Questions

I have just finished reading the book "A Brief History of Time" by Stephen Hawking. An interesting book but it's difficult for those who do not know science. Some of his questions raised in the book are very very difficult to answer but enlighten. I have chosen a few of them:

1. after the beginning of the universe since the big bang, the universe is expanding, but if the universe stops expanding and starts contracting, are we heading to the big collapse?
2. why do we exist in the universe, at this moment, and for what purpose?
3. why does the universe exist, and for what purpose?

These questions put you in deep though. What do you think?

新年大計

新年開始，很多人習慣寫下新一年的大計。雖然無此習慣，但自從在去年開始放假時學了國際音標後，覺得自己的英文實在有很大的改善空間，所以今年要努力提高自己的英文水準。

當我們北望神州，很多人都期望今年中國在經濟上繼續向上，而香港亦可受惠。但是，中國經濟之高速增長是要付出很大的代價。在增長背後，國家的生態環境正在不斷受到嚴重破壞。無論是土地、空氣、水源、食物，都已受到污染。香港的空氣質素比十年前差了不少已是不爭的事實，而我們的食水是水務處做了不少加工才可使之符合標準。若果大家有飲過全無污染的地下水的話便知味道和普通食水有不少分別。

由於中國治理環境的資源遠追不上污染的增長，而大家抱着在最短時間賺最多錢的心態，所以對環境污染視而不見，結果是人民生活愈富裕但生活環境卻愈差。看看IHT對中國環境的專題報告"Choking on growth"便明白：http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/25/asia/26china.php