Abyss Week

Who says Philippine Science High School scholar is always busy and always thumps the time and the day of deadline? If no one says so, I guess the candy in my pocket will always be in my pocket. Why? Because no one got the right answer. This coming week is such a very very unscrupulous week. Submissions of all the projects, completing the requirements in each subject for the signing of clearances and of course, the most hated 3-day tests, the Periodical Examinations. Believe me or not, this Saturday and Sunday is the only weekend when I came to my senses. I got to study hard this weekend to have my aces up my sleeves and to prevent from making the coming days a dead duck. Hoping that I have a place from the Director’s Lister this 4th Quarter.

Compelling the Risks of Learning

They say, you always earn a scab or a wound when you’re learning. Yes, I strongly agree with that statement. I made a big long scar at my Index Finger elongating from Distal Phalanx passing through the Middle Phalanx down to the Proximal Phalanx (learned from our lessons back on elementary days). I got the scars when we had the group activity of connecting and disconnecting the fragments of the motherboard for only, I think, five or ten minutes including the detachment of the parts. Maybe I’m the type of boy who is very careless and keep on adventuring something to create a new something.

The Nerdies. The Future Me, Maybe?

Have you ever had a classmate who always talk about computers, binaries, the parts, how they will upgrade them, how will they fix them and the likes? Oh I wonder what things keep running on their mind. During our discussions, they are the one who are leading. During the quizzes,, they are the one who are leading. During long tests, they are the one who are leading. During hands-on activity, they are the one who are leading. Leading, leading and leading. I hope someday, I’m also as good as them. But how many harvests will it take me to learn all the things that run through their mind? Maybe I’ll learn them after I count all the sand particles in Sahara Desert. But there is no impossible if you work hard on it.

Cohort of the Computers

Just like “Homo sapiens”, computers have their generations too. Computers evolved the way how people evolve too. Homo sapiens evolve very fast. On the other hand, computers also transform.  Computers started as a very very enormous apparatus. Very big that can occupy two rooms. From 1940-1956, “Vacuum Tubes” are used to store binary. One vacuum tube can store on binary. Computation time was in millisecond and Inputs are through Punched Cards and Paper Tapes. Then the “Transistors” came on 1956-1963. During this time, magnetic core technology is used for primary memory. Instructions were written in assembly language. Just like the first generation, computation time was also in milliseconds. Leading the time of 1964-1971were the Integrated Circuits. Multiple transistors were place on a silicon chip. High-level languages were used instead of the assembly and machine language and also, computation time was in nanoseconds. From 1971 to the time present, “microprocessors” are used. This supported Graphical-Used Interface (GUI), developed MS-DOS and MS-Windows. Unlike the three generations at the past, computation time was in picoseconds.

Flap Flap and Receive a Clap Clap

So you think Computer Science is hard? Well, you’ve perceptibly never played “Flappy Bird”. So what is “Flappy Bird”? Flappy Bird is a side-scrolling mobile game featuring 2D retro style graphics. It is a mobile game notorious for its difficulty level. The objective is to direct a flying bird, which moves continuously to the right, between each oncoming set of pipes without colliding with them, which otherwise ends the game. The bird briefly flaps upward each time the player taps the screen, and falls due to gravity otherwise. The player is scored on the number of pipe sets the bird successfully passes through. My highest score? Proudly saying, I scored 17.Go on, crack it yourself. Beat my score. HAHAHA, if you can. Too stress-free for the normal game? Try the impossible section and be a gamelord. Wait, I forgot, the creator removed it. Poor you! But here's a website where you can play Flappy Bird Online. Click "here".

Binary? Assuredly not a PROBLEM

A quiz about binary? Well, It’s not that tough. I don’t know how to express it but it’s very tranquil for me. It’s like a piece of cake, as easy as pie, a cake walk, in a nutshell, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. I don’t know why I took the quiz easy and got a perfect score. Maybe because I practice by converting binaries, or maybe I pay attention on the discussion or maybe Sir Tom really demonstrate “how-to’s” very cool or maybe because I’m comfortable because of the enormous Air Condition that makes our classroom cold like of the glacial palace of Arendelle (Frozen).

Infinite Brain in One Computer

Who is Watson for me? A computer. That’s all. Ohh, did I mention that Watson is a supercomputer? Yeah, he is a computer that can think like a human and he can even beat our species. You know how he process such things? Well, I’m pleased to share you some. Just like us human, the first thing Watson does is to analyze the question. Next, he thinks of the answers which we now call “hypothesis generation”. Then each of the possible answers he thought was right were given points of about how close it is to the question’s answer. This is what we call “Hypothesis” and “Evidence Scoring”. Last, he ranks all the points given and choose the best option. Thus called “Final Merging” and “Ranking”. FACT: Watson won $1 million dollars against Brad Rutter and Ken Jennings on the quiz show, Jeopardy. Still, humans are better because without humans, there is no Watson.

The Beginning of the End

How does it feel when you keep on saying “Last Quarter”. Happy, right? You envisage the stuffs you want to do and supposed to do in summer. But before thinking about the Summer Vacation, let’s chat about our Academics. As usual, before opening a quarter, a whole period is used for discussing and deliberating on the activities we will do in the whole quarter. Yes, I observed that the whole quarter was distributed into two parts. Each part is where the topics are scheduled and the corresponding maximum and minimum days we should do the activity. Surely, we will end this quarter and school year in an enjoyable way and mind jam-packed of knowledge.

Problem with the Dudes'

Okay! Finally got their point that Mathematics is really associated with Computer Science. I agree that Computer Science became harder when Mathematics added the conversation. Thou they say that Computer Science this quarter is tough, it takes a while. Based on what I heard from Sir Tom during the discussion, “There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand Binary and those who not.” Still me, Marc Angelo A. Balce, self-importantly saying that I’m one of those type of people who understands Binary.

Third Quarter Assessment

Got my evaluation on Computer Science, sure! Still not a Director’s Lister? Talk To You Later (TTYL). Umm yeah, my grade on Computer Science this third quarter developed. From 1.50 last First Quarter and Second Quarter, I’m now on 1.25! Yaaahooo! Im happy now with my grade on Computer Science. My only problem is my Mathematics I. Wretched to say that I’m 1.75 this quarter but I’ll shot and bash and strain to be a Director’s Lister. Ill also be pleased even my General Weighted Average will be 1.09 next quarter. At least I’m a Director’s Lister even thou they call it “Sabit lang” or “Suntok sa Buwan”.