Taken from "http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5128604.stm"

Ants 'use an internal pedometer'

Desert ants use an internal "pedometer" to measure exact marching distances, according to a study.

Researchers knew foraging insects could navigate using light from the sky, but were puzzled by the animals' ability to gauge the length of ground covered.

By manipulating the ants' leg lengths to give them longer and shorter strides, a Swiss/German team found the ants "counted" steps to judge distance.

The research is published in the journal Science.

The long and short of it

Cataglyphis fortis, otherwise known as foraging Saharan desert ants, travel great distances over flat, sandy terrain searching for food.

The creatures have the remarkable ability to return to their nest using a direct route rather than retracing their outbound path.

To perform this feat, the ants need to judge directions and distances. But while they rely on the sky for orientation, their means for measuring distance had remained a mystery.

To investigate, scientists from the University of Ulm, Germany, and the University of Zurich, Switzerland, set some ants off on a foraging trip along a straight tunnel, but once they had reached the food their legs were manipulated to either make them longer by adding stilts, or shorter by partially amputating them.

The ants were then returned to the same spot to begin their homeward-bound journey. However, the researchers discovered the ants with longer legs overshot the nest entrance, while those with the shortened legs undershot it.

The long and short of it

They found when the ants performed both the outward and homeward-bound journeys with manipulated legs, they judged the nest-distance almost exactly, suggesting that stride-length was the key factor.

Professor Harald Wolf, an author on the paper and neurobiologist from the University of Ulm, said: "This means the animals are 'counting' their strides - like a pedometer.

"If you shorten leg length and it takes them a thousand strides from the nest to the feeder, they would of course assume that they needed to take another 1,000 strides to return to the nest.

"And if they take the 1,000 strides with shorter legs, this will take them over a shorter distance, and if the legs are extended it takes them over a longer distance.

"Our next step will be to scrutinise what is known about the control of leg movement in leg walking, to see if there is something which could act as an odometer (distance calculator) in these animals."

It's been a very challenging business market. Apple has just introduced new versions of its macbook pros, macbook air, ipod touch and iphone.

The ususal 2.0ghz and 2.4ghz macbook unibody is no longer on sale on apple online store. The upgraded version of macbook white has taken over both of them in the macbook series. however, apple has introduced smaller versions of macbook pros, that are improved versions of the 2.4ghz and 2.0ghz macbook. they're 13.3" wide but comes at a speed of 2.26ghz and 2.53ghz. the 2.53ghz also has a 4gb ram, compared to the 2gb ram for the 2.26ghz pro. I guess, another notable enhancement is the battery life. it has a longer battery life of 7hrs,compared to the 5hrs that macbook aluminium has. price wise, online sells the 2.26ghz pro for 1998 and 2.53ghz pro for 2488. it's considered cheaper in comparison to the past.

as for ipod touch and iphone, there're new features as well. it seems that apple is out to fight the Palm Pre smartphone that debuts just recently.

the business market is so competitive, esp in the smartphone and laptop market. if you dun upgrade ur specs and lower pricing, you'll definitely lose out........

i wanted to post these video on the blog but no matter how i try, i still didn't succeed.

Totally apalled. Totally disgusted.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiJQFrHhTrw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77OXe9HBWBo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNxw-tEn2SE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgpWm1iFNAY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-5bT7Xufv8

Wonder how can people be so cruel.

祝他们早日下地狱，早日下十八层地狱，永不超生。

I was reading straits times forum and i came across this discussion:

Taken from: http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Online%2BStory/STIStory_369328.html

Engineering course: Myths and truths
AS A current local engineering undergraduate, I wish to add to the ongoing discussion, part of which described engineering as a boring and monotonous course which students shun. Here is my take:
Myth No. 1: There are no or few girls to look at.
Truth: There are certainly more males than females in engineering courses. However, compared with 10 years ago, the number of women undergraduates has gone up.
Myth No. 2: It is boring and monotonous.
Truth: The subject can be dry because of the newness of some engineering concepts. But the subject bubbles once one applies the concepts to the task of engineering at hand. That is when the subject is rewarding and enlightening.
Myth No. 3: It is so stressful and there is no time for other things.
Truth: Engineering is a course where last-minute work cannot reward you with good grades, unlike perhaps other courses. At the end of the day, it depends on the individual.
Myth No. 4: It is competitive and hard to get an A in modules.
Truth: It is hard to get an A. I can count the number of As I have received in three years of study on the fingers of one hand.

Myth no 1 is funny, especially if you are to put it on a forum for the whole singapore to see....

hahas

thanks xiu...

actually the reason why i dun wanna blog is because of the influence that blogging creates to my thinking and behaviour. For the past few weeks that i've not blogged at least i feel that i have more time to do my own things and i don't have to fret over what to write on my blog also.

There'll be a day when this blog will close down, but that will depends on how my life goes about. If got fascinating things gg on around me which i wanna share abt, i'll keep this blog and post regularly. Now, life is just everyday go office, sit down infront of com, do office work. nth much too.

haiz

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