Naythan Yeo

Day 1

This is an image of the tram system in Geneva. I found this very interesting because of the way these
trams were powered. When looking at them up close, I was able to get a clearer picture of how the
different cables used. This has taught me to be curious and to always wonder about how things work.

This next image is a picture of the broken chair found outside the United Nations headquarters.
Through the tour, I learned that this chair symbolizes opposition towards landmines and cluster bombs,
and acts as a reminder to politicians and others visiting Geneva. Although this is not related to science,
this backstory gave me much insight into the history and was a reminder to me to be grateful to our
current peaceful lives.

This last image is Jet d'eau, the famous 140m jet of Geneva. This jet has let me learn about seeing things
through different perspectives. When observing the jet, we made several observations as well as
conclusions about how and why the water flow was a certain way. However, from different perspectives
(like very near the jet, or from a far-wide angle on the boat), our observations changed. This made me
learn that we must always look at the bigger picture before coming to any conclusions, as a certain
observation could have several interpretations. 

Day 2

  

This is an image of a Swiss Army knife that I customized and bought in Geneva. Although I was against buying a knife at first, I did not know that it could be customized to our preferences. However, after looking at those stunning knives, I even bought two! This thought me not to jump to conclusions too quickly, but instead, observe the scenarios first.

This is a picture of cheese that I bought in the supermarket. Although I am not very fond of cheese, I still bought two to share with my family back in Singapore. This allowed me to learn to be more open-minded and to be open to trying out new things.

This last picture is the first particle accelerator built. Although it is not as large as the other ones, this particle accelerator enabled me to view it as a whole system on its own and understand the different mechanisms of the collider. This engineering marvel also made me reflect more about how physicists in the past were so innovative, being able to build something so remarkable and complex.

Day 3

This first picture is a picture of Notre Dame. It was a very significant learning point for me because I could learn a lot about how it burnt, and how certain structures within the building kept it from being completely destroyed.

This second picture is a picture found online of a beggar. In the streets of Paris, we encountered many
beggars, both real and fake ones. For instance, we saw a woman wearing very polished jackets begging
for money on the streets, presumably not in any need for money. However, there were also many beggars
that kneeled on the ground for a few hours. This made me ponder more about society's impression and
prejudice against beggars, intentionally leaving all of them, for the fear of encountering a fake one.

This last picture shows the many roads of Paris from the arc of triumph. From this area, we could see 12 distinct roads, all converging towards a central roundabout. This Creative design of their roads caused me to ponder and cross-compare our Singapore highways with them.

Day 4

This is a picture of an experiment showing how two objects of different masses accelerate at the same pace in a vacuum. This intrigued me because it was an experiment that came to life from what we learned in school.

 

This next photo is a picture of a fullerene ball. This is something very new to me, as it is my first time seeing it. I found that way that the hexagons form with the pentagons around the circle was very fascinating. Without any research, this seemed like a very ordinary ball. However, with more research, I found that this was a very powerful natural structure. This taught me that I should always take note of surroundings, as learning can be any and everywhere.

This last picture shows the scenery at the top of the grand arc. Since the view was so beautiful, I learned that we should always look up from our devices. Rather than focusing on taking pictures, I learned that it is even more important to enjoy the view there ourselves and look around.

Day 5

This is a picture of a supercomputer. This really intrigued me because I learned about this supercomputer before in school, and seeing it in real life felt really cool. It made me think about the complex engineering behind it, how the transistors all made this possible. To generalize, I think we should always keep wondering about how things around us work and function.

This next picture is a picture of the pulley counterweight system of the lift at the Eiffel tower. This intrigued me greatly because we were all wondering how such a massive lift could function. We considered different mechanisms such as hydraulics or motors. However, when seeing the complete system of the lift at the bottom and top, the feeling of satisfaction (because of understanding it) is indescribable. This would be a very classic example of a bridge between textbook and real-world learning.

This last picture depicts all of us as a group standing in front of the Eiffel Tower. We had a very fun and enjoyable time taking photos there. As an overall summary of this journey, I think that it has been a very fun time, as we bonded together. This journey extends beyond the limits of the overseas experience, but rather our journey of this project. This journey has let us grow in many different ways, and I feel that it is a very valuable experience.