Relive The Big Bang!

On Wednesday 10 September 2008, CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is going to recreate the BIG BANG. Yes, the one that created the universe.

At about 0900 Swiss time (quite apt eh) (1500 SG time), some scientists are going flip a switch and send tiny atomic particles accelerating to near light speed around a set of tunnels 27 kilometers long under the Swiss-French border. The colossal complex is known as the Large Hadron Collider. The particles will then hurtle into each other, releasing massive amounts of energy in as many as 600 million collisions each second. Cool eh. All this in the pursuit of knowledge, and hopefully answers to questions like "What other dimensions are there?", "What happened to all the anti-matter?" and "Why do women need so many shoes?".

CERN had to commission an new computer system called The Grid to capture all that day and beam it to labs all over the world. Lagi cooler.

For more geeky background into the multi-billion dollar project, go to BBCNews.

You can watch the live webcast on Wednesday here.

In honour of the project, I have embedded a YouTube video that deserves a Nobel Prize of its own. Presenting the Large Hadron Rap! (BTW hadrons are too complicated to explain simply. The best known hadrons are protons and neutrons.)

Naomi And The Boys

Old school Singapore pop from the 60s, when all that mattered was how high your hair was and how flare your pants were. The haunting voice of Naomi will chill your bones and melt your soul. Ready, get set, flow. AUDIO

Cat-a-tonic

Cats like you for a reason. If you happen to be the one who feeds them, scratches them, gives them a warm place to sleep, they give you some attention. Not 100% but whatever they think you deserve. A cat might tempt you into treating her right by sliding up to your leg as you sit in a stranger's home for dinner. Back arched, fur at its snuggliest, face at its cutest, the cat wants you to treat her right in the guise of hospitality. Once nudged, massaged and fed, she scuttles off to the next best entertainment, no longer you.

This cat is Saffi. I have mentioned her in some blog post some time ago, perhaps more than once (more attention that she deserves? debatable). She is a long-haired Siamese something. She scratched me once before. Claws and teeth bother me. Dogs just have teeth.

I had recently visited this pretty kitty at her new home. This time I had the opportunity to scratch her almost all over as she lay sprawled on her owner's bed. "She likes it under the chin" came the suggested and the cat promptly submitted to the rapture of a foreign scratching hand.

I left and came back with the camera, she was all non-chalant. "What, another picture? Aren't there enough of me already? No. Just no." was the animal vibe being sent out in all directions. Hence the not-so-great photo, slightly miffed expression on the feline.

Sigh. We, the humans, proceeded to play normal mahjong, 3-person mahjong, then back to normal 4-person rounds. The cat appeared early on and allowed me to capture this next shot. After that, she snuggled with my pullover and jumped on top of the TV. That was it. It hid later and I didn't get to scratch it goodbye. I think Saffi doesn't like me.

Get A Ride, Give A Lift - Carpoolking

Andy introduced me to Carpool King some weeks ago. In this age of sky-high petrol prices, new ERP gantries sprouting like fungus on an unwashed marathoner's toenails, and transport gripes from drivers and commuters alike, this website hooks up the folks with the means with those that need a ride. For a reasonable price of course. Go check it out - you can get rides from Hougang to Chinatown for $4, Yishun to Changi for $5 and East Coast to Jurong for $5. Commuters get a comfy ride to work. Drivers can find car-roomies who will inadvertently share in your petrol and ERP costs. Hey, you win either way. Woof.