72.8% of Normal (Academic) students get to move on to Sec 5

72.8% of Normal (Academic) students get to move on to Sec 5

    By Sharon See
    POSTED: 19 Dec 2013 16:05
    UPDATED: 19 Dec 2013 21:28
  
The Singapore-Cambridge GCE N-Level (or Normal Level) results were out on Thursday. Nearly three quarters, or 72.8 per cent, of the 12,419 Normal (Academic) students who took the N-Level examination this year will move on to Secondary 5.

SINGAPORE: The Singapore-Cambridge GCE N-Level (or Normal Level) results were out on Thursday.

Nearly three quarters, or 72.8 per cent, of the 12,419 Normal (Academic) students who took the N-Level examination this year will move on to Secondary 5.

And more than 99 per cent of them will be awarded the Normal (Academic) Level certificate.

In all, 17,929 students took the N-Level examination this year, with a third from the Normal (Technical) stream.

And 98 per cent of these students will get their certificate.

At Hillgrove Secondary, Nicholas Chua is one of the top N-Level students of his cohort.

But he was not always hardworking, especially in his lower secondary years.

That changed when he found a dream he wanted to pursue.

Nicholas said: “I was quite playful back then -- I didn't see the importance of studying. I was often distracted by my friends… to go out with them and all.

“The turning point probably (came) in Secondary 3, when the school introduced us to many various careers and the different courses in polytechnic. And when I found a particular interest, which was engineering, I set a target for myself to work hard for that. It gave me a clearer direction to what I want to be in the future.”

With an aggregate score of eight points, Nicholas is hoping to apply for the Polytechnic Foundation Programme, which allows him to skip Secondary 5.

The best possible score is five points, which takes into account a student's grades in English, Mathematics and best three subjects.

Abdul Haziq Abdul Hafiz could have gone to the Express stream with his results, but he chose the Normal (Academic) stream as he wanted to give himself more time to learn.

Tragedy struck the Temasek Secondary School student when he was in Secondary 1, as he suddenly lost his father, the breadwinner of the family.

But Abdul Haziq did not let his grief get him down.

Instead, he worked hard and even took up leadership positions in his co-curricular activities.

And he credits his good results to support from his mother.

Abdul Haziq said: "It has to be my mum. She has been there for me the whole time since my father left. I know she's really sad about what happened -- I don't know how sad she really feels -- but no matter what, she still supports me."

Reshma Nambiar from Yio Chu Kang Secondary said her mother did not let her go out with her friends for almost the entire year, so that she could concentrate on her studies.

In retrospect, she is glad she listened to her mother.

Reshma said: “I have some friends, they can go out, but they would still do very well, but I'm not that type of person. I have to actually sit down and study, and I think my mum knows that about me, so a lot of times, throughout the whole year, she didn't allow me to go out with my friends, or she just made me stay at home and just study and study.

“I got very angry. I was very upset because why can all my friends have fun, and… I can’t? But I think in the end, it really paid off and I'm very grateful to my parents for doing that.”

After the N-Level examinations, students have a range of choices on where to go next.

Most will go on to Secondary 5 to do the O-Level examinations, while some may choose to do a year at ITE before moving on to polytechnic.

The best of the cohort -- those with an aggregate score of 11 and below -- may gain direct entry into polytechnic.

This year, the five polytechnics are offering 1,200 places in total.

- CNA/gn

- wong chee tat :)

97.5% of students pass PSLE

97.5% of students pass PSLE

By John Leong
POSTED: 22 Nov 2013 15:07
UPDATED: 22 Nov 2013 20:18

97.5 per cent of students who sat for the PSLE this year will be moving on to secondary school, marginally lower than last year's 97.6 per cent. This year is the first time MOE is not announcing the highest and lowest scores across the Primary Six cohort.

SINGAPORE: Students across Singapore received their PSLE results on Friday, and 97.5 per cent of those who sat for the PSLE this year will move on to secondary school.

That is marginally lower than last year’s 97.6 per cent.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) said a total of 43,047 Primary 6 students sat for the PSLE in 2013. Of this number, 41,974 students passed.

In this year's cohort, 66.7 per cent are eligible for the Express stream, 19.9 per cent for the Normal (Academic) and 10.9 per cent for Normal (Technical) courses.

This year is the first time the MOE is not announcing the highest and lowest scores across the Primary Six cohort. That is because it wants the focus to be on the students' holistic development.

One student who received her results on Friday is Low Sieu Xin, who had never had tuition lessons until this year.

In September last year, the Bedok Green Primary School student picked up an eye condition which makes her see colours darker than they really are.

Her studies suffered as a result, and that is why her parents signed her up for a PSLE Preparatory Course.

Her excitement on results day is obvious. And her mother has been doing her best to calm her down.

Sieu Xin, who is also the school’s head prefect, said: "I think she (my mother) knows that I'm really nervous and excited, so I think she didn't want me to dwell on things anymore, so she left me alone to do what I want to do."

Low Gek Eng, Sieu Xin's mother, said: "All along she's quite ok, her standard is all right, up to what she wants, so normally I don't really press her."

And Sieu Xin is satisfied with her scores, like many of her friends.

Meanwhile, Sieu Xin's form teacher, Mrs Hsu Seow Yun is changing schools next year.

And the student wants to pay tribute to her mentor, who helped her cope despite her eye condition.

Mrs Hsu said: "The moment I realised that one of her eyes had hindered vision, I immediately shifted her to a position to enable her to see properly in the class."

Mazel Tan, a Primary Six student in Bedok Green Primary School, said: "Sometimes, because of her (Sieu Xin’s) eyesight, she cannot see the words on the board, so I'll lend her my notes to copy."

The Low family will not be celebrating straight away, due to other commitments. But Sieu Xin is looking forward to the coming days.

When asked what she looks forward to the most, Sieu Xin said: “The outings with my friends. I think it's going to be very fun, because everybody is mainly relaxed already after the results."

Sieu Xin has already been offered a place in Temasek Junior College's Integrated Programme, thanks to her preliminary results.

This means she will skip the GCE O-Level exams and go straight to the A-Levels after six years.

Students who are eligible to progress to secondary school can select their school and submit their forms by 3pm on November 28.

The Secondary One posting results will be released on December 20.

- CNA/xq/nd

- wong chee tat :)

PSLE questions crafted in way that lets students show what they've learnt

PSLE questions crafted in way that lets students show what they've learnt

POSTED: 22 Nov 2013 18:13

The more challenging questions in this year's PSLE were crafted in a way that lets students show what they have learnt while keeping the standard high, said Education Minister Heng Swee Keat.

SINGAPORE: This year's Primary Six Leaving Examinations (PSLE) had one small refinement.

The more challenging questions were crafted in a way that lets students show what they have learnt while keeping the standard high.

Education Minister Heng Swee Keat said the questions were structured to guide the student's thinking and give points for each of the steps he goes through, and not just for the final answer.

Writing in a Facebook post on Friday, Mr Heng added that the PSLE results also showed that the many programmes put in place by the ministry and schools to level up all students made a difference to many.

He said bringing everyone's focus back from chasing points to really learning is exactly what the ministry wants.

And the students themselves showed a lot of motivation to do well.

All this, he added, showed the ministry is on the right path and will continue on this path.

Mr Heng stressed that the PSLE questions are still of a high standard but the student finds them more accessible, and as he goes through the opening steps well, the student gains confidence to continue.

And even if the student does not get the right final answer, if he gets the first few parts right, the student has shown that he understands his material and gets the points for it.

Mr Heng shared the observation of exam invigilators who saw the Primary 6 students working on the questions right up to the last minute rather than give up on some.

And teachers said their students felt the papers gave them a chance to do well, and they felt confident about their learning.

Mr Heng said putting the focus on learning rather than chasing points is what the ministry wants.

He hopes parents agree that this is the right way to help children learn.

He noted that many more students did well this year, and parents should be very proud of them.

Mr Heng said he would share his thoughts on choosing a secondary school soon.


- CNA/ir

- wong chee tat :)

Phase 2B of P1 registration opens

Phase 2B of P1 registration opens

    POSTED: 22 Jul 2013 8:29 PM

Phase 2B of the Primary 1 registration opened on Monday. The phase is for children whose parents are endorsed church or clan members, community leaders or school volunteers.

SINGAPORE: Phase 2B of the Primary 1 registration opened on Monday. The phase is for children whose parents are endorsed church or clan members, community leaders or school volunteers.

While 'volunteerism' previously conjured images of parents doing tasks like weeding or looking after children, schools say the role of parent volunteers has evolved in recent years.

And it is not only the more popular schools that are now attracting volunteers.

Mdm Diana Loh hopes to enrol her son in Concord Primary School next year, which is within one kilometre of where she lives in Choa Chu Kang.

She signed up as a parent volunteer to find out more about the school, which would also qualify her child for Phase 2B of the Primary 1 registration.

So far, she likes what she has seen.

She said: "I don't really want my child to go to a 'brand name' school and be under a lot of pressure. I want him to grow up in a healthy environment. So I thought that by being a volunteer for this school, I could come in and take a look.

"I wanted to get a more comprehensive picture of this school, so that was my motivation for volunteering."

Concord says that it tries to match parents' interest and expertise to areas in which they can contribute.

Principal Tonnine Chua said that the school also provides training for some parents if necessary.

Mdm Loh currently helps out with the school's Chinese reading programme for lower primary students.

Mrs Chua said: “In the past, parents played a more passive role of looking after the children physically. Now parents are more involved in educating and helping the school to nurture the children… beyond academics, (such as) values and character development.”

Another parent volunteer, Cheng Hui Yan, hopes to enrol her child in Rulang Primary School. Mrs Cheng lives within a kilometre of the school.

She said: “I'm in the finance line, so we offered to give the students financial literacy courses… That's probably the reason why we're being selected. It's quite a unique course that we can provide.”

As one of the more popular schools in the western part of Singapore, Rulang Primary School gets a large number of interested parents applying to be volunteers every year.

The school says it conducts an interview process for every single applicant before a panel committee, comprising school leaders and heads of department, cast their votes.

Eugene Ong, principal of Rulang Primary School, said: "Rulang has in place a transparent selection system which ensures that all parent volunteer applicants, regardless of their profession, education qualification or social background, have an equal opportunity to be selected to work with us to support our school's holistic education efforts."

The school says one important quality it looks out for is an applicant's sincerity in working with the school.

The school took in fewer than 10 volunteers last year as a way to manage parents' expectations, as not all children whose parent volunteers are guaranteed a place in the school.

Rulang has 30 places left for Phase 2B, and balloting may occur if there are more applicants than vacancies.

- CNA/jc

- wong chee tat :)

Only perfect students need apply for a place in Delhi University

Only perfect students need apply for a place in Delhi University

    By Avneet Arora
    POSTED: 02 Jul 2013 11:10 AM
  
Students applying for a place in India's prestigious Delhi University have always known it is difficult to get in, but no one expected that the qualifying grade would have to be an almost perfect score.

NEW DELHI: Gaining admission into India's top ranked Delhi University has never been easy. To even be considered for undergraduate courses, students need to score above 90 per cent for their 12th grade board exams.

This year, it has become even more difficult to get in, as the cut-off grade has reached almost 100 per cent.

It is not only the popular courses that are tough to get in -- even a newly introduced computer science course offered by one of Delhi University's lesser-known colleges has taken the competition to another level.

Rajesh, who is a parent, said: "The competition has become very tough. From the children, the pressure has come onto us also, because we know from the beginning that cut-offs are so high. And our children, even after studying so hard, aren't sure if they will get in."

Economics, commerce, English and journalism are among the most sought after courses -- only half a per cent of applicants, or at best, 10 per cent will be accepted.

However, university administrators said there is still hope for students who did not make the first cut.

Dr Gulshan Sawhney, deputy dean of students welfare at Delhi University, said: "What's happened is that there is an additional eligibility criterion -- if you are a student who did maths with computer science, then there is one cut-off. Whereas if you didn't do those subjects, there is a slightly higher cut-off.

"So there is no need for confusion on this -- if a student has 95 per cent, they are eligible for this. And if you're not on this list, I would recommend you wait till the second list comes out and it is possible you will be on that one."

The university's cut-off grade, which soared past 95 per cent for most courses this year, sparked protests in a few colleges. Student organisations are calling for changes to the admission criteria, which they said favours the rich.

Alok, a research scholar at Delhi University, said: "Most of the students in this country study in government schools. So they cannot compete with those who graduate from private schools. In a way, children of the labourers who toiled to construct this very university building are being denied admission."

With 7,000 students scoring above 95 per cent in 2013, it is hard to hold colleges responsible for the high cut-off grade. But the call to review admission criteria remains a valid one. With a curriculum that promotes rote learning and lax grading standards, it is hard to imagine a bright future for the education system if it doesn't change its approach.

- CNA/ac

- wong chee tat :)

Phase 2B of P1 registration non-partisan: Indranee Rajah

Phase 2B of P1 registration non-partisan: Indranee Rajah

    By Saifulbahri Ismail
    POSTED: 13 May 2013 4:19 PM
  
Senior Minister of State for Education Indranee Rajah said the priority system for children going through Primary One registration is non-partisan.

SINGAPORE: Senior Minister of State for Education Indranee Rajah said the priority system for children going through Primary One registration is non-partisan, but based on an "objective view" of community service.

Speaking in Parliament on Monday, Ms Indranee explained Phase 2B of the P1 Registration Framework is open to children whose parents are endorsed as "active community leaders".
bond
She was responding to questions from Non-Constituency MP Lina Chiam, who asked for the scrapping of the priority scheme for community leaders which she claims to be linked with the government.

Ms Indranee said only community leaders who are serving in the four grassroots committees -- the Residents' Committee, Neighbourhood Committee, Citizen's Consultative Committee, Community Club Management Committee and the Community Development Council -- get priority.

She said: "We recognise that there are many different social groups, which serve the community, but when we look at priority, we look at priority for active community leaders. And in defining active community leaders, we define eligibility based on an objective view of community service.

"Grassroots leaders (GRLs) support the People's Association in its mission of community building, in support of the government of the day. That is why at the current time, only active GRLs from the four grassroots organisations and district counsellors from the Community Development Councils are eligible for consideration under Phase 2B and eligibility is based on contribution and not along party lines."

In addition, Phase 2B is also open to the children of parent volunteers and endorsed members of churches or clans that are directly connected with the school.

Ms Indranee added the commitment and support from these various stakeholders help to build stronger bonds between the school and the community.

She further clarified that not all who are involved in grassroots associations get priority.

Those who do not get priority include the People's Association's Youth Executive Committees and Women's Executive Committees.

- CNA/xq/ac


- wong chee tat :)

China pupil has father, sister "killed over study"

China pupil has father, sister "killed over study"

    POSTED: 13 May 2013 7:13 PM
  
A school pupil was arrested in China for hiring hitmen who killed his father and sister because of the pressure they put on him to study.

BEIJING: A school pupil was arrested in China for hiring hitmen who killed his father and sister because of the pressure they put on him to study, reports said Monday, highlighting educational stress in the country.

The teenager was detained in the central province of Henan following the death of his father Gao Tianfeng -- a senior court official -- and his 20-year-old sister, the official Xinhua news agency said, citing local police.

"According to the police interrogation of the boy, the junior hired two men that he got to know via the Internet to kill his father and elder sister, because 'they had given him too much pressure in study'," Xinhua said.

Surveillance cameras showed two men had climbed over a wall and entered the house in Zhoukou at the time of the murder early on Sunday, the report said, adding two of the three suspects allegedly involved, including Gao's son, had been held.

Police could not be reached for comment by AFP Monday.

China has long been known for its highly disciplined approach to education, and parenting methods have drawn criticism for putting too much pressure on children to pass highly-competitive exams.

- AFP/fl


- wong chee tat :)

Foreign varsities still a big draw for students

Foreign varsities still a big draw for students
By Amanda Lee, TODAY | Posted: 22 October 2012 0608 hrs

SINGAPORE: More students from Singapore have been heading to universities in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia in recent years, despite the growing plaudits for the Republic's education system and changes made to jazz up the tertiary sector here.

From 2008 to last year, the number of students from Singapore studying in the UK has grown by between 10 and 18 per cent each year.

This could be due to rising affluence coupled with smaller family sizes, the high quality of education of other countries, the strong Singapore dollar and students growing up in a globalised world, observers say.

The number of students who applied to study at a university in the US rose to 4,316 last year, from 3,039 in 2006.

Students TODAY spoke to said they chose to study abroad as they wanted a new learning experience in a different country.

Although she was offered a place in a local polytechnic after completing her O levels, Jac L chose to enrol in a university overseas.

"I was planning to go to a polytechnic, but it takes three years," said the 19-year-old.

"If I go to Australia, I would only need (to take) one year of foundation and then (I am able to) enter university.

"It is much faster and I don't have to go through the stressful and competitive education (system) in Singapore."

The second-year student at the University of New South Wales also felt that foreign universities are more internationally recognised and employers may view having "exposure" to a different environment as an asset.

Mr Kelly Koh, Director for Education at the British Council in Singapore, pointed out that the duration of studies have bearing on students' decisions.

The typical three-year undergraduate programmes with honours and the one-year master's courses in the UK "have always been an attraction" as they have impact on cost both financial and opportunity cost, he said.

"Other factors include the quality of student support, and even issues like the ease of obtaining visas and possibly post-work employment," he added. - TODAY



- wong chee tat :)

Why pretty women like ugly men...

My friend emailed this 2008 article to me a few days ago. 

Why pretty women like ugly men...

Jhoomur Bose / ibnlive.com
TimePublished on Tue, Mar 04, 2008 at 08:46 in Lifestyle section


Has anyone noticed how weddings and common cold are similar? Both are contagious and seem to be affected by weather change. Nothing else explains how suddenly most people one knows are either sniffling or sending out wedding invites. It could also be the biological clock.

The first announcement was sitting in my inbox with the subject line jubilantly declaring, “I am getting married people!” A week back the same friend was single and mingling. Before one could react to that news, another friend called and declared she had a marriage proposal and was “seriously thinking” about it. Again, in a week from having no suitors she was suddenly thinking matrimony.

In the course of describing how their sudden decision to tie the knot had come about, both friends declared, “I am very happy. But the guy is not very good looking,” and then somewhat defensively, “but he’s a sweetheart.” Congratulations later and having seen their to-be spouse’s pictures, one realized that both girls – despite being downright stunning to look at – were marrying men who were rather plain. It reminded one of an old adage, “Langoor ke moonh mein angoor.”

Now a recent study by Columbia University suggested that good-looking people prefer to date equally good-looking people, at times even people who are better looking than themselves. Yet here were two of my very good-looking friends settling for rather plain men.

It’s not just my friends either. Many celeb couples too seem to follow the norm of pretty-woman-average-bloke: Ajay Devgan-Kajol, Azharuddin-Sangeeta Bijlani, Priyanka Gandhi-Robert Vadra, SRK-Gauri Khan (he wasn’t a superstar then!), Juhi Chawla-Jai Mehta… Since these were all love marriages one could perhaps say love perhaps is blind. Both my friends however are going in for arranged marriages and love is nowhere in the picture.

Jog your memories dear readers and tell me, how many times have you heard someone comment, “She is not pretty at all, how did she manage such a hot husband?” Or the other way round, “Look at him, he’s not good looking at all, how did he get himself such a beautiful wife?”

Several conversations and some research later one found that indeed the popularly held belief was: Ugly (or not-so-good-looking) men bag the prettiest girls. But is it really true?

Before you read further, tell us what you think:

1. How important are looks when it comes to finding a suitable partner?

2. Do good-looking people have better chances of finding love or a spouse?

3. ‘Plain’ people have good-looking partners: Myth or reality?

NEXT PAGE >>> What’s HE got that I ain’t got?

It’s no secret that most matrimonial ads, especially for girls, will read thus: ‘Good looking girl, well-educated, homely, working, etc.” Even ads for boys today – after mentioning ‘earns in six figures’ – will say how he is tall, good looking, etc. Given that pictures exchanged in the arranged marriage scenario are mostly professionally shot, it’s a case of showing your son/daughter/yourself in the best possible “light”. And then of course there is Photoshop.

How important are looks when it comes to falling in love or finding a life partner and how does one ensure not being left behind single? When it comes to responding to good looks, many a research has proven that other than some cultural differences, most people react to a similar set of signals or criterion.

From the symmetry of faces (which means symmetrical, cute babies), the size of the hips (a low waist-hip ratio means more fertile women), how another person smells and the facial features (‘feminine’ women and ‘masculine’ men have more chances of ‘mating’), there are some standard things that most people find attractive. And most of them have to do with eventual reproductive ability and how good a dad/mom you will make.

However, when you are looking at dating someone or catching an interesting prospect’s eye at the office party, you are hopefully not thinking babies instantly. If we keep marriage aside for the time being: What makes some ‘plain’ men and women more of a hit with the opposite sex?

In a quick survey amongst friends and colleagues, 57 per cent of those polled said that plain people score more with the opposite sex because they don’t rely only on their looks and usually have other qualities going for them. Like using their brains or their sense of humour.

“He makes me laugh” is something many women list as one of the most desirable traits in a man. “He likes me for who I am,” is another one, which basically means you don’t go comparing your woman to a swimsuit calendar model or some such thing. Some women said that a plain looking man treats women better than a good-looking one. Why? “Because a plain looker doesn’t think he is God’s gift to womankind,” replied one girl.

Then there could be other not-so-pleasant reasons too… No woman, pretty or otherwise wants to think that her man will stray. In such a scenario a man’s lack of looks can at times become insurance against his cheating on a woman. It is also thought that since good looking people will probably too full of themselves – both men and women – they will not have time for another person in their life.

Of course when it comes to marriage and making babies, we’re talking a different ball game.

NEXT PAGE >>> It’s neither love nor is it looks…

To start with, most researches and surveys say that men lay more importance on their partner’s looks even if the said man is not as good looking himself. Women on the other hand look for stability and the qualities in a man that can give her that stability.

A 2007 research by Thomas Pollet and Daniel Nettle of Newcastle University that was published in the journal Biology Letters says that in the marriage market it’s a man’s riches and not his looks that are the most important criterion. To put it simply: He who provides, gets the pretty bride. Does that mean that a really ugly but rich man can get a beautiful wife? Yes, if you look at cases like the VERY rich Donald Trump and Melania Knauss. But that doesn’t mean the plain guys have no chance…

“Have a big car, make her laugh, spend money on her and anyone can win over any woman,” jokes a hit-with-chicks male friend has to say who doesn’t even have a big car. “Look pretty all the time, talk smart only when he wants you to and laugh at all his jokes,” smirks a lady friend who makes men go weak in the knees has to say. Neither of them is good looking. Yet both of them seem to have some characteristics in common: Both can talk well, dress up smartly, have a sense of humour and are very confident.

It’s the same with marriage: It’s not about not about the looks as anyone with a little common sense will tell you looks don’t last, gravity always gets its way. Of course some will argue that in today’s age of medical and technological advancement, looks can be ‘upgraded’ or changed. However, not everyone can afford to do a Demi Moore at 43 years of age: She allegedly paid a whopping $ 420000 and even got her knees fixed.

To make a marriage last it takes more than looks: It takes patience, understanding, mutual respect for each other and a willingness to look past (some) faults and irritating habits. It also takes a fair bit of compromise and even a willingness to share your money. And these basics are the same whether you are good looking or not. Once the looks fade, you’ve got to make the other things work.


- wong chee tat :)

Women longing for a baby advised to opt for ugly men

Women longing for a baby advised to opt for ugly men

Handsome men who are lucky in love may not be the best bet as a mate for women hoping to get pregnant, researchers have said.

Published: 7:00AM BST 10 Jul 2009

Uglier men with fewer notches on their belts are likely to be more productive between the sheets, it is claimed.

Research suggests that in many species, the most desirable males restrict their "sperm load" with each mating to ensure enough to go around.

The same could be true of humans and other primates, say scientists.

If they are right, women looking for the best chance of getting pregnant might be advised to avoid handsome lotharios.

The theory proposes that males have evolved to look for the optimum "sperm load" per mating.

This varies depending on how many available females there are to mate with, and what the chances of mating with them are.

Males with the opportunity to mate with a lot of females would be likely to produce less sperm on each occasion than those making fewer sexual conquests.

A smaller "sperm load" reduces the chances of any individual female getting pregnant. However, this is outweighed by the fact that many different females can be impregnated.

Such a trade-off is seen in the wild and has been observed in chickens and fish.

Researchers modelled the concept of "spreading sperm" mathematically in a paper to be published in the journal American Naturalist.

One member of the team, PhD student Sam Tazzyman, from the Centre for Mathematics and Physics in the Life sciences and Experimental biology (CoMPLEX) at University College London, said: "In some species, females mate with many different males. Each male's sperm competes with that of other males in a process known as 'sperm competition'. Since males have finite resources to allocate to breeding, they allocate them carefully to each mating to maximise their number of offspring.

"If a male puts a lot of resources into each mating he will get more offspring per mating, but at the expense of fewer matings. If, on the other hand, a male puts few resources into each mating he will secure less paternity per mating, but will be able to carry out more matings overall. Thus, there is a trade-off between number of matings and success per mating.

"How a male negotiates this trade-off depends on how easy he finds it to attract females. The more attractive a male is, the more females will be willing to mate with him, reducing the value of each mating to him. This means it is optimal for him to contribute fewer sperm per mating. Although this reduces fertility per mating, it maximises the number of offspring he sires overall. Less attractive males secure fewer matings but value each of them more highly, and by allocating more sperm to each mating make the most of their meagre opportunities.

"This leads to the rather paradoxical prediction that matings with attractive males may be less fertile than those with unattractive males."

Whether or not the same principle applied to humans and other primates was still unknown, said the researchers – but there every possibility that it did.

"Human attractiveness is complicated and influenced by a number of factors, including cultural preferences," said Mr Tazzyman.

"Nonetheless, ejaculate size and sperm quality are likely to have been moulded by similar forces, like attractiveness and the number of sexual partners, that are important in other species."


- wong chee tat :)

Absolute darkness to envelop Earth on July 22

Absolute darkness to envelop Earth on July 22

Source: Pravda.Ru

A total solar eclipse is expected to take place on July 22, at about 8:00 a.m. Beijing time. The Moon will cast its shadow on planet Earth for 6 minutes and 39 seconds. It will be the longest eclipse during the latest two millenniums, China’s official Xinhua news agency said.

It will be possible to eyewitness the spectacular phenomenon in India, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Japan. The eclipse will be partially seen in the north-west of Oceania, in Russia’s Far East and in Kazakhstan.

The amazing natural phenomenon will appear in all its beauty for China , scientists of the Chinese Academy of Sciences said.

The last total eclipse of the Sun occurred on August 1, 2008. The next is expected on July 11, 2010. The most remarkable eclipse took place on August 11, 1999, when it coincided with the planet parade and could be observed all across Europe.

Total solar eclipses are rare events. Although they occur somewhere on Earth every 18 months on average, it has been estimated that they recur at any given place only once every 370 years, on average. The total eclipse only lasts for a few minutes at that location, as the Moon's umbra moves eastward at over 1700 km/h. Totality can never last more than 7 min 31 s, and is usually much shorter: during each millennium there are typically fewer than 10 total solar eclipses exceeding 7 minutes.

The next eclipse exceeding seven minutes in duration will not occur until June 25, 2150. The longest total solar eclipse during the 8,000-year period from 3000 BC to 5000 AD will occur on July 16, 2186, when totality will last 7 min 29 s.

- wong chee tat :)

Facebook lower GPA!!! You sure????? :/

Study Finds Link Between Facebook Use, Lower Grades in College
April 13th, 2009 by Jeff Grabmeier Facebook

(PhysOrg.com) -- College students who use Facebook spend less time studying and have lower grade point averages than students who have not signed up for the social networking website, according to a pilot study at one university.

However, more than three-quarters of Facebook users claimed that their use of the social networking site didn't interfere with their studies.

"We can't say that use of Facebook leads to lower grades and less studying - but we did find a relationship there," said Aryn Karpinski, co-author of the study and a doctoral student in education at Ohio State University.

"There's a disconnect between students' claim that Facebook use doesn't impact their studies, and our finding showing they had lower grades and spent less time studying."

While this was a relatively small, exploratory study, it is one of the first to find a relationship between college students' use of Facebook and their academic achievement.

Typically, Facebook users in the study had GPAs between 3.0 and 3.5, while non-users had GPAs between 3.5 and 4.0.

In addition, users said they averaged one to five hours a week studying, while non-users studied 11 to 15 hours per week.

Karpinski conducted the study with Adam Duberstein of Ohio Dominican University. They presented their research April 16 in San Diego at the annual meeting of the American Education Research Association.

The researchers surveyed 219 students at Ohio State, including 102 undergraduate students and 117 graduate students. Of the participants, 148 said they had a Facebook account.

The study found that 85 percent of undergraduates were Facebook users, while only 52 percent of graduate students had accounts.

Students who spent more time working at paid jobs were less likely to use Facebook, while students who were more involved in extracurricular activities at school were more likely to use Facebook.

Science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) and business majors were more likely to use Facebook than were students majoring in the humanities and social sciences.

"Other research had indicated that STEM majors spend more time on the Internet than do other students, so that may be one reason why they are more likely to use Facebook," Karpinski said.

There were no differences in Facebook use between different members of racial and ethnic groups that were part of the study, or between men and women.

Younger and full-time students were more likely to be Facebook users.

Findings showed that 79 percent of Facebook users claimed it did not have an impact on their academic performance. In open-ended questions on the survey, users claimed they didn't use Facebook frequently enough to notice an impact, and emphasized that academics were a priority for them.

Karpinski emphasized that the results don't necessarily mean that Facebook use leads to lower grades.

"There may be other factors involved, such as personality traits, that link Facebook use and lower grades," she said.

"It may be that if it wasn't for Facebook, some students would still find other ways to avoid studying, and would still get lower grades. But perhaps the lower GPAs could actually be because students are spending too much time socializing online."

Karpinski said it was significant that the link between lower grades and Facebook use was found even in graduate students. She said that graduate students generally have GPAs above 3.5, so the fact that even they had lower grades when they used Facebook -- and spent less time studying - was an amazing finding.

The popularity of Facebook is evident in college lecture halls, Karpinski said. Faculty members who allow students to use laptops in class have told her they often see students on the Facebook site during class.

"It's not going away anytime soon, and we need to learn more about how Facebook use is affecting students," she said.

As for herself, Karpinski said she doesn't have a Facebook account, although her co-author does.

"For me, I think Facebook is a huge distraction," she said.

Source: The Ohio State University (news : web)

Okay, time to get off blogging and news reading! Off to study!

- wong chee tat :)