On my last day in Taiwan, my Tumblehome Learning business partner Barnas Monteith brought me to visit the Taiwan International Science Fair. Barnas himself won multiple state, national, and international science fairs for his work on dinosaur egg proteins when he was in high school, so he's a good guide.
In the National Taiwan Science Education Center, high school students from 17 countries displayed their posters and talked about their scarily sophisticated projects. Usually the posters were in Chinese but the abstract was in English, so I could get at least a sense of the topic. I spent some time looking at two projects analyzing satellite data. One used Taiwan Formosat satellite data to look at sudden temperature changes in the stratosphere. It turns out that around January and February of each year, there's a sudden temperature spike of about 20 degrees Celsius in the stratosphere above the northern hemisphere. It reaches a maximum around 30 kilometers above the earth. A pair of girls investigated how this temperature change vary with altitude and latitude; oddly, it doesn't seem to happen at all in the southern hemisphere. Why does it happen, and why just up there? Why in mid-winter? It may be something about ice suddenly reflecting more heat from earth back into the atmosphere.
A second project used NOAA (National Ocean and Atmospheric Association) satellites to investigate signals of air temperature and humidity in the lower atmosphere overlying last year's Japanese earthquake and tsunami. A trio of boys compared the signals from the day of the tsunami to the day before. They found a very distinct discontinuity at the time of the tsunami, propagating outward. Basically they were modeling how a tsunami could be detected and tracked using satellite data, giving hours of warning time.
A third poster, which I didn't visit but Barnas told me about, demonstrated a device blind people could insert into their mouth in order to "see." Cameras feed signals into electrodes on the tongue, and blind subjects learn how to interpret the prickling of their tongues well enough to be able to maneuver through the obstacles of an unfamiliar environment.
These were only three projects out of hundreds that crossed the fields of mathematics, biochemistry, physics, chemistry, energy, bioengineering, geology, and lots more. The kids all looked young, spiffed up, and friendly, and they loved explaining their projects in a tumble of words that definitely moved faster than my ability to comprehend. I had to just wander off nodding and muttering to myself that these kids are really, really smart and are going to make great contributions to the world someday.
Showing posts with label Taiwan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Taiwan. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Winding down in Taipei
Since the end of the Taiwan book fair Monday, I've been able to be more of a tourist. One highlight was riding the Maokong gondola at the zoo, up over three mountains in the rain and fog. Through the clear floor of our "crystal" gondola, we could look down on the tropical foliage and tea plantations. Later we plunged down the steep slope in darkness toward the city lights.
Another day the Tumblehome team took the fast train to the industrial city of Hsinchu, where we visited the national space agency and Ritek, a manufacturer of industrial diamonds for use in the semiconductor industry and elsewhere,as mentioned in my upcoming book, The Desperate Case of the Diamond Chip. Dr. James Sung, the brilliant Ritek founder, gave us a seminar on diamonds and graphene, their properties and their links to the origins of life. All fascinating stuff that I may write about more once I finish reading his book.
As for the space agency, with a small budget it has created a leading-edge system of six weather satellites circling the globe, measuring heat and density in the atmosphere to assist in the prediction of typhoons and other phenomena. In partnership with the US, Taiwan is now building twelve new, even more sophisticated satellites. In our informal visit we saw where the components are tested for stability in a vacuum and while undergoing rapid and violent temperature changes.
Yesterday I had the opportunity to speak at Intel Taiwan, where I showed slides and told stories about my father, some of the other Intel founders, and my memories of Intel's earliest days. Actually I think the most popular part of the lecture was when I told them I had eaten the local specialty, stinky tofu. I also gave out a number of copies of Lost in Lexicon's first edition and Advance Reader Copies of Tumblehome Learning books left over from the book fair. The audience was warm and enthusiastic, with questions ranging from what we talked about over dinner in my childhood home to how to raise children to be adventurous yet safe. At the end, Rachel Liu from corporate relations presented me with a cute blue Intel robot-like figure in a bunny suit.
After Intel, Barnas took me to the Long Shan (Dragon Mountain) temple, quite an eclectic temple in the heart of the city. It has a fantastic curved roof, carved ceilings, a waterfall, and lantern figures around the edges of the courtyards. I didn't buy incense or pray to any of the deities, which may be why I got the following fortune when I drew a stick from a pot: "You have failed. Change your boss or change your ways." Since I'm my own boss, I think the message is pretty clear about where the problem lies.
From there we went on to a couple of night markets, ending up at a very authentic, drippy (it's still raining) local one in Houshanpi. There I ate more tso doufu (stinky tofu) and a kind of oyster omelet. However, I avoided chicken rump, large intestines, bin lanh (betel nut), turtle, frog, or snake. Maybe next time.
Another day the Tumblehome team took the fast train to the industrial city of Hsinchu, where we visited the national space agency and Ritek, a manufacturer of industrial diamonds for use in the semiconductor industry and elsewhere,as mentioned in my upcoming book, The Desperate Case of the Diamond Chip. Dr. James Sung, the brilliant Ritek founder, gave us a seminar on diamonds and graphene, their properties and their links to the origins of life. All fascinating stuff that I may write about more once I finish reading his book.
As for the space agency, with a small budget it has created a leading-edge system of six weather satellites circling the globe, measuring heat and density in the atmosphere to assist in the prediction of typhoons and other phenomena. In partnership with the US, Taiwan is now building twelve new, even more sophisticated satellites. In our informal visit we saw where the components are tested for stability in a vacuum and while undergoing rapid and violent temperature changes.
Yesterday I had the opportunity to speak at Intel Taiwan, where I showed slides and told stories about my father, some of the other Intel founders, and my memories of Intel's earliest days. Actually I think the most popular part of the lecture was when I told them I had eaten the local specialty, stinky tofu. I also gave out a number of copies of Lost in Lexicon's first edition and Advance Reader Copies of Tumblehome Learning books left over from the book fair. The audience was warm and enthusiastic, with questions ranging from what we talked about over dinner in my childhood home to how to raise children to be adventurous yet safe. At the end, Rachel Liu from corporate relations presented me with a cute blue Intel robot-like figure in a bunny suit.
After Intel, Barnas took me to the Long Shan (Dragon Mountain) temple, quite an eclectic temple in the heart of the city. It has a fantastic curved roof, carved ceilings, a waterfall, and lantern figures around the edges of the courtyards. I didn't buy incense or pray to any of the deities, which may be why I got the following fortune when I drew a stick from a pot: "You have failed. Change your boss or change your ways." Since I'm my own boss, I think the message is pretty clear about where the problem lies.
From there we went on to a couple of night markets, ending up at a very authentic, drippy (it's still raining) local one in Houshanpi. There I ate more tso doufu (stinky tofu) and a kind of oyster omelet. However, I avoided chicken rump, large intestines, bin lanh (betel nut), turtle, frog, or snake. Maybe next time.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Update from the Taiwan Book Fair
Five hundred thousand people attend the Taiwan Book Fair. Although not all of them make it up the alleyway between Australia and Germany to Tumblehome Learning's booth at A-907, we've been busy enough that we haven't yet had time to wander the rest of Hall 1 (general and international books), much less Hall 2 (comics) or Hall 3 (children's books).
Visitors include publishers, authors, rights agents, teachers, librarians, and members of the general public who pay for the opportunity to come in and browse for bargains. Publishers with a registered business in Taiwan can sell directly to the public: that will be us by next year. With every purchase here in Taiwan, whether it's books, toothpaste, or a restaurant meal, the purchaser's receipt is also a lottery ticket. You could win 10 million NTD, which is $300,000. That would be a great boost to a young publishing company, so we assiduously save our receipts!
At the start of this fair, the Tumblehome team set ourselves a goal of obtaining twenty-five good leads from potential partners like foreign publishers, educators, e-book publishers, or Taiwan distributors. We've already exceeded those numbers, and we've met book people from Malaysia, Thailand, Germany, Australia, Japan, Korea, and mainland China, along with many dedicated and entrepreneurial people from Taiwan. We've also set in motion the procedures for establishing our Taiwan branch business, and we've received valuable feedback and generous advice on our products and how best to place them.
As for life outside of work, there hasn't been much. People here work very hard, though they laugh a lot while doing so. Thursday night we met an educator in his office at 7 pm, and he gave us cake while explaining his business model and providing free advice for two hours. Last night we networked until 10 pm, and Saturday and Sunday will be the same.
The weather has been drizzly and cool, mostly in the high fifties. People huddle under umbrellas for rain so light it barely dampens the hair, and they keep apologizing for the cold. I tell them this is a welcome and warm vacation from wintry Boston. This week marks a festival where people will gather in the park and release lanterns into the sky. Already, huge colored lanterns of dragons and cartoon characters stand lit at night and waiting for release. I'll post pictures soon.
Visitors include publishers, authors, rights agents, teachers, librarians, and members of the general public who pay for the opportunity to come in and browse for bargains. Publishers with a registered business in Taiwan can sell directly to the public: that will be us by next year. With every purchase here in Taiwan, whether it's books, toothpaste, or a restaurant meal, the purchaser's receipt is also a lottery ticket. You could win 10 million NTD, which is $300,000. That would be a great boost to a young publishing company, so we assiduously save our receipts!
At the start of this fair, the Tumblehome team set ourselves a goal of obtaining twenty-five good leads from potential partners like foreign publishers, educators, e-book publishers, or Taiwan distributors. We've already exceeded those numbers, and we've met book people from Malaysia, Thailand, Germany, Australia, Japan, Korea, and mainland China, along with many dedicated and entrepreneurial people from Taiwan. We've also set in motion the procedures for establishing our Taiwan branch business, and we've received valuable feedback and generous advice on our products and how best to place them.
As for life outside of work, there hasn't been much. People here work very hard, though they laugh a lot while doing so. Thursday night we met an educator in his office at 7 pm, and he gave us cake while explaining his business model and providing free advice for two hours. Last night we networked until 10 pm, and Saturday and Sunday will be the same.
The weather has been drizzly and cool, mostly in the high fifties. People huddle under umbrellas for rain so light it barely dampens the hair, and they keep apologizing for the cold. I tell them this is a welcome and warm vacation from wintry Boston. This week marks a festival where people will gather in the park and release lanterns into the sky. Already, huge colored lanterns of dragons and cartoon characters stand lit at night and waiting for release. I'll post pictures soon.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
First day of the Taiwan Book Fair
I am sitting in the Tumblehome Learning booth at the Taipei International Book Exhibition, listening to the sound of unpacking all around me - ripping out of staples, wrenching off of tape, exclamations, the crackle of books in plastic wrappers being rearranged on shelves.
This place has undergone a facelift since yesterday. Overnight the bare floor, which yesterday was littered with packing tape and chewed betel, has been carpeted in immaculate blue-gray. Chinese letters cut out in foam core stand proudly over the booths. The shelves bear books of every color and kind. Cartoon figures grin down from corners.
I've set up the information about the Lexicon series and the Museum of Science books we're displaying. Now here come my colleagues with our own Tumblehome Learning posters, advance book copies, and stand-up foam core characters of our characters Benson and Selectra Volt. We will set up and prepare as waltz music plays in the background.
This place has undergone a facelift since yesterday. Overnight the bare floor, which yesterday was littered with packing tape and chewed betel, has been carpeted in immaculate blue-gray. Chinese letters cut out in foam core stand proudly over the booths. The shelves bear books of every color and kind. Cartoon figures grin down from corners.
I've set up the information about the Lexicon series and the Museum of Science books we're displaying. Now here come my colleagues with our own Tumblehome Learning posters, advance book copies, and stand-up foam core characters of our characters Benson and Selectra Volt. We will set up and prepare as waltz music plays in the background.
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