Imagine a future where we are able to control the climate by using some very sophisticated technology involving an array of satellites orbiting Earth. With these satellites we can control the weather, overcoming detrimental climate change. Storms, hurricanes, and harsh winters are all but a distant memory of the “bad old days of not knowing…
In 1987, esteemed Professor of Geography, Jared Diamond, stunned many people with his article in the Discover magazine entitled, “The worst mistake in the history of the human race” in which he argued that agriculture, far from being a blessing, was instead our worst mistake. Agriculture has indeed changed the world – but for the…
Okay, I will come right out and say it: I do not like flying. My experience today is so different from that when I was younger. Encountering air turbulence then was like a fun ride on a roller coaster. Heck, I could even finish a 300-page novel in one of my 13-hour flights. But today,…
What is it about zombies that fascinate people? The latest zombie movie, “World War Z” (WWZ), opened to nearly USD 112 million in total ticket sales worldwide. WWZ is another addition to the long list of zombie movies that includes the first zombie movie in 1919. What is a common feature in perhaps all zombie…
Projections by MOSTE (now called MOSTI or the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation) in 2000 established that oil palm was relatively robust to climate change compared to rice, rubber, and cocoa. Oil palm yield was rather insensitive to increases to air temperature by up to 1.4 degrees Celsius. Oil palm was instead sensitive to…
In 2010, Malaysia’s electricity generation totaled at 137,909 GWh. Malaysia, being near the equator, receives between 4,000 to 5,000 Wh per sq. m per day. This means, in one day, Malaysia receives enough energy from the Sun to generate 11 years worth of electricity. This is an incredible potential amount of energy into which Malaysia…
