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'Fish Mucus and Foot Fungus' (excerpt)
"RESEARCH turns our guesses into real knowledge, serving as the sifting pan of our hypotheses. It challenges what we assume, because, as they say, if you only learn from what you ASS-UME, you make an “ass" out of"u" and “me". In the early 1800s, someone warned that the streets of London would be filled with horse manure due to the uncontrolled use of horse-drawn carriages. Of course, that never happened. Combustion engines,products of research and invention, replaced horses, and the manure piled up in Parliament instead. While on the subject, few people know that the most expensive coffee in the world is taken from the droppings of the Asian Palm Civet found in the Philippines and Indonesia. The small mammal excretes the coffee berries it eats, and forest trackers recycle the fruity feces to create what is known as Kopi Luwak in Indonesia or Kape Alamid in our country. Research has led to a synthetic process that simulates the droppings’ exotic flavor and quality. So, who’s had coffee with their breakfast? Well, soon nobody will have had coffee and breakfast if the looming global food crisis worsens.Are you all feeling fine? Well, nobody might be fine for long if some new disease creeps up on us. Health can be enhanced and life can be extended. The nudibranch, a beautiful, soft-bodied creature unfairly called a “sea slug" — a favorite among underwater photographers for its marvelous colors and shapes — has actually been used in tumor research. Samples of fish mucus have also displayed certain antibacterial properties. And as the Home Shopping Network would say, “Wait! There’s more." -Gian Carlo Dapul
MANILA, Philippines - A 16-year-old incoming high school senior won the coveted English Speaking Union’s (ESU) International Public Speaking Competition last Friday in London. Gian Carlo Dapul, a student at the Philippine Science High School bested almost 60 participants from 35 countries with the competition’s theme, “New Frontiers." Dapul’s five-minute speech entitled, “Fish mucus and Foot Fungus" focused on how scientific research could serve as a cure-all for many of the world’s problems. His speech also went well with judges for its oft-humorous lines. For instance, while speaking about the "most expensive coffee in the world" which is gathered from the droppings of a civet cat, Dapul asked, “So, who’s had coffee with their breakfast?" "If only we could make science fairs and contests as popular as the thriving ‘Pop Idol’ franchise. Although I’m not sure if Simon Cowell’s sardonic comments will sit well with my peers," he added in his speech. Dapul is the second Filipino to have won the ESU competition following Patricia Evangelista in 2004. Evangelista is now a columnist and TV host. During the question and answer portion following each of the delegates’ speeches, Dapul was asked about his stand on the morality of genetic research particularly stem cell. He replied: "I believe that the challenges that morality presents is a bit dubious depending on your point of view. For example, what is better to not conduct stem cell research which would save lives or to conduct stem cell research which can cure cancer, Parkinson’s and many other diseases." "Controversy is caused by differing opinions it depends on where those opinions can meet in the middle because there is such a thing as ethical research. And this research can be pursued if ethics dictates that other types of research should not be pursued," he added. Dapul is set to formally receive his award on November at the Buckingham Palace. - Mark Joseph Ubalde, GMANews.TV
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