City in Space

Have you ever think of something beyond expectation..as in "thinking outside the world"? Haha!! Interested in exploring more of the ever mystical Milky Way? What about a visit to the Space Station? I was very impressed of this multi high-tech pit stop + work place for professionals like scientist and astronaouts...

the milky way

Well, the Space Station is a collaboration of sixteen international partners working together to create a world-class, state-of-the-art orbiting research facility. The Station will afford scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs an unprecedented platform on which to perform complex, long-duration and replicable experiments in the unique environment of space. But, the Space Station is much more than a world-class laboratory; it is an international human experiment,an exciting "city in space" which a place where we will learn how to live and work "off planet."

the international space station

The mission of the International Space Station is to enable long-term exploration of space and provide benefits to people on Earth. With six state-of-the-art laboratories, the Space Station will be the premiere research facility in space, four times larger and more capable than any previous space station. It is hoped that it will allow for advancements in medicine, technology and science. The Space Station will also serve as the gateway to new frontiers in human space exploration, a place where we can learn how to live and work "off planet.". In addition, it will allow for critical research in fluids, combustion, life support systems and the radiation environment, which is needed for future human space exploration.

the high-tech lab of the space station

RWMF..Music without Borders!

The Rainforest Music Festival Logo

One of the Big Bang event in Kuching Sarawak is The Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF). It is a unique festival, which is held annually, that brings together on the same stage renowned world musicians from all continents and indigenous musicians from the interiors of the mythical island of Borneo.

This event includes afternoon informative workshops, ethno-musical lectures, jamming sessions and mini concerts, followed by evening performances on the main stage has proven to be a hit with the audience, who come from near and far. The bands and groups which make up the performances and workshops run the whole enchilada of pure ethnic music to world beat and jazzy fusion with both local traditional musicians and international bands from countries as far as Scotland, Madagascar, New Zealand, Mongolia and Zimbabwe.

The festival site also sets up a variety of food and drink stalls, an arts and crafts area as well as a counter for festival memorabilia, Sarawak souvenirs and CDs by the performing artists, all this contributing to a fun filled, wholesome festival experience. The Rainforest World Music Festival, a not-to-be-missed occasion, guarantees a smashing time in the heart of the Borneo Jungle!With that, don’t miss next year’s Rainforest Music Festival event which will be on 10-12 July2009!

the music workshop




sape performance



the melting pot music and dance performance

Ssshhhh...Noise Free Environment

Engineers of Washington, USA, recently are turning to innovative approach to hush aircraft noise and reduce environmental problems for communities near airports.

In this approach, tiny parallel tubes in porous media such as metasl or ceramics create a honeycomb-like structure that traps sound regardless of frequency. Instead of resonating, sound waves plunge into channels and dissipate through a process called viscous shear.

Viscous shear involves the interaction of a solid with a gas or other fluid. In this case, a gas - sound waves composed of compressed air. This contacts a solid, the porous medium, and is weakened by the resulting friction.

Creating such low-density structures presents an interesting challenge. It requires a material that's light, strong enough to enable the walls between the tubes to be very thin, and yet robust enough to function reliably amid the high-temperature, aggressive environments inside aircraft engines.