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An introduction to my research I have just posted some simplified abstracts (without all the engineering jargons) from my first report.  Also, some pictures of the EDLC prototype, equipment and consumables utilised in my experiments.Feel free to ask me about it. Would be more than glad to fill you in on my research…just hope you will not get bored with it.

Objectives

The research would be mainly focused on the experimentation of the
different pore sizes of the carbon nanotubes which are used as electrode to
ensure that the optimum capacitance is achieved and hence, a significant
increase in the capacitance of the EDLC. Nanocomposite electrode would first be
closely examined for its effect on specific capacitance and internal resistance
of supercapacitors. Research would also look into the effect of the fabrication of the nanoelectrode with other materials which would enhance the capacitance
of the EDLC.

The effect of electrodes of similar pore sizes on the specific
capacitance and internal resistance of supercapacitor would then be explored to
serve as a benchmark to the capacitance difference of the supercapacitor that
would be obtained when electrodes of different pore sizes according to the ions
of the electrolyte are used. 

Theory and contributory significance of this research

EDLC or Supercapacitor as it is commonly known is a budding
technology that can be seen to play a significant role in the advancement of
electronic devices and systems in both the present and the future of energy
storage. EDLC provides high power density and energy capacity. When integrated
with other electric sources like batteries and photovoltaic devices, it boosts
the ability to meet sudden surge of power demand. At present, there are two
means of which the energy is stored in the supercapacitor function. One of them
is pseaudocapacitance (PC) which is the charge-storage mechanism due to the
Faradaic reactions that occurs only at the surface or absorbed species at the carbonaceous
electrode/electrode interface [1]. Capacitances of the range of 10 to 100 times
the EDLC per unit area are obtainable through PC. One of the aims of this
research is to investigate the nano-sized supercapacitor electrode materials
that display excellent conductivity and PC behaviour.

 
Carbonaceous materials with their porous nature and high specific
area offer good electrical conductivity as electrodes to the advancement of
supercapacitor performance. Studies on the incorporation of carbon
nanotechnology into EDLCs have been actively pursued in these few years. This
is due to the significantly higher usage efficiency of specific surface areas
provided by porous carbon nanotubes and their inherently unique pore structure
[2].

Although carbon nanotubes serve well in increasing the capacitance
of the EDLC with its surface area, the increase is limited due to the usage of
carbon nanotubes of similar pore sizes for both the electrodes. This research
will look into improving the specific capacitance of supercapacitors
significantly with simple modifications to the porous carbon nanotubes
electrodes utilising the basic capacitance rules that are more often ignored or
overlooked in most studies of EDLCs. With significant improvements to the
performance of supercapacitors imagine how the major increases in both the
power and energy densities would be a breakthrough in the energy and charge
storage technology.

Can U believe it! RM 500k++ for a double storey terrace house and RM 600k++ for a 2 ½ storey terrace house in Kepong! And for a corner one (2 ½ storey terrace) it costs RM 1.080++ million! Yea… I am actually talking about Sunway SPK and LeVenue II in Kepong just by the LDP. My sister and I went to view some show houses during the weekend as part of our usual ‘weekend’ activity…more of ‘her’ weekend activity rather than mine but I always tag along coz I am a great brother hehehe . I do enjoy looking at houses and knowing the current loan/investment structures offered by various banks. Besides that, I have this ardent interest in real estate which I am not sure how and when I started to have it. We overheard one of the interested buyers talking about paying off the loan for a period of 30-35 years, at RM3k every month! No wonder there is such a high delinquency rate for home loans (the current pricing of housing loans is based on the assumption that 0.5% of the loans would go bad. The default rate is already 1.5%, and is set to grow further) - Rajadhyaksha, Business World 2005.

With professionals buying such expensive houses and paying them off with their monthly salary; I wonder what would happen if there is an unexpected turn of events like a sudden unanticipated diagnosis of cancer which would definitely burn big a hole in the pocket for medication and treatment, then there is also this risk of being fired, losing your job, not being able to find the same job that will pay off the same amount as the current job, economic downturn, sharp rise in BLR, fuel prices suddenly go up like few folds?

Wages should also increase with our increasingly more expensive homes and real estate but instead we are hearing about graduates being paid lower and lower each year because of oversupply and lack of demand.  How then would these graduates be able to own a house of their own? Also there is question about whether developers are over pricing the houses. Shouldn’t there be checks on them too as to the maximum price they can charge? As having a shelter above our head is an essential need, maybe these developers ought to be slapped with tough regulations as to how much profit they can reap from their development projects, just like the traders of essential goods like rice, oil, petrol, chicken etc. I personally believe that houses should be a control item and buyers should be given more truthful facts about rip-off developments instead of from words of mouth by unreliable sources (maybe planted by developers- as part of the marketing strategy) out to lure people into buying expensive, overpriced houses in the name of good investment for a good location.

Have you ever wondered what happens to patients who are diagnosed with incurable disease?

Normally, hospitals, doctors and nurses have the responsibility to help people recover from their illnesses or injuries. But what happens to those whose illness is no longer curable?

Surely, this is a time of great stress for them and their families. The hospitals would generally want to discharge these patients as they (the hospital) feel that there is little that can be done and the beds would be needed for others. Busy doctors and nurses are often pressured to concentrate on patients whom they can help to get well. Frequently, these patients, whose progressive and deteriorating condition may require special attention and care, are left to suffer much pain, discomfort and the humiliation of incapacity. The family, who more often than not are under stress themselves, is quite unable to cope. But in recent years, there has been an increase in the recognition that people with diseases that are progressive and no longer respond to curative treatment should not be regarded as dying. This unfortunate group should not be ignored and treated as people for whom little can be done. We are all living persons up to the moment of our last breath.

I spoke to the upcoming president of my Lions Club of this plight. She was the one who brought up the idea of a long term commitment of our club to facilitate quality living right up to that very last breath. I spoke to one of the senior Lion about it too and he gladly filled us in on the topic and where we can seek advice as to how to proceed. He gave us the contact number of the person in charged of training us to be able to attend to the patient in the most effective manner, relieving both the patient and his / her family of much stress and anxiety. I really feel the idea excites me. It brought me back to the time when my uncle was diagnosed with lung cancer. I felt sorry for him and his family but I just found myself helpless and unable to do anything about it when I really wanted to contribute something. Then, another thought struck me, how would I had reacted if it were to be my mother, father or sister? I would have been paralysed. Imagine yourself in the same situation when one of your family members close to you is diagnosed with a chronic disease. Will you be able to handle such situation? Are you strong enough to be able to pull through? I certainly admit, I am not a very strong person in heart when it comes to people I love and care about. How can you prepare yourself for such unfortunate event, and more, how can you help someone whom you do not even know out of misery and the pain of an incurable disease. It’s completely voluntary and trust me it will help you so much more in your life than anyone else for that matter.

I have shared my experience about the voluntary work I had done in Australia during my last two years of studies there with a lot of people. I was touched with people sharing their life experiences with me and to be able to be part of their lives simply moved me and changed me in ways nothing has ever done for me before. Now that I am back and now that I have heard of this organisation which is willing to commit itself to be involved in people whom we most loved in our lives during the most painful period of their lives; having the ticket of departure from earth handed to them, I just can’t help myself to be part of the organisation. Thus, I have decided to lobby such act of selflessness in the Lions Club that I am currently involved in. I believe, as someone in the twenties, I would want to make full use of my remaining life to help and to make a change in the lives of others to have a meaningful life myself instead of one that I had before where things were just shadowed by academic achievements, relationships and distrustful friendships.   

1. To find a Woman you need Time, Money, Sacrifices, Loss of freedom, Loss of soccer buddies and Loss of hair due to worry. Thus,

Woman = Time x Money x Sacrifices x Loss of freedom x Loss of soccer buddies x Loss of hair

2. Time is money.

Sacrifices lead to loss of time, sacrifices equal money.

Loss of freedom equals lost of time, loss of freedom equals money.

Loss of soccer buddies means won’t get to bet, thus involves money.

Loss of hair due to worry means need scalp treatment so need money also.

Therefore,

Time = Money;

Sacrifices = Money;

Loss of freedom = Money;

Loss of soccer buddies = Money;

Loss of hair = Money

3. Thus,

Woman = (Money)^6

4. Money is the root of all problems, so;

Money = square root (Problems)

5. Therefore,

Woman = [square root (Problems)]^6

Woman = (Problems)^3

Adapted from ‘Harvard Mathematics’ and modified/edited accordingly by KC to better reflect the real world.

Disclaimer: It’s just a math model. So girls don’t angry ya. Maths is fun! Also it is not representative of what I strongly believe. I personally felt that woman are the greatest gift from God. Can’t live without them but can live with them onli with a lot of tolerance hehehe

You must have come across this in calculus maybe in your high school or university studies. It’s called the LIMITS. An example would be limit of ‘f(x)’ as ‘x’ approaches ‘0’ is ‘L’. So, here I will be applying such mathematical model in an attempt to explain the concept of falling in love.

‘L’ stands for the success of the subject experiencing just the ‘fall’ for someone because of love.

‘0’ stands for the very first moment (i.e. during puberty) when the subject experiences a strong attraction to the opposite/same sex.

‘x’ stands for the age of the subject and ‘f(x)’ is the function governs the success of falling in love and age.

Thus, the closer ‘x’ is to ‘0’, the better and faster the convergence to ‘L’. As we move further and further away from ‘0’ for example in when we are in our 20ties and 30ties, the convergence take a much longer time. The reason for the longer time taken can be explained using another function, ‘h(x)’. Limit of ‘h(x)’ as ‘x’ approaches ‘0.01’ is ‘Min’.

‘Min’ stands for the minimum number of judgments/criteria passed in the subject’s brain in choosing the right person (family background, environment, peer pressure, etc.) due to the experiences acquired before reaching the age ‘0.01’.

‘0.01’ stands for a small interval of time after the subject experiences a strong attraction to the opposite/same sex.

‘h(x)’ is the function for number of judgments with reference to age.

Before falling for someone, our sub-conscious brain would have passed certain judgments. These judgments include wealth, physical outlook of someone, fame etc. The limit of the function ‘h(x)’ as ‘x’ approaches ‘0.01’ shows that there would already be minimum number of judgments in the subject’s brain when the subject reaches the age of ‘0.01’. These judgments would increase with respect to time as the subject is exposed to more new life experiences. As to the question of why is it ‘0.01’ instead of ‘0’ in the limits of the ‘h(x)’ function, the reason is simple and can be explained using the link between the two functions, ‘f(x)’ and ‘h(x)’.

As ‘x’ tends to ‘0’, ‘f(x)’ tends to ‘L’ but ‘L’ is an ideal case which may never be achieved due to the environment, experiences and values of the subject. Unless ‘h(x)’ tends to ‘nil’ instead of ‘Min’ when ‘x’ tend to ‘0’, then both functions would agree with each other. Hence, the value ‘0.01’ is used in the ‘h(x)’ limit function to cater for the impossibility of the subject not having any previous experience that would influence the subject in the brain process before falling in love. 

Copyright: KC 2005

The teaching of Karl Marx started with the idea of an ideal world where everyone’s equal and no one is disadvantaged. To prove one’s worth in this world, one must not rely on the wealth one’s family has accumulated. One must also not rely on the government. However, the government will recognise those who excel in their own rights, those who worked hard enough, and those who prove that when talent meets diligence they would be awarded and be sucked into the organisation/government to keep the country moving forward. But sadly how beautiful the idea is, it is intentionally misinterpreted by various quarters for personal gain. Then there is this democratic system which is filled with lies, deceits, betrayal, cronyism, nepotism and corruption. One though has created so called peace in one country is destroying another. Is the United States of America peaceful? There are children dying of hunger on the streets and homeless scavenging all over the cities in search for food and shelter. Are the Philippines peaceful? Is Afghanistan peaceful? Is Iraq peaceful? These countries adopted democracy for in hope of creating better places to live with the help of the United States but are they successful?

I have long searched for the answer to this very question of what our society has become. In the past, warriors hailed honour over deceit. Presently, in the globalised world no one competes on the same level of playing field. Capitalism has caused the separation of the poor and the rich. Capitalism is everywhere and it has lead to dishonesty, deceit, and treachery in business practices around the world. Masters of the dark games are hailed as they would most probably be the richest people in the world. Dignity, honour, honesty and other noble principles are the things of the past. People need to learn the trick of trade in order to survive. At a micro level for example, take the setting of an office community, there are jealousy, intense politics, back-stabbing and lies that plague the environment. There maybe just limited rooms for honorable behaviours and they are more often than not almost never add much value to promotions and recognition.

Where have the teachings of our great Confucius gone? Are we taught the right things in school nowadays? Are we growing up in an environment where it permits us to be good? Is every good soul in the world turning into dark soul due to the competitive edged world? Is there anything wrong with the current government systems? Is there a need for a new system to be implemented? Are these frowned upon behaviours like the word suggest just being frowned upon without anyone daring enough to step up to change things? Will the noble values ever going to be restored and become our way of life? Are we trapped in this dilemma of not knowing what is right and wrong? A lot of questions but the answers are yet to be found…or rather would they never be found?

New photos have just been uploaded. I ran out of space but after an email to friendster blog management team, they gave me an extra 35Mb hehehe…anyway the new photos are Bungy Jump,Down South Trip, Gold Coast 2005,District Governor’s Inauguration, Ipoh-Cameron Highlands Trip and Hi-Tea at Equatorial Hotel. Feel free to browse!

Malaysians need to be reminded that the NEP was founded on the concept of pursuing a growing economic cake that would be more fairly divided for the benefit of all Malaysians. It had two prongs – a) the eradication of poverty irrespective of race and b) the elimination of the identification of race with occupation and a more equitable ownership of wealth between the ethnic groups.

The  target of 30% ownership of corporate shareholdings by Bumiputras was but one target. It was not the only objective of the NEP. The NEP did not seek to create a sense of deprivation in any community  nor did it seek to rob Peter to pay Paul. Affirmative action was to be a tool to even the playing field. It was never conceived as a policy to promote any kind of economic apartheid.

There is the  forgotten prong of the NEP – the eradication of poverty irrespective of race. According to internationally-accepted measures used by the World Bank and UNDP, almost one  in five  Malaysians subsist on an income of US$ 1 per day. The failure to seriously address the poverty issue is manifested in the rising crime rate and the loss of personal security by all Malaysians.

What the nation needs at this critical stage in its history is not rhetoric but vision. Malaysians need to be brought together and engage in a united war against divisive forces preaching race and separatism. A step in that direction would be the convening of a national congress to create a new consensus about the national priorities,  foremost among which must be  the elimination of corruption, adoption of an educational system based on excellence and meritocracy,  respect for good governance and the rule of law, the enhancement of international competitiveness and last but not least, a return to the core principles of the 1957 Merdeka Constitution and 1963 Malaysia Agreement agreed by the forefathers of the various communities on the basis of Malaysian nation-building as a democratic, secular and  multi-religious nation with Islam as the official religion.

Pardoned convicts in our society’s eyes are still convicts. Ex-convicts remain convicts in our society after being released from prison. They are judged not by the jury or the judge but by the society as a whole. Is this fair? When they are just trying to start anew we force them to feel small, inferior and depress.

Well, it doesn’t only happen to ex-convicts but also to us too in this very disfunctional perceptive society. We are more often then not being judged for whatever that we have done in the past. Skeletons in the closets are often interesting/entertaining topics for people to talk about.  They don’t just gossip but they go further than that. Avoiding, segregating, disassociating and sometimes to the extend of sneering at you as you pass by. We are trying to build into our fellow countrymen the importance of family and moral values through various channels and media, but the goal of creating a more caring and understanding society is far from being realised. Society continues to discriminate even from hearsay and gossips.

I am pretty surprised that as there are more graduates and educated individuals out there, there should also be an improvement in the civic level of people but in reality, such dysfucntional behaviour is even more rampant. Educated individuals are supposedly able to question hearsay, evaluate situations objectively, and at all cost avoid prejudices. I would just like to say is you are entitled to your own thoughts, feelings, and actions but what you are not entitled to is hurting others’ feelings, emotions and self-esteem merely because of what you perceive of others based on information that are either one sided or distorted.

I have not been blogging for a very long while. Don’t expect me to write something everyday Met my second supervisor yesterday. Had a chat with him. He wasn’t very warm at first. Strict, stern and judgemental was my first impression of him. He cooled down much later and laughed a little while we talked. Maybe at first he wasn’t too pleasant to me coz he saw me coming in late to my office and probably thought I was a lazy bumb who did nothing. Then, he started telling me things that I would need to submit by the end of my first year etc. etc. I guess he became nice to me after he saw the research proposal and timetable that I prepared for the meeting. Haha, he then said, ermm u already know what u should be doing mate. But hell, why didn’t he just go through the papers I gave him before being such a pri*k.

Anyway, the meeting was a little demoralising in the end too when he started to list down all the equipment that I might need for my experiments. I didn’t know what they are. Never heard of them nor have I come across them in any journals. Ermm..spoke to a friend last night over msn. She really made my day yesterday when she told me that the more your know the more you will feel that you don’t know a lot. I wished I have thought of that while I was in Uni the last time. I always feared exams coz more often than not I felt I didn’t know enough…and I just couldn’t finish studying.

The highlight of the evening was however the fact that I might get to go to the UK to use the facilities there for my research which is fantastic! Has always been my dream to go to the UK. Haha hope I will get to visit some other European countries while I am there That would be next year though and if I go I will be there for 6 months or more. Now I dread the next meeting with him. Haha, a good feeling I believe, coz it will force me to go and do my work