Christmas Geometry

Gifts come in different shapes and sizes.

Some are square, while others are round.

Just like gifts, people have geometric patterns, too. There are well-rounded people. They are intellectually and physically active. They engaged in many activities like singing, dancing, sports, reading and the like.

Other people are square. They are the introvert or silent types. They enjoy being alone writing poetry or simply listening to music.

How many shapes and sizes can you form with lines? Infinite! Likewise, with people. Each person is a unique creature of God endowed with different personalities, talents and skills.

What is so special about all our differences?

The intersecting lines, the point of connection between lines are special! It means that despite our diversity, we can still form bonding relationships with others through love and understanding. That is the special message of Christmas!

Taken from Children's Story and Activity Book No. 26

Mysterious Atomos

The idea of atoms as the smallest particle always amazes and arouses the interest of the philosophers and scientists of all ages. The first idea of atoms came from Leucippus, a Greek philosopher, and Democritus, his student. They first called atoms atomos. Years later, an English scientist named John Dalton began the modern atomic theory. The first atomic model was characterized by Joseph John Thomson. His model was called Plum Pudding Model because of it's similarity to a plum pudding. After Thomson came Ernest Rutherford, a New Zealander. He experimented a thin gold foil with a stream of alpha particles and came up with the idea of the nucleus. He called his model the Nuclear Model. In 1912-1913, a Danish Physicist called Niels Bohr came up with a new atomic model called the Planetary Model. It was called so because he picturized the electrons as planets revolving around the nucleus. The latest model was characterized by Erwin Schrodinger. He called his model the Electron Cloud Model. Because of these models, people had had idea of what atoms are. But until now, no one really is very sure of what atoms looked exactly in reality.

Among all these confusing models, what I believed to be the real appearance of an atom is the model of Rutherford. As you can observe, he made a model out of an experiment, not in a hypothesis. In his experiment, he noticed that most of the alpha particles just passed straight through the foil. This shows that most of the atom is empty space. He also noticed that only a few alpha particles were deflected. This means that the nucleus is very small. The other models show that the nucleus is big. This means that Rutherford described the atom as he observed, not pictured.

As shown in the above statements, one can conclude that I am quite rude in criticizing others works. But what can I do, that's what I am and that's what I noticed when I first encountered these models. I don't ask you to believe in what I already believed. I only wanted to express what is inside me. You, which of these models do you think is the true appearance of atoms?

The Litany of Life

Life is God's gift, be grateful for it.
Life is achievement, perform it.
Life is art, appreciate it.
Life is blessing, share it.
Life is challenge, dare it.
Life is conquest, win it.
Life is crown, wear it.
Life is excellence, attain it.
Life is faith, believe it.
Life is game, play it.
Life is hope, beam with it.
Life is legacy, enrich it.
Life is leisure, enjoy it.
Life is study, analyze it.
Life is superior, salute it.
Life is taste, savor it.
Life is touch, feel it.
Life is understanding, comprehend it.
Life is victory, earn it.
Life is wild, tame it.
Life is wisdom, utilize it.