The Giant Snakes and Ladders of Unawe Indonesia

It is great experience to joint another adventure of Unawe Indonesia. Well, i will not go in to the detail of the Unawe stories, since the story can be read from here. Instead, what is so interesting about this adventure, we always bring joy & fun for the kids, and like this time, there was another innovation came into play, that was … The Giant Snakes and Ladders!! (Of Unawe Indonesia).

Yeap, with such a 25 square-meter board, that should be fun for lot of children to participate in the game. Basically, the game is merely another snakes & ladders, but instead of ordinary snakes & ladders picture, the board is full of astronomical pictures, and the ladder & snakes replaced with the rocket & wormhole. Geee, i am landing on the moon, maybe that’s what a kid thought.

See the pictures below here.

Vatican: The Extraterrestrial Is My Brethren

If for some times believing in alien, extraterrestrial being, ET, is only a discussion in science or even pseudo-science; let’s turn the page! Because here comes a new era, when this topic is welcomed by religion. Vatican astronomer says believing in aliens does not contradict faith in God. Right, so humanity is step into a new era.

But before we move forward, are there really exist extraterrestrial life-forms?

A Short Visit to the Biak, The Future Space Port of Indonesia

Early this month i was adventuring to Biak, a small island on the most north-east edge of Indonesia. If the trip is only for another trip, so i guess not much to tell, everyone does the adventures here and there. So, what’s make this adventure so unique is, because Biak is not just another island. Sometimes around the future in Biak, there will be a space launch facility built. This facility is the third space launch center outside of Russia, the owner of the facility. This facility will provide the efficient and cost-effective launch services for space vehicle on the region of South East Asia and beyond.

When The Infant of The Solar System was Breathing for The First Time

For the first time, scientist able to measure the composition of oxygen from the earlier state of our Solar System. This finding recently announced on 10 March at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Houston, Texas, by Kevin McKeegan, a cosmochemist at the University of California, Los Angeles.

The finding that the Sun is relatively richer than Earth in oxygen-16, the most common oxygen isotope, contradicts the conventional wisdom that Earth has the same oxygen isotope composition as the Sun. The discovery also gives researchers a reference point for the oxygen composition at the origin of the Solar System.

To obtain the data, NASA use Genesis Probe to trap the stream of ionized particles a.k.a solar wind; because of the wind emanates from the relatively unchanged outer layers of the Sun, is thought to carry primordial oxygen (oxygen-16) among its elements.

Prior to this finding most believe that the composition of oxygen between Earth, Sun and other solarys-system bodies, should be the near the same; but this finding has given a new fact, that is, the solar has a greater proportion of oxygen-16 than on Earth.

This fact give scientists something to ponder, more; they need to understand why Earth’s oxygen composition is different from the Sun’s, and what chemical processes caused the change. Whatever the process, it would have sucked out oxygen-16 while the gas of the proto-Solar System condensed into solid grains that coalesced into the planets.

Like a first breath of a baby who just born around 4.5 billion years ago; the process that cause the difference of oxygen composition between Sun and Earth should protruding to research of what was going on back then. And that should give deeper understanding on how our solar system was birth, and ultimately about our present in this universe.

(Freely adapted from Nature 452, 259, 2008).

Vatican lists “new sins,” including pollution

What is a sin? Sin is obviously a violation of principle rules, and usually works for religions. But i will not discuss about religions or spirituality, instead i just learn, even religion itself evolved. Religion and spirituality is needed by some people, and so does like science, the principle is needed as the guidance for their life.

Just like the scientific community struggling to cope with the issue of climate changing, so does religion contribute to humanity in It’s on way. So if you pollute the earth, you committed a sin, (if you are a Catholic), since Vatican just release a new lists of sins for polluting our earth.

The Big Boy-Scout

During the last (first) trip of Unawe Indonesia, the team should took a long detour south, from Jogjakarta to East Java, since the the main road between the provinces was closed by flood. It took thrice the normal time if we use the main road. During the trip we pass the town of Pacitan, the hometown of the President of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudoyono.

Pacitan is the small town on a bay in the calm area of southern part of Java on the Indian Ocean. This is well known as the town of 1001 caves. But, we were not on vacation trip actually, since merely a detour trip. Nevertheless, there was still exciting experiences on the trip, since, .. surprise surprise .. we were greeted by many many boysouts of the nearby schools. Just like we are honorable guests. How could it be? We did not plan to visit the area nor want to be welcomed in such that manner. Even, we were escorted by the police!

Wonder Woman From Java

Who will play Wonder Woman in the blockbuster movie? One can name Eva Longoria, Sandra Bullock, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lucy Lawless, or legendary Lynda Carter, or name any actress that might fit the profile, nevertheless, that wonder woman is merely another fictional character from DC(TM)verse.

So, there is no wonder woman exist? In reality, wonder wome(a)n do(es) exist. Of course, without the indestructible bracelet and golden lasso, but she does exist, believe me. Maybe she cannot deflect bullets nor fly with mini suit, yet they know how to acrobat to survive. If you are not believe in me, see these pictures:

Mobile Planetarium of Unawe Indonesia

What if the sky was shroud with cloud for astronomy? Surely no gazing, since nothing to display in the sky. However, there is another option if the situation is not very good for sky-gazing. So, for basic education about the sky, Planetarium is everyone favorite. True, even, planetarium is the most attractive attraction during the last journey of Unawe Indonesia.

The Pilot Project of Unawe Indonesia

During the New Year Holiday, between Dec, 28th 2007 - Jan, 1st 2008, a group of astronomers of Indonesia from different background, working together for the first time in the Pilot Project of Unawe Indonesia. For this preliminary project, they try to travel around some places in Java Island. This expedition called as : Trans-Java Star Party 2007-2008.

Bazaar of Wonder (on Bosscha Observatory)

On 15th of Dec, 2007; Bosscha Observatory, officially inaugurate The Faculty House, christening as Kerkhoven Huis, as the dedication to Rudolf A. Kerkhoven for his contribution to development of astronomy in Indonesia.

Since the Bosscha Observatory is the central playing ground for astronomy in Indonesia, this event has flocked many numbers of astronomy-related people, from professional worker of astronomy to just amateur astronomy-goers, from elementary school children to The Minister of Research and Technology, from astronaut to archeology, from journalist to Ambassador of The Dutch. And the number of visitors? Count only the numbers of the children, aproximately one hundreds children, surely it was The Bazaar of Wonder.

What was happen then, there? The history of astronomy in Indonesia is related with the The Dutch colonial, it was The Dutch who brought modern astronomy to Indonesia, and built Bosscha Observatory. So, don’t be suprirse if the kids also bring the flag of the Dutch around the time of event, since The Ambassador of Dutch is one of important guest.

The flock of childrens not just representing the basic education, but also as the preliminary project of Unawe Indonesia, and the astronaut of Malaysia bring about another amusement for them.

The ‘bazaar’ not just about astronomy, surely astronomy is the main menu; but there are also planting trees among many other activities. I was curious, why should all the name of the trees started with letter K? Gee ..

There was also a group of community of young people who eager to popularized science, known as netsains community. Even in short period of gathering, the link of all science-goers from Indonesia can play more important role to expose science for more people in such a fashion way.

Well, after all of the heyday, the Ministry of Research and Technology of Indonesia cut the ribbon and officially inaugurated the Kerkhoven Huis. This house is functioning as Faculty House and as the Museum of Astronomy. Hopefully this will play a pivotal point for the next generation of astronomy in Indonesia.

So the first part was over, that is the fiesta of inauguration and for the second part began, (as the main menu). For first time, the house commissioned for the works of astronomy community in Indonesia; from the meeting of the Astronomy Alumni Union of Indonesia to One Day Seminar of Astronomy.

It would be sensible to say that there is a spark of joy for science in Indonesia; in such a weary situation on social, politic, economy, etc., there is still a place for science. Even though astronomy is merely a tiny subset of large block of science in Indonesia, but who can tell, even one tiny member still contribute something.

So, that is the story about the bazaar, there is a question still remain, will this bazaar is merely another bazaar? When after all the lights go off, will everyone go home and sleep in tiredness, or for some will go out, watch the dark night sky and pondering about something?

The answer will depend on how Kerkhoven Huis will play role in the future, will it just another monument of the past, or will play role as the incubator for future of science in Indonesia?

When Bazaar of Wonders comes into play, remove all cards in all graveyards from the game. Whenever a spell is played, counter it if a card with the same name is in a graveyard or a nontoken permanent with the same name is in play.