Early travel perks

[Published on 04 July, 2012]

To make trains less crowded, one solution is to offer incentives to encourage
commuters to begin their morning journey earlier...

Zoo's big splash on a new name

[Published on 03 March, 2003]

For 30 years it has been the Singapore Zoological Gardens and
a top attraction.

But the people running the place aren't too happy with the name.
They want something to distinguish it from run-of-the-mill zoos
elsewhere.

So they are spending $500,000 on a massive branding exercise to
acquire a new name, logo, signs and staff uniforms.

The new name is a closely-guarded secret known only to top management.

The management first decided on a name change in 1995, when the zoo
began implementing a master plan based on the guiding principle of
'Journeys to Wild Places'.

A name-creation workshop was held recently for managers, who were
told to think of a new name in keeping with the zoo as a natural
and wild place, where visitors can have an adventure and interact
with the staff.

They came up with a list of 1,000 names, which were narrowed down
to three options by interviewing almost everyone at the zoo.

They then asked visitors and former zoo employees to rank the
three options.

But a regular visitor said: 'They can call it what they want.
Singaporeans will still call it the zoo.'

Weak connection

[Unpublished]

Visitors to Gardens by the Bay have complained about the spotty 3G coverage
in the outdoor areas.

The putting up of more base stations (which are boxy) and antennas (which must
be mounted atop a building) can solve the problem, but it is not done due to
aesthetic concerns.

However, telcos are working with the park’s management to resolve the issue.

Not in my backyard!

[Published on 04 June, 2012]

The Government plans to build nursing homes in selected estates...
but some residents petitioned against having such a facility
in their neighbourhood.

One of the reasons: "The old folk will be groaning right into my home."

Researchers hit on raw fish way to serve vaccines

[Published on 12 September, 2003]

A vaccination could one day come in the form of a tasty slice of sashimi.

Researchers in Singapore have created zebrafish that produce vaccines
in their muscles, and they say the technology could be extended to popular
food fish, such as salmon, to do away with the pain of injections.

The only catch is that the fish must be eaten raw, as cooking would
destroy the vaccine, which is a protein.

A professor has successfully transferred non-zebrafish genes into the fish,
so they produce hepatitis B vaccines.

However, the edible vaccines are still in the early stage of development
and will require years of clinical trials before they can make their way
to the dinner plate.

Ringgit down...

[Published on 16 July, 2012]

Three professors excited by one hot babe

[Published on 24 November, 2003]

Three men are paying $300,000 to get their hands on a hot Danish babe
in order to take her temperature.

That is because the blonde bombshell is a mannequin, wired up to breathe
like a human and be as sensitive to heat as a person.

Her sensitivity has provoked tremendous excitement in three men
at the National University of Singapore. The associate professors,
who specialise in indoor air quality, see in her a way to discover
the best methods for cooling a room while saving energy.

She will be used in experiments as if she were a human, putting her
through various temperature changes and monitoring the amount
of carbon dioxide she generates. She is so sensitive that if a fan
is suddenly turned on in front of her face, her face will feel cold.

The blonde is divided into 26 parts, with four parts in her face alone.
This is to help the researchers pinpoint the different temperatures
in neighbouring areas. By doing so, they can determine the optimum
temperature at which an air-conditioner should be set, and even
where it should be placed.