“We don’t just memorize, we analyze...”

Whenever someone ask me what course am I taking and I say in return, BS Biology, they tend to wonder then how do we students of the said degree do all the memorization portions of the course. Well, it has not been an offbeat for me to meet this kind of awe since the field of science has always been regarded as somewhat mere systematic search for knowledge when in fact it is more than that. It is actually a thorough analysis of what we, in general, find of great significance for the existence of all concerned.

Since we were born, at least from the point our brain became capable of storing all of our inputs, we have developed an active system which processes, consciously or not, most of the information we regard significant or that those which our senses perceive. I myself practice some techniques especially when dealing with the terminologies in my field. For an instance, doing the scientific inquiry in our endeavours has lots of things to consider. There lies the need to truly “commit to our memories” the concepts and the principles that are for keeps. Of course, as for all areas, not all the tidings we encounter will be remembered. If we resolve to choose among those, there arises the need then to develop a method or a system of storing that information. A case in point, I make use of mnemonics or keys as my memory aids to facilitate long-term storage of information. For example, the macronutrients in biological systems are always encountered in any physiology or biochemistry courses and in order for me to remember such, I have developed this cue, Mag Pa CaFe K Muna CHONS (In bold letters are the actual symbols for the elements; Mg, P, Ca, Fe, Mn, C,H,O,N, and S.). Another one, for long, since grade 4, I had this key working very well for me- AQueLORQuiMGaMMAREA. It stands for the correct order of the Philippine Presidents from way back to the most recent. There are just lots of things that are indeed made significant by our capabilities to store most of the events in our lives, all of which we may sometimes regard with great importance or are just held on in our memory unknowingly without any concerns. Those things are sometimes automatically encoded and stored in our minds. Unnoticeably, it seems like we truly care for some things that we tend to remember them though we really don’t intend to. For an instance, I didn’t aim to remember my cousin’s birth date but it just happened that whenever I’m asked about it, I can really tell the exact date. Probably, alongside this way of storing information, broad and even fine points are associated with some sort of feelings or emotions that facilitated the storage of such detail. If we are caught in a situation that includes strong emotions, we tend to remember to some extent very clearly, events linked to such mood or atmosphere.

Some mechanisms can truly help us recall the things we want to recall but there would really be times that unintentionally, we forget even the necessary things we are not supposed to forget. I, myself, experience this somewhat an encoding failure. Attending to my major subjects in Microbiology, there are really lots of new information I and my co-majors didn’t encounter during our first two years in the course. With new perspectives and field being introduced to us, some details are really not encoded and stored the moment we hear them through lectures. What I do to comply with this problem is the usual way we students are suppose to do, to study it by ourselves after the class. In that way, I can easily understand and recall our lessons. Anyway, I believe, the best way to remember things very well is to first exert efforts in understanding the information, analyzing it for eventually, it will stick in your mind.

Image used fr http://www.cksinfo.com/toys/index.html

Comparative Analysis of Spoliarium and Mallarium: Significant artworks delved and shaped by the transitions in time

              An art, mediated by its own language and symbols, signifies and conveys ideas, feelings and concepts deeply within the work more than one can easily perceive. Shaped by the artists’ particular and unique approaches, a work of art may exhibit various definitions and interpretations. Dictated by an artist’s time, a work of art may wave and raise certain issues in society which may either be easily manifested or deeply concealed within the masterpiece.

              Critically, acclaimed Spoliarium, one of the Philippines’ finest and most prominent work of art, undeniably disclosed lots of issues and somehow raised awareness among Filipinos of his and today’s time. Some were not that directly shown and thus, a thorough understanding and analysis of Juan Luna’s time are highly recommended. Though, Spoliarium is not that obscure like other artworks of his time, the theme of its “moving story” depicts a relatively significant idea. To firmly grasp the idea Luna incorporated in his work, the elements involved in his masterpiece should be well understood.

              We, Filipinos tend to give meanings to our fellows’ works in the context of nationalism and attainment of freedom from submissiveness. This might be because we have been under many superpowers in the course of our development and progression as an independent nation. Evident in the Spoliarium what had therefore inspired Luna. Conceptualized and completed during Spanish colonial times, Spoliarium appeared to be a nearly apparent metaphor for the condition of the Philippines that time. The principal image is that of the Roman soldiers dragging the dead and dying gladiators across the ground towards a heap of bloody carnage. Symbolically, the latter mentioned character represents Filipinos under Spanish powers. Filipino gladiators were those insignificant Filipinos serving the Spaniards as slaves. The man wearing white robe is a Spaniard despoiling or stripping of the belongings and valuables of the dead and dying gladiators. This represents greedy Spaniards taking advantage of weak and dependent Filipinos. In the painting, the man is collecting gold bracelets likewise in the reality controlling Filipinos and their properties as well.

              Surrounding the principal image are characters exhibiting different emotions and effects on the painting’s theme. Next to the Spaniards pulling the gladiators are two old men who appeared as if they can no longer wait to get some “blood” from the prizefighters supported by their belief of its rejuvenating power. In our context, this portion represents the colonizers’ patience of waiting for their strong subjects’ death before an action of selfish purpose is initiated. At the rightmost portion are two old women desperately looking for the bodies of their loved ones, hoping that they can still find them. This shows how hard it really was during their time when victims’ bodies declared to be dead were no longer recovered. We, Filipinos, have developed this strong faith and hope that after all these inhumane events, there will be a light that will brighten up our outlooks and perceptions in life. That seed of firm hope strengthened our fellows during their time. The spectators represent the Spaniards who did nothing but to cheer for their bets, for their selfish and acquisitive desires to see and watch Filipinos suffer and die. A noticeable woman in green is also present with her back turned grieving over a loved one. She gives then the touch of Luna’s mother nation, Philippines.

              Going back to Luna’s time, it appeared that works should fit the taste of the superiors and should be in line with the standards of classical arts. In an aim not get disqualified, Luna made used of white (complexion) men in his masterpiece and cited a very prominent scenario in Spain and some parts of Europe.

              In brilliant but controlled coloration, a collaborative work Mallarium stirred up striking comparison with Luna’s Spoliarium as the latter’s digital transposition. It made use of Luna’s concept of figurative and compositional elements. It appeared then that this modern artwork served as means showing transformation of media from that of Luna’s to this age of digital technology.

              Both artworks exhibit the wonders the elements of art can offer. Diagonal lines which are dominant appeared to be associated with Luna’s objective of pointing out the direction of the principal image towards the carnage. Comparatively, the color of Spoliarium is relatively dark giving it a cold impression and appearance of heaviness. Bright colors used in Mallarium convey activeness and advancement (as in technology, as well).

              With regards to the texture, Spoliarium is somewhat rough in line with the classical antiquity in most of the paintings during that time. Mallarium, on the other hand, is fine and smooth as any inkjet products are. In terms of dimensionality, the original exhibits 3-dimensional appearance. Forms and figures were shaded and the contours of the subjects seemed to have been darkened. The Mallarium with its very vibrant designed objects appeared to be flat and 2-dimensional.

              Time, periods and state of affairs have something to do with the artists’ development. Transitions in time dictate and shape the ideas and concepts of an artist. Luna’s Spoliarium started and completed in the context of the reform movements lead by Filipino expatriates serve as a direct representation of the condition of the Philippines under the Spanish colonizing power. Mallarium on the other hand, obviously was influenced by the present mallgoing culture and frame of mind as suggested by its name. Gladiators are the main or principal images in Spoliarium as those also used to be the main means of entertainment during that time. The emotions incorporated can be felt intensively as heavy and full of fear. The whole holds a darkly mood where you have to search each of the objects in the painting to understand it. Figures and objects are not that apparent and conspicuous giving Luna’s work of timelessness.

              Contours in Mallarium’s figures and objects were based on those in Spoliarium. Following the context that persuaded it, subjects used were in line with the modern means of entertainment in the Philippines, something that has become a pop culture of the time. Modern era offers a lot more entertainment of varying emotions presented in this transposition. To mention some, Superman and disco party can be seen in the work. It is very clear that digital adjustments added more flavour and enhancement to this transposition.

              Generally, both works of art visualize their specific social commentaries using the elements of arts and design effectively. Both are trying to convey and arouse interest and involvement of the people to act upon an issue. For Luna’s time, it would be hard to act for what it is right due to a very complicated situation in the country but for our generation when no one is manipulating us, the righteous and ideal society should be imposed. As for any artwork, they deserve moments of discussions, debates and expositions so as to develop within us Filipinos critical thinking and the values and principles that had shaped and will shape our country.

John Mark Katindig Torres

Prospect for Serpents during the Year 2010

Magna Gold Commercial gave us a 2010 Calendar just last week of 2009. It was fully illustrated with the 12 Chinese symbols with the corresponding birth years. I am for a fact a SERPENT... hiss...hiss... haha... I was enthralled by the description of those born under the year of serpent: 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001. It says:

Attractive and romantic. The serpent is equipped with exceptional judgement and is conscientious. He is always well-groomed.

I believe every statement applies... attractive, huh?! Laughs... hiss... hiss...

What I love about the calendar is the prospect of the year. It says

Chances and opportunities are your friends and they are everywhere. You will lose them all only if you light them up. Make the right blow and heavy hit, you have a good chance of success.

With these, am looking forward to what I can do this year. Perhaps that depends after I successfully finished college. I am graduating this year anyway. Hope these chances refer to job opportunities or much better if it’s for medical school admission matters... am very enthusiastic to have a work and save money to send myself into medical field eventually. This year’s gonna be the best year ever (With high hopes c; )...



John Mark Katindig Torres

Welcome 2010!!!

Happy New Year!!! Growl... (laughs)

Sensation and Perception: A New Perspective

What makes us humans so stunningly distinct from any other creatures or animals in particular is our ability not only to sense (receive, evaluate and respond to stimuli) but rather most importantly, our very apparent faculty of perceiving and interpreting things. Not limited to us humans the aforementioned ability though, the manner by which we express our responses to stimuli (external or internal) signifies our remarkably outstanding intellect. How we recognize, take in and remark the things our sensory receptors receive imply that our deeply rooted experiences, involvements and encounters in life in the course of time, considering even those of our ancestors, might have brought us into greater proficiency in perceiving the agents that influence our activities.

A new perspective was disclosed to me concerning a new approach and view about our perceptual abilities. Truly, all of the immediate, unprocessed sensory information are outcomes of stimulation of our sensory receptors in our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and/or skin. Inputs of the energies from our surroundings however, vary and thus indicate that some aspects like amount, extent, period and degree of these stimuli greatly affect our responses. With this idea in hand, it might be the reason why there is such a thing as “threshold”. Onsets of the stimuli hinge on an array of factors, encompassing even the way we acquire information. For an instance, at home, whenever I smell a newly cooked food, I already know that it’s time to have a meal. The fumes produced by the food serve as the energy or stimulus per se that they drive me to consume the food. Noticing so, my sense of smell is indeed at work. Chemoreceptors in my nose might have impelled me to act on the stimuli and so did I. Perceiving that the smell of a food makes good impression, I immediately responded by moving towards that stimulus. It’s astonishing to know how our sense organs, as portals of sensory information, translate all of the physical energies from the surroundings into electrical impulses as processed by our brain. A case in point, my friends and I got along for a star gazing in a barren field in Bulacan. As expected, I was the one who came first in the location. Hearing some yells and screeches, I turned on the flashlight to look around me not knowing that they were my friends who’s trying to find me in turn. The light, in the form of electromagnetic radiation, causes their photoreceptors to activate, send signals to their brain that I may be the one who’s holding the source of light. Perceiving at last, they approached me and we had our business at work.

While I was browsing my lecture notes, I found a great significance of our sensory abilities. Not only that the perception depicts and explains our experiences of the world and the mere processing of information from our sense organs, working hand in hand with sensation it creates meaningful apprehended events and experiences. The latter in that, they can serve as point of contexts which we can utilize whenever relatively similar events or encounters occur. Also, these two, acting as a continuous process, can confer security among us from threats and risks. For example, with our sense of touch, at least when receptors concerned are functioning well, we can easily feel the pressure, temperature changes and some other mechanic factors that may indicate or pose danger. Our tendency then is to either move towards the stimulus that makes positive imprints or be repelled and move away from it if it signals chances of endangerment. In this case the gradient and extent of the stimulus may affect our responses.

Among the five senses we humans have, what I value most is my sense of sight. And one of my fears that bothers me so much is to lose it for I find it as the very efficient entry point for all of the energies in the environment. (Add-On) c:

Image used fr http://qwickstep.com/search/senses-and-perception.html

Living life for others...

There are just things we have to deal with one at a time, step by step in the course of our lives and this comprises my principle in life; that I am not living for myself alone but for my fellows as well. ADF have developed in me this drive of helping less fortunate children at least even in simple ways I can. Every day when I go to school, walking in lanes with children selling garlands and the like has been a regular scene to me and I just don’t feel good ‘bout it. It is just like I’m enjoying the goodness of this life, acquiring at least the necessary things to survive yet there are these children who can’t even fill their stomachs with foods. My resolution then was not to give them money but instead give them pieces of bread so that I will be very sure that they have eaten a simple meal at least. I promised myself that once I had a good job, something that can support me more than what I need, or even if that will not be the case, I will really give support to those children. They are one of my inspirations; sounds odd, but I know I can bring out something good from them and that can inspire other people who are blind about this reality in the society. I can’t imagine these children growing in the streets, without proper education, suffering from insensitivity of those people who can afford good life. To create an environment that will make this country the best place to live in for all of us, we in the foundation have been constantly looking at things in a different way in compliance with what the contemporary situations calls us to respond so.


John Mark Katindig Torres

Image used fr http://lonjaurigue.wordpress.com/tag/street-children/

Biological Perspectives of Psychology: The Magnificent Reason

Our behaviours have long been associated with a lot of factors, of which became very significant through the course of time, in the advent of scientific explorations of different aspects relative to humans, are its biological foundations. When I was still in my elementary years, I never thought of such things like brain, the hormones and the like, or hmm... maybe, I was not just paying attention or interested to these things for I didn’t find their relevance to my needs, anyway, that was not until my mentor in Grade 6 science came across on a topic about Nervous System. As far as I can remember, she was only discussing the parts of the brain and their respective functions, not even imparting to us what do those discourses are all about, I mean, what is the applicability or bearing of those things. Realizing though, maybe, she’s thinking that the rest won’t appreciate the things I was demanding her to give. Anyway, that was my first encounter, I guess, with the parts of the brain.

Entering high school life, I had difficulties dealing with my mental faculties. It was just that, during these years, especially for one who’s physically and mentally discernibly growing, lots of needs arise. To cope with these demands, I personally found a hard time muddling through the ways how could I be good with one thing for an instance that I myself knew I have never been good at. A case in point, I had this teacher in English who’s always requiring us to submit a written report of a particular reading in our textbook. As far as I’m concerned, she was known to pay more interest to the designs and presentations of our projects. Unfortunately, I’m not that creative and my only way to express my insights is through writing. I start wondering then, why is that I can’t be artistic when in fact my mother is. My mother told me about what her late father (medical doctor) said to her, actually I can’t remember the exact words, anyway, it was like we are governed by these genes that maybe not that apparent to dominate over some other and that our capabilities are presided over by our brain. Pondering on those ideas, I decided to look for a medical book and surprisingly, I found out that there exist two hemispheres of our brain. And that I should have no worries if I can’t make things creatively and doubt that my right brain is not working for they in fact work hand in hand, as an integrated organ. It’s just that like genes, one can be dominant over the other. Back to my first year experience, knowing my being incompetent in artistic processing, I dwell on my writing skills and poof! I even got the highest mark on the subject.

Equipped with such information, my “why is that” inquires were eased off. Mind set, there are indeed lots of factors associated with who we are, how we respond to things, what makes us or why are we like such. Of great value, the biological perspective can increase our understanding to our undertakings regarding aforementioned inquests. It’s like unless we distinguish the very nature, concepts, relationships and organization of each and every element of our brain that we will fully appreciate these prevailing reasons why we have varying capabilities, of which most of the time are not superficially working.

Allow me to include, I have just recalled this line from my facilitator in Biology summer class in high school, she told us boys whenever we are to express some words of endearment to our beloved, it will always be wrong to say “I love you from the bottom of my heart” for it should be, “I love you from the bottom of my hypothalamus”. Laugh, but it is not overworked, the usual line might be. Funny as it may seem, but it is truly our brain which controls even our emotions. Wow...


Image used fr http://www.depressedchild.org/treatment/treatment.htm