ASK!

On the 14 Sep 2009, Patrick Swayze passed away, breaking the hearts of many of his faithful screen followers (ed: including mine). Upon his untimely death, the news and media were abound with coverage all over the world:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28582715/ns/entertainment-celebrities/

/main5310962.shtml

I remember when I was in my teens, I was totally mesmerized by his dancing in “Dirty Dancing” (ed: to the extent of my then-aspiration to be a dancer) opposite the lead actress Jennifer Grey . Or if you have not catch this movie yet, how about that famous “pottery-making” scene with Demi Moore in the movie “Ghost”? Who can ever forget this famous scene?

If you want to know more about Patrick, Public Libraries do have resources on him:

Books
Title: Patrick Swayze – One Last Dance
Call Number: English 791.43028092 LEI-[ART]

Videorecordings
Title: Dirty Dancing
Call Number: English 791.4372 DIR-[ART]

Title: Ghost
Call Number: English 791.4372 GHO-[ART]

Image sources (Last accessed on 21 Sep 2009):
http://uzzytm.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/dirty-dancing2.jpg

http://www.movieposter.com/posters/archive/main/52/MPW-26145

So Johnny, Sam, whoever you may be, you will always be assured of a special place in our hearts…

If you have any enquiries or comments, please drop us an email at ask@nlb.gov.sg and we will reply within 3 working days.

Posted by Mr Justin Tan
Librarian
Adult & Young People’s Services

[Editor: This post reminds me of the weight loss tip an art therapy undergraduate once shared - eat your food on blue coloured bowls & plates to shed the pounds. Blue is believed to be a colour that suppresses appetite, therefore making you eat less and feel full faster. Have you tried this weight loss advise before? Did it work for you?]

There are no vegetables that are blue.

According to Color Professor J.L. Morton :
“Blue food is a rare occurrence in nature. There are no leafy blue vegetables, no blue meats and aside from blueberries and a few blue-purple potatoes from remote spots on the globe; blue just doesn’t exist in any significant quantity as a natural food color.

Consequently, we don’t have an automatic appetite response to blue. Furthermore, our primal nature avoids foods that are poisonous. A million years ago, when our earliest ancestors were foraging for food, blue, purple and black were “color warning signs” of potentially lethal food.”

Dr Gary Blumenthal, president of International Food Strategies, further explains that “…color and the appeal of various foods is also closely related. Just the sight of food fires neurons in the hypothalamus. Subjects presented food to eat in the dark reported a critically missing element for enjoying any cuisine: the appearance of food. For the sighted, the eyes are the first place that must be convinced before a food is even tried. This means that some food products fail in the marketplace not because of bad taste, texture, or smell but because the consumer never got that far. Colors are significant and almost universally it is difficult to get a consumer to try a blue-colored food — though more are being marketed for children these days. Greens, browns, reds, and several other colors are more generally acceptable, though they can vary by culture. The Japanese are renowned for their elaborate use of food colorings, some that would have difficulty getting approval by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States.”

Reference:
Morton, J.L (n.d.). Color Matters: Color and Food Matters. Retrieved from http://www.colormatters.com/appmatters.html

If you want to read more on the topic, here are books that you can check out at our library.

All Rights Reserved, Aspen Publishers 1999

Food color and appearance by John B. Hutchings
Publisher: Gaithersburg, Md. : Aspen Publishers 1999.
Call No.: R 664.062 HUT

All Rights Reserved, Capital Books, c2003.

The 7 Day Color Diet: the new way to health & beauty by Mindy Weisel
Publisher: Sterling, Va. : Capital Books, c2003.
Call No.: 615.89 WEI -[HEA]

All Rights Reserved, Bounty Books, 2008.

The Hamlyn Vegetable Book by Clare Connery.
Publisher: London : Bounty Books, 2008.
Call No.: 641.65 CON -[COO]

All websites are last accessed on Sep 2009. Please refer to the terms and conditions on the homepages for use.
For the availability of the above book titles, please check the library catalogue.

Originally Answered by Ms Yasmin Ally
Librarian, Adult & Young People’s Services

ASK! about Anything & Everthing

The symbol ’0′ was invented by ancient Hindu mathematicians in India. It was called sunya then.

’0′ was acutally the last number developed in the system. The mathematicians first came up with ’1′ to ’9′. When they later invented ’0′ to represent ‘nothing’, they were then able to show equations like 2 minus 2 equals 0. The invention of ’0′ made calculations more efficient and precise.

They symbols ’0′ to ’9′ form what we call the Hindu-Arabic numeral system.

You can find more information about numeral systems and the invention of ’0′ under the topic ‘numbers’ or ‘numerals’ in encyclopedias. They can be found under the call number 031 in the libraries.

Reference: 
1. The new book of knowledge, V. 13 –N, Danbury, Conn. : Scholastic Library Pub., c2005. pg 407
2. World Book Encyclpedia, v. 14, Chicago: Field Enterprises Educational Corp., 1917-, pg 607

Posted by Ang Mei Jun,

Associate Librarian, Adult & Young People’s Services

Have you ever felt that Singapore is so small that you have run out of things to do?
Try exploring Pulau Ubin with your family and friends!

Pulau Ubin is a great place for outdoor activities such as cycling, walking, fishing and camping. According to the website below, walking around in Ubin is a wonderful way to explore and soak up the beautiful views. You can also explore Ubin through cycling and there are bicycles for rent if you find it a hassle to bring your own.

Another interesting activity that you can do is stargazing. Pulau Ubin has been cited as one of the best places in Singapore for stargazing.

Source: wildsingapore.com/ubin/index.html (Last Accessed: 29/08/2009)

If you are interested to find out about the history of Pulau Ubin, you can refer to the following website: infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_219_2004-12-13.html
(Last Accessed: 29/08/2009)

You may also wish to refer to the following books on Pulau Ubin.

1. Pulau Ubin : Ours to treasure by Chua Ee Kiam
Call no: SING English 333.78095957 CHU

All Rights Reserved, Simply Green, 2000

2. A guide to Pulau Ubin [written by Lim Kim Keang ; and illustrated by Kelvin Lim ... et al.].
Call No.: RSING English 333.78095957 LIM

3. Chek Jawa guidebook / project editors, Ria Tan and Alan Yeo in association with The Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, The National University of Singapore ; photographs, Alan Yeo
Call No.: SING English 333.91716 CHE

All Rights Reserved, Simply Green, 2003

4. Chek Jawa : discovering Singapore’s biodiversity / Chua Ee Kiam
Call No.: SING English 333.91716 CHU

All Rights Reserved, Simply Green, 2002

To check the availabilities and locations, please use our online catalogue at http://catalogue.nlb.gov.sg/

Originally answered by Aslin Harminah
Associate Librarian
Children’s Services

Technology improvements in battery chargers over the years have improved the speed of charging. However, some rapid chargers may cause damage to the rechargeable battery:

“The recharging rate has improved substantially over the years and is broken down into three categories:
· Slow: 14-16 hours
· Quick: 3-6 hours
· Fast: Less than one hour

The rate of charge is determined by how much electrical current is allowed into the battery by the charger. Some batteries can handle higher voltage in a shorter amount of time without overheating, while others need a lesser voltage applied over a longer period of time. The quicker the rate of charge, the more chance there is of over charging, which can ruin a battery’s chance of holding its charge. The key in avoiding an over charge is the ability to dissipate the charging current once maximum power has been reached. Most chargers have built-in voltage regulators do this, allowing you to safely leave your cell phone or computer plugged in overnight.

The speed and effectiveness of the charge depends largely on the quality of the charger itself. Chargers vary in performance based on the price tag and like most products you get what you pay for. Chargers are generally designed for specific cell chemistry, although newer universal chargers have sensors built in, that identify the cell type and react appropriately. There are also smart chargers that use a microprocessor to monitor temperature, voltage and state of charge, which is the percentage of power available compared to its full capacity.”

“The energy used to charge rechargeable batteries mostly comes from AC current (mains electricity) using an adapter unit. Most battery chargers can take several hours to charge a battery. Most batteries can be charged in far less time than the most common simple battery chargers are capable of. Duracell and Rayovac now sell chargers that can charge AA- and AAA-size NiMH batteries in just 15 minutes; Energizer sells chargers that can additionally charge C/D-size and 9V NiMH batteries. However, high rates of charging (eg. 15 minute charger, 1 hour chargers) will cause long term damage to NiMH and most other rechargeable batteries.”

Sources:

(i) How Batteries Work: Rechargeable Batteries
Website: HowStuffWorks – Learn How Everything Works!
URL: http://www.howstuffworks.com/
Direct URL: >>http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/battery4.htm

(ii) Rechargeable battery
Website: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
Direct URL: >>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rechargeable_battery

All websites were last accessed on 15/8/2009.

You may also wish to refer to the following books for more information on batteries:

(i) Title: Battery operated devices and systems : from portable electronics to industrial products / G. Pistoia.
Publisher: Amsterdam ; Singapore : Elsevier, 2009.
Call No.: R English 621.31242 PIS
(For reference only at the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library)

(ii) Title: Handbook of batteries / David Linden, editor, Thomas B. Reddy, editor.
Publisher: New York : McGraw-Hill, 2002.
Call No.: R English 621.31242 HAN

To check the availability of the titles, please visit the online catalogue at: http://catalogue.nlb.gov.sg

Answered by Ms Lynn Koh, Librarian, Adult and Young People’s Services

Found this question interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to ask@nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment

Singapore Idol 2009 has yet again taken the nation by storm. Once again, hundreds of Singaporeans are glued to the telly, be they couch critics, supporters or participants.
Among the chosen ones this year, two of them come from Republic Polytechnic — Tabitha Nauser and Farhan Shah. http://weblog.rp.sg/

Republic Polytenic has been rallying support for them and we all hope that they will do their school proud as well.

How do these participants develop such strong good vocals? Besides having a pleasant voice, the vocal cords need to be stretched and developed in order to become performance worthy.

For those of us who are aspiring to take part in the next Singapore Idol and who can essentially hold a tune, or for those who are already participating in Singapore Idol, here are some resources that may help you become more successful in attaining your dreams of becoming a really good singer!

A fanatic’s guide to ear training and sight seeing. Volume one / by Bruce Arnold
Call Number: English 781.424 ARN -[ART]

Voice lessons to go[sound recording] / lessons by Ariella Vaccarino
Call Number: English 783.04071 VAC -[ART]

The right way to sing /by Linda Marquart and Lea Salonga
Call Number: English 782.042 MAR -[ART]

Vocal technique[videorecording] : developing your voice for performance / by Craig Reed
Call Number: English 783.043 VOC -[ART]

Posted By:

Chen Wanying
Children’s Librarian
Children’s Services

Have you always wondered why roosters crow in the morning? Do they have an internal alarm clock and are able to mark the start of the day?

Well roosters do not mean to wake the whole world up at the crack of dawn but they crow in the morning because of several reasons.

Roosters crow in the morning because they need to clear out rival males at the start of the
day by crowing loudly and exerting their authority.
They also crow when they detect predators prowling around. Hence, when you hear the rooster crowing in the morning, the rooster is just communicating with the others and trying to keep members of the flock together.

Roosters also crow when they hear other roosters crowing (in the morning) or when they are awakened by sudden flashes of light.

According to Janet Hinshaw of the Wilson Ornithological Society, roosters crow in the morning because “that is when the birds are most active, and most of the territorial advertising takes place then.”

Roosters do crow at all times of the day, ” for other types of communication, including flocking calls”, but it is definitely more obvious in the morning because that’s when we are forced to get up!

Sources:
1) When Do Fish Sleep? by David Feldman
2) Nemec, Jennifer (Jan 2008). Secret of the Rooster’s Crow. Retrieved September 4, 2009, from ANIMALS:Livestock and wildlife from rural America Web site: http://www.grit.com/

Posted By:

Chen Wanying
Children’s Librarian
Children’s Services

[Editor: Growing up as a child, I thought the sea was always blue and that blue was its ‘correct’ colour. When I visited an island in Indonesia during one of my family vacations, I was surprised to see bright green water surrounding me. I still remember all the adults laughing when I exclaimed that the water was dirty and that we should stay away from it! After I realized the sea could be green too, I came to find it more special because it is less common than a blue sea.]

According to The Library of Congress, there are a few theories that explain the blue colour of seas/oceans. Firstly, the sea reflects the blue sky. Also, blue wavelengths are absorbed the least by the deep seawater and are scattered and reflected back into the observer’s eyes. Furthermore, some particles in the water may also help in reflecting the blue light.

Light consists of wavelengths and these wavelengths pass through matter differently. Blue wavelengths are transmitted to greater depths of the ocean. Water molecules scatter the blue wavelengths by absorbing light waves, and then quickly re-emitting the light waves in different directions.
This is the reason why there are mostly blue wavelengths reflected back to our eyes.

Reference:
Everyday Mysteries: Fun Science Facts from the Library of Congress. Retrieved August 31, 2009, from The Library of Congress Researchers Science Reference Services Web site: http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/oceanblue.html

If you want to read more on the topic, here are books that you can check out at our library.

All Rights Reserved, Rosen Pub. Group; 2002

I wonder why the sky is blue by Thelma Rea
Publisher: New York, N.Y. : Rosen Pub. Group, c2002
Call No.: J 551.56 REA

All Rights Reserved, Compass Point Books; 2006

Manipulating light : reflection, refraction, and absorption by Darlene R. Stille
Publisher: Minneapolis, Minn. : Compass Point Books, c2006.
Call No.: J 535 STI

Light show : reflection and absorption by Jack Torrence.
Publisher: New York : PowerKids Press, 2009.
Call No.: J 535 TOR

All websites are last accessed on Aug 2009. Please refer to the terms and conditions on the homepages for use.
For the availability of the above book titles, please check the library catalogue.

Originally Answered by Ms Siti Nadiah Sahul Hameed
Librarian, Children’s Services