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78(4), 772-790.

Granic, I., Lobel, A., & Engels, R. C. M. E. (2013, December 2). The Benefits of Playing Video
Games.American Psychologist. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1037/a0034857

Pettit, J. W., Kline, J. P., Gencoz, T., Gencoz, F., & Joiner, T. E. (2001). Are happy people healthier?The specific role of positive affect in predicting self-reported health symptoms. Journal of Research in Personality, 35 (4), 521-536.

Sherry, J. L. (2004). Flow and media enjoyment.Communication Theory,14, 328–347. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2885.2004.tb00318.x

Taking the test: A forum on HIV/AIDS

           

Ang paglalantad 3.0 speakers (From Left to Right): Mr. Ryan from take the test, Mr. Jeffrey Acaba from Achieve, Dr. Eric Tayag from DOH and the organizers of the event

      Last December 3, a forum (Ang paglalantad 3.0) was held in College of Mass Communication in line with the celebration of the World HIV/AIDS Awareness day. The said forum talked about the current status of HIV/AIDS in the Philippines and at the same time, reminded everyone about the importance of safe sex between couples and students, especially among the youth. They were also encouraging us to take the test which was conducted last Friday (December 6) at the UP Health Center.

     It was good that they were able to get good speakers for this topic, especially Dr. Eric Tayag, the assistant secretary of the Department of Health. He presented the results of the Department’s research regarding HIV and AIDS (using graphs and models, to make it easier for the audience to digest everything he talks about) and also discussed an in depth details on how HIV develops into AIDS and how it can be transferred from one person to another. According to his presentation, high rates of people infected with HIV/AIDS were mostly males and it is usually contracted from male to male intercourse (according to the research they conducted). He also answered every question asked to him by the participants in the said forum.

     The two other speakers, Mr. Ryan of take the test and Mr. Jeffrey Acaba of Action for Health Initiatives (Achieve) also presented their advocacies which involve helping the persons affected with HIV and AIDS to take their medication and also counseling. They also encouraged us not to be afraid to take the test in order for us to know our own status and to also help in disseminating the right information regarding HIV and AIDS.

      It’s good to hear that these people take account the role that culture plays in the improvement of the policies and health programs that they offer to the people affected with HIV and AIDS. Dr. Tayag, who comes from a very scientific discipline, knows well on how to strike the balance between science and culture. Dr. Tayag even mentioned how he appropriates his language use (Filipino and English) based on his audiences. He also talked about how the Department of Health tries to improve policies and at the same time, help these people for their medication.

            

     After attending the said forum, my knowledge regarding the issue became broader because of the things that the speakers had discussed. Knowing the causes and the current status of HIV/AIDS contributes to formulating campaigns that are culturally sensitive and at the same time, very persuading for the people, especially the youth nowadays. The importance of safe sex and also loyalty in a relationship is a key in order to prevent an individual in getting this. The use also of condoms during sexual intercourse plays a big role in reducing the risk of getting HIV. Most of these are available in the market, but the problem comes in because most of them didn't know how to use it. If the youth will be educated on how to use this properly, then it will be a big help in reducing the number of people with HIV/AIDS. The last thing I learned in the forum is not to be afraid. It’s time to face the issue regarding HIV/AIDS in order for us to take action in it. It is important to be aware. Being aware starts by being knowledgeable about the things happening in our society. Taking the test doesn't make an individual who is sexually active less of a person. It only shows how he/she really loves her partner and how he/she wants to protect him/herself in this virus.

Blogpost by: Hiedi Martinez
Photos courtesy of : Benson Lagason

Anxiety: The downside of cellphone usage to teens

Photo by: Camille Bautista from http://mashable.com/2013/03/13/teen-cellphone/

    Technologies of today are very useful to make our daily living efficient and easy. However, Most of these technologies also have its negative effects to humans if not properly used especially now that the production for these items is increasing along with the demand for these products around the world. According to a science report posted in science daily last December 06, a study conducted by the researchers of Kent State University headed by Andrew Lepp, Ph.D. and his team showed that college students who uses cellular phones more often are the ones who experience a high level of anxiety, low life satisfaction and poor academic performance.

    The team surveyed more than 500 students representing all the courses and year level from the university. The team recorded the usage of cellphone of the respondents along with a clinical measure of anxiety and each student’s level of satisfaction with their own life. The researchers also asked permission to the respondents to access their academic records.

    Results of the analysis concluded that cell phone use was negatively related to GPA and positively related to anxiety. Following this, GPA was positively related to happiness while anxiety was negatively related to happiness. On the other hand, the population with higher frequency of cellphone usage has a tendency to to have lower GPA, higher anxiety and low life satisfaction with their lives compared to their peers who used cellphones rarely. According to the news, the statistical model illustrating these relationships is highly significant.

    Before when I was a child, I remember those times when my mom used to bring  me in the village park to play with my friends. We play hide and seek, "patintero", "luksong baka" and other traditional village games. The only gadget that was famous during that time was the Nintendo and only those who were financially capable had it. Though Nintendo was famous, children still my friends and I chose to play outside because of the interaction that we experienced from it and not to mention the endless laughter. I think, the generation of today became so fascinated with gadgets that they almost forgot that interaction between two persons personally is much better than interaction mediated by these gadgets. These issue should also call the attention of the parents to let their children experience the real outside world instead of supplementing their child with gadgets because it can affect the social orientation of the child. Again, any modern technology has its own downside. If we do not know how to use it properly it might affect the way we live our lives instead of using it as an aid.

Blogpost by: Alexis Perez Dujua

Reference:

1. Andrew Lepp, Jacob E. Barkley, Aryn C. Karpinski. The relationship between cell phone use, academic performance, anxiety, and Satisfaction with Life in college students. Computers in Human Behavior, 2014; 31: 343 DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2013.10.049

How to Create your Own Zombie (Really??)

    Are you a fan of "The Walking Dead" series? Or the movie "World War Z?" How about the "Resident Evil" game? What would you do if these zombies that you are hooked on appear to be possibly true? What more if you could even create your own zombie?

                    

   Reading the first paragraph might make you believe that this article is possibly nonsense. How in the world can you bring a dead back to life and turn it into a monster that eat humans? There are many people who imagined a life during a zombie apocalypse including me, but we all know that this was just a fantasy. It scared me when I have read an article on "livescience.com". It was stated there that a number of respected medical experts and academic journal presented evidences that zombies are, in fact, real.

Photo from: truetv.com
(http://i.cdn.turner.com/trutv/trutv.com/graphics/photogallery/zombies/zombie-man2.jpg

      I think a lot of people are familiar with "voodoo dolls". These dolls originated from the practice or the religion called "vodou" (sometimes spelled as voodoo or vudun). It is a religion that is still practiced in places with a strong African heritage. Vodou priests called "bokor" were reported to create a powder that can turn a person into a zombie. They create a white powdery compound that is called "coupe poudre". Wade Davis, a Harvard ethnobotanist traveled to Haiti and found out that even though these bokor used different ingredients in creating a zombie powder, there were 5 constant animal ingredients present. A small tree frog, a new world toad, a polychaete worm, burned and ground-up human remains, and the most potent ingredient which is the pufferfish. 

    Pufferfish contains "tetrodotoxin" which is a deadly nerve toxin. Small amount of tetrodotoxin causes numbness and even euphoria. Euphoria is the state of being extremely excited or happy. At large doses, the toxin can bring the heart rate of a person to zero, but the person remains conscious and aware though the person cannot speak.

      The tetrodoxin might have been the basis of the zombie phenomenon. It was said that the bokor, exhumes a buried person and applies the second drug called the "jimsun weed (Datura stramonium)" which is believed to be essential for the revival of a dead person. 

Photo from:  brazilweirdnews.blogspot.com 
( https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwzZT0pFVWJFjF_mME_hGkqnxF4NiS75HxjVxKW0Vddovp-YZuibCE6n5HKvxb8C8Eo4j1Qr5hVCMBxWmAK3LOGyNiQPWM6yojmEo81-4h3PxPv7pKm4V1qx3gWTA731b6VaJAQ-VH0SU/s400/haiti00voodoo.jpg )

      There were reports that the "zombification" is true. A woman presumed dead and was buried reappeared after 3 years. Her tomb was found to be full of stones. There was also a report based on the publication of the American Chemical Society. A man named Clairvius Narcisse died in 1962 but has reappeared 18 years later and went to his sister. He told her that he was buried alive, dug up, and enslaved on a distant sugar plantation. Doctors and his families identified that the man who reappeared was really Clairvius. 

    It is really scary to think that the reports stated above were true. If a lot of people practiced the zombification process, then the zombie apocalypse that we fantasize about is coming closer to reality. It is up for you to believe whether zombies are true or not. Personally, I still don't believe in zombies for I haven't witnessed them but I also think that it is not impossible for there are also a lot of unbelievable discoveries that were found true. I hope that's not the case here. It chills my spine writing this article you know.

Blogpost by: Stephen T. Ko

Source:  

Lallanilla, Marc. "How to Make a Zombie (Seriously)" 24 Oct 2013. Web. From "http://www.livescience.com/40690-zombie-haiti-are-zombies-real.html"

DNA Data Storage

Photo from: http://www.threeifbyspace.net/2012/08/ultra-high-density-data-storage-its-in-your-dna/

What if we can extend the limits of our storage systems? What if we can store more ideas, more memories and more files in just a small space? Wouldn't that be better?

    Well, this ‘what if’ is no longer an irrational idea; it’s something that is being developed by scientists today. All your pictures, videos, files, documents, tweets, wall posts, every single one of them can be stored in just a small amount of space, and guess what material will be used for it? Your DNA! Yes, the DNA that stores who you are. That may be the next storage device you’ll be using! 

      For the past few years, we have generated a blast in the volume of information we produce daily. Our activities and businesses are performed with the technologies we have. It is an inevitable fact that most of us are slowly transferring our lives online. Social media is one of the greatest factors of digital revolution.In 2012, every day 2.5 quintillion bytes of data (1 followed by 18 zeros) are created (Conner). At the rate we’re generating information, long-term storage systems will have to keep up with our demand of space.

       Biologists today have been performing experiments on how to store digital files into a biological matter – which is our DNA.

      DNA, short for, Deoxyribonucleic acid, is a complex molecule that contains all of the information necessary to build and maintain an organism. “DNA molecules can be very long, sometimes containing more than a hundred subunits called nucleotides and it is in the arrangement of nucleotides that cells store genetic information.” (Drlica 29). The genetic information stored in DNA is the recipe for our individual heredity. They govern the characteristics displayed by every organism (i.e, blood type, eye color). “ In a small amount of DNA, a variety of complex information about our existence is encapsulated and stored.

    Experiments about DNA Data Storage have been done in the recent years. “Nick Goldman and Ewan Birney of the European Bioinformatics Institute showed how DNA, that was only the size of dust-like specks, contained (1) All the 154 Sonnets of Shakespeare. (2) A 26-second clip of Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech (3) A PDF file of Watson and Crick’s paper on the structure of DNA. (4) A JPEG photo of Goldman and Birney’s Institute, and (5) A code that converted all that into DNA. The team sent vials off to a facility in Germany, where colleagues dissolved the DNA in water, sequenced it, and reconstructed all the files with 100 percent accuracy. . . . It showed the potential of the famous double-helix as a way of storing our growing morass of data” (Yong). “Last 2012, a bioengineer and geneticist at Harvard’s Institute have successfully stored 5.5 petabits of data -- around 700 terabytes-in a single gram of DNA“(Anthony).

           

     Scientists have been eyeing DNA as a potential storage medium because it holds so much information in a compact, durable form. It is able to store more data in a smaller space than hard-disks and flash devices. “A device the size of your thumb could store as much information as the whole internet,” says Harvard University geneticist George Church. (qtd in. Robert) “Our genetic code packs billions of gigabytes into a single gram and with the new discovery, as discussed in the fourth paragraph, one gram of DNA can store 700 terabytes of data. That’s 14,000 50-gigabyte Blu-ray discs. . . in a droplet of DNA that would fit on the tip of your pinky. To store the same kind of data on hard drives, you’d need 233 3TB drives, weighing a total of 151 kilos” (Anthony). This makes DNA data storage the most advanced form of storage device. Imagine being able to store all of our information in such a small amount of space!


    However, at the moment, DNA only becomes cost-effective if the purpose would be storing for the next hundred years. That one-time cost would outweigh all the constant re-writing of data.
 Pollack, Andrew. “DNA Sequencing Caught in Deluge of Data.” New York Times. New York Times Company. 30 Nov 2011. Web. 15 Aug 2013.
 Robert, Lee Hotz. “In Depth: Future of Data May Lie in DNA --- Experiment Opens
Possibilities for Eventual Information- Storage Devices With Great Capacity.” The Wall Street Journal Asia and ProQuest. Hong Kong: Dow Jones & Company Inc. (2012): n. pag. Web. 15 Aug 2013.

     Fortunately, “According to Kosuri of Wyss Institute, DNA sequencing is becoming faster and cheaper at a pace far outstripping Moore’s law, which describes the rate at which computing gets faster and cheaper. . . . The cost has plummeted in the last years, as new technologies have been introduced. The cost of sequencing a human genome plunged to $10,500 in 2011 from $8.9 million in July 2007, according to the National Human Genome Research Institute” (qtd in. Pollack).

   DNA data storage is still limited due to the cost of the system. However, as new technologies come in hand, the drop in the cost of commercially feasible DNA data storage increases.

      DNA has its potential as a resolution for our digital storage dilemma. If we continue the trend of the drop in price, it may be possible to have a cost-effective DNA storage system that is practical for daily use. The probability of being able to archive large amounts of data is a new opportunity to explore more fields of understanding. This gives us the capability to preserve current and past data for the next generations. We have this urge to leave something of ourselves behind, we want to store our memories and ideas into concrete objects. Before the digital age came, our way of leaving our footprints were through printed works and artworks.  However, due to the failure of preserving these works and ideas, their memoirs and legacies are stories that will forever be untold, but DNA data storage can reinvent our future. It can transform our limits and capabilities of writing and storing our histories and cultures. The DNA that stores who we are may just be the storage wave of the future! 

Blogpost by : Querubin Anne C. Yap

References:

Anthony, Sebastian. “Harvard Cracks DNA storage, crams 700 terrabytes of data into a 
 single gram.” Extreme Tech. Ziff Davis, Inc., 17 Aug 2012. Web. 19 Aug 2013

Conner, Maria. “Data on Big Data.” Maria Conner. Disqus. 18 Jul 2012. Web. 4 Sept 2013 

Drlica, Karl. Understanding DNA and Gene Cloning: A Guide for the Curious. 2^nd ed. New 

York: John Wiley &  Sons, Inc., 1992. Print.

Playtime is when a child is made

     When I was a child, I would get excited when a new TV is delivered to our house. It is not because I can watch my favorite shows in a clearer version but because I would have a new toy: the cardboard box. A giant box is my best playground. It is like a traveling machine which takes me to anywhere I want: the beach, a beautiful garden, the outer space and even a world my imagination created. Those were the times when I can say my creativity was at its very best. If it weren’t for those years of playing, I never would have outgrown it and would not be interested in learning.

     In the article by Whitebread and Bingham (2013), the argument about when a child should start formal schooling was raised. In the Philippines, formal schooling starts at the first year of elementary school in which kids ages 6 or 7 enroll. Lifting a quote from the said article, “AT WHAT age should children start formal schooling? England is one of a few countries to say the answer is as young as 4 years old.”

    Going to the field of developmental psychology, proponents of well-known theories, like Piaget, will disagree upon hearing this. Reviewing one of the hallmark cognitive theories, Piaget’s Cognitive Developmental Theory, children between the ages of 2 to 7 are not fit for formal schooling. This theory is comprised of four (sometimes, five) stages, two of which will be cited here. Formal school includes complicated topics, for children at the age of 4, like mathematics. Children at this age are in the Preoperational stage. “Preoperational” because children at this age cannot perform operations, which are reversible mental actions that allow children to do mentally what before they could do only physically (Santrock, 2013). Adding and subtracting are operations. Children at this age are exposed to their weakness, centration, which is the tendency of a young child to focus only on one feature of an object while ignoring other relevant features (Ciccarelli & White, 2009). This is brought about by their lack of conservation, which is the awareness that altering an object’s or a substance’s appearance does not change its basic properties (Santrock, 2013). In a nutshell, children will have faulty reasoning when it comes to patterns. They will only start to practice to overcome these weakness when they are in the Piaget’s third stage.

     In the Concrete Operational stage, children of approximately 7 to 11 years of age enter this stage. This is also the time when Filipino kids enroll in grade 1. At this age, they will start to develop skills like seriation and transitivity. They also start to overcome (or have overcome) their past weakness, centration (Santrock, 2013). In the grounds of Piaget’s theory, I believe that children should start formal school at the age of 7.

     So what should children of ages 4 to 7 do? In the Philippines, we also have nursery and kindergarten, which aim to prepare children before entering formal school. These programs usually focus on colors, numbers, and playtime. The importance of playtime in a child’s physical and mental development was also mentioned in Whitebread and Bingham’s article (2013). According to Carandang and as cited in Lolarga’s article (2011), play is the child’s most natural medium of expression and play lightens one’s load. Carandang also stated that playing gives the child a sense of power over his environment. In a sense, it is empowering; play is the time and space to be. Quoting more from Carandang’s brochure, playing gives the glorious sensation of autonomy, of freedom. “Simply, we all need to play (Carandang, 2013).”

    Also, according to Vygotsky’s theory, there is something called the zone for proximal development, wherein a more knowledgeable person can aid and help the child learn activities that the child cannot previously perform (Santrock, 2013). This can be facilitated through scaffolding.


    To put it simply, playtime should be the pinnacle of every man’s childhood, taking it away means depriving him of his youth. It is during these years that a child’s abilities are determined. It is during his playtime that he is made.


Blogpost by: Franzelle P. Padilla


References:

Carandang, L. (2012). Philplay Brochure. Philippines: Philplay. Retrieved on November 30, 2013, from https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxwaGlscGxheXRoZXJhcHl8Z3g6NmRhNjg4MzE3M2Q5NGQ0Mg

Ciccarelli, S., & White, N. (2009). Psychology, 2nd ed. Singapore: Pearson Education, Inc.
Lolarga, E. (2011, October 7). Child psychologist stresses importance of play. Yahoo! News. Retrieved on November 30, 2013, from http://ph.news.yahoo.com/blogs/the-inbox/child-psychologist-stresses-importance-play-204430090.html

Santrock, J. (2013). Life-span Development, 14th ed. NY: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Whitebread, D., & Bingham, S. (2013, November 13). Too much, too young: Should schooling start at age 7? NewScientist. Retrieved on November 30, 2013, from http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22029435.000-too-much-too-young-should-schooling-start-at-age-7.html#.UpmU_MQW1UX