Scientific Break-Through in Singapore

The National University of Singapore has been instrumental in what many scientists are calling a ‘significant break-through' in the development of molecular devices, which is good news for consumers of the latest technology it seems.

It has taken years of research by a team of scientists from the Tyndall National Institute at University College Cork and the National University of Singapore to come up with the design and configuration of these miniature devices which help to make electronics more energy efficient. It was their ambition to discover how the devices work on a molecular level and increase the overall productivity.

It occurred to them that only a small change can deliver miraculous results on this scale, as with the addition of just one carbon atom they have noticed a ten-fold increase in efficiency. In the future this technology could help to cool down electronics that have a habit of over-heating and could be used in laptops and mobiles. But there could also be wider health benefits as electrical stimulation could be used in bandages to help promote the quicker healing of wounds.

The breakthrough research will be released to the press in February through Nature Nanotechnology. Dr. Damien Thompson (UCC) and Prof. Chris Nijhuis (National University of Singapore) headed the two groups which conceived of these new instruments, which uses the idea that molecules can act as electrical valves, or diode rectifiers.

Dr. Thompson said: "These molecules are very useful because they allow current to flow through them when switched ON and block current flow when switched OFF. The results of the study show that simply adding one extra carbon is sufficient to improve the device performance by more than a factor of ten. We are following up lots of new ideas based on these results, and we hope ultimately to create a range of new components for electronic devices."

John Cheng

One of Singapore's finest actors has passed away after John Cheng collapsed at the back of a Chinese nightclub. He had been performing on the stage a few hours earlier but had what looks like a heart attack. He was age 52. Cheng's life was a real rags to riches story, and can prove that anyone with talent and ambition has got half a chance of getting to the very top and turning their luck around. He was the archetypal anti-hero, but was loved and adored as the ‘bad guy' in his movies. You could even draw comparisons between him and Vinnie Jones, who also often plays the gangster tough guy in films.

It is not right to dwell on his death without looking back at his life and celebrating the man that he was. He came from a tough background and admitted in interviews he had been a loan shark when he was younger. But the movie business offered him salvation, and perhaps because of his upbringing he often portrayed thuggish characters.

One thing he had the power to do was to engage an audience and make them believe in his performance. That is all any actor or actress can achieve at the end of the day, an authentic portrayal that brings the audience into the story. Singapore getai singer and actor John Cheng You Nam, also known as "Ah Nan" or "Ah Nam", stared his career in the highly successful “Money No Enough”. This was his breakthrough role and his tough talking appearance enamoured him to the Singaporean people immediately.

Cheng was a great friend of Singapore director Jack Neo who he collaborated with on numerous occasions, including "I Not Stupid" and "Where Got Ghost". However, the film that he is truly remembered for and which propelled him onto the red carpet in his home country was Liang Po Po.

His great friend Neo was obviously devastated by the loss and tweeted, "My old friend Ah Nan has gone."

First Woman Speaker

In recent years women have been able to advance up the political ladder like never before, with Hilary Clinton occupying what is arguably the second most powerful position in the world right now. There are more numerous examples of women being taken into office across the world in developing countries, yet there is still some way to go if they are to get to the level of men. But now Singapore has taken steps to show that it is not behind the times by electing Halimah Yacob as the city-states first female Speaker in Parliament.

After being nominated for the post by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, she has been ordained into the seat and now takes over the reins from the disgraced Michael Palmer, 44, who left the job in disrepute after having an affair. It will take some time to rebuild the image of the speaker but Halimah has time to assert her own stamp on proceedings.

The job is very similar to that of the speaker in the Houses of Parliament in Great Britain, with John Bercow occupying the seat right there. Parliament can get quite lively with many people trying at once to express their views. Halimah, 58, will supervise debates that go on inside the House and will be able to crack her whip if anyone gets out of line. There are many rules within the standing orders which stop people from shouting out or name calling, and this ensures Parliament can run in an orderly fashion. Without the speaker, it would have the potential to descend into absolute chaos.

Halimah had to give up her former job as Minister of State for the Ministry of Social and Family Development immediately. This is because the speaker must be impartial and therefore cannot be a Members of Parliament because they have a role in the decision making.

Prime Minister Lee obviously thinks he has made a shrewd decision and described Halimah as a person who spoke "with a practical, compassionate voice, helping us to shape effective policies with a human touch".

Art Stage Singapore

Many famous painters have flocked to the French Riviera in the past, citing the perfect light conditions for their move. But a sense of ‘place' has a very important role in the work of the artist, to find inspiration in your surroundings is essential. And surely there is no better place to find inspiration for your work than the gorgeous Singapore, where there is something of an art renaissance in motion right now.

There are a whole host of art museums, gallery and exhibition spaces to enjoy here, and one of the best and most ambitious of these is Art Stage Singapore. This institution is readying itself for the yearly presentation of artworks from around South East Asia and further afield. Every year there is a theme, and this time around it is: the Indonesian Pavilion.

This will provide the perfect backdrop to curate some of Indonesia's best Contemporary art which will be hung in specially made gallery booths. The head of Art Stage Singapore Lorenzo Rudolf said: “Art Stage Singapore is very happy to host this never-seen-before international platform for Indonesian artists and galleries in our 2013 edition.”

Never before has there been an exhibition of so many artists from Indonesia under the same roof, with up to 50 artists on show in this space. Many of these men and women have never had their work seen outside of Indonesia, so it is a very exciting process for all involved.

It is also an extremely appetising venture for art collectors who like to see new art for them to invest in. One of these is Oei Hong Djien, owner of OHD Museum in Magelang, Central Java, and he believes there are no limitations in this showcase, saying: “Usually if artists exhibit at a gallery there is a limit of space and limit of the size of the artwork. The artists are very happy because they have a huge amount of space. There is no limit, so our artists are coming out with 10-meter-long works or a piece that is 6 x 6 meters … I think it will be a blockbuster.”