So, I Heard You Guys Talk About Salt Lamps...

Recently I have been hearing a lot about salt lamps, particularly from some of my friends. Hence, I decided to check out what it is.

So, what is a salt lamp?

A Himalayan salt lamp is basically a lamp carved from a large colored salt crystal, with an incandescent bulb or a candle inside. These lamps emit an attractive glow and are often used as nightlights or to as ambient mood lighting. Largest producers of the salt lamp are located in places like Poland, Pakistan and Iran.

Prior to understanding more about salt lamp, all I know about Himalayan salt, or Halite to be more precise, was that it is used as a food seasoning, for example the Bolivian Rose salt. Compared to using normal salt, Himalayan salt can better enhance the flaour of the food and brings out a more natural taste. Therefore, using Himalayan salt as a light source is a pretty new concept to me (you may find me a bit ignorant, but then and again, there may be others who still do not know about this. :P).

Note: Some things, for instance the salt lamp, may not work for you but may work for others. Everyone is entitled to their views and opinions. In short, to each his own.

How does the salt lamp work? All we know is that it leads to negative ions in the surroundings, but how? A quick search does provide some information, although not all are entirely true.

There were a couple of websites that the heating of the salt would lead to the release of ions. This is not true, or at least my chemistry knowledge tells me so. Sodium chloride, or NaCl is a ionic compund in which the Na⁺ and Cl^- ions are held together by strong ionic bonds in a ionic lattice. To recall, the size of both  Na⁺ and Cl^- ions are relatively small, thus the ions are closer together and the ionic bonds are stronger. Hence, large amount of energy is required to overcome the strong electrostatic attraction. Thus, the idea of heating of the crystal salt to release ions is not possible.

I am more inclined to think that this has nothing to do with the breaking of ionic lattice of sodium chloride. Rather, it's due to the ability of the salt crystal's ability to absorb moisture in the air (the polar water moleculars get attracted to the ions due to ion-dipole reaction, as the O end of H₂O) Due to the heat of the lamp, the absorbed moisture retained in the crystal will evaporate, and the evaporation of water may have led to the production of negative ions.

The main attraction of the Himalayan salt lamp is perhaps its therapeutic properties. Firstly, it acts as a natural air purifier as the anions released will help remove dust particles in the air. Research has shown the flow of negative ions collide with the dust particles, hence giving the suspended particles a charge as well. The charged particles then bind together, and eventually these clumps precipitate out of the air. The cleaner air also leads reduced susceptibility to sinus, migraine headaches allergies and hay fever and asthma attacks. Henceforth, this also explains the basis behind the invention of air ionisers. While electronic ionisers cost around the same as their natural counterparts, it has been linked to the release of ozone which has detrimental effects on the human body. The Environmental Protection Agency's report on the the effects of ozone determined that a marked level of cellular damage was observed after only four to five days of exposure. According to reports published by Spiritual Endeavors, an online health advocacy and information resource, ozone has been shown to stimulate the body's production of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF), which can cause cancerous tumors to develop from seemingly healthy body tissue.This could possibly be one reason why many would opt for the natural salt lamp instead.

Secondly, the Himalayan salt lamp has been linked to improvement to mental & physical health, allowing users to feel more alert and relaxed. Scientific studies conducted have supported this claim. Our living environment today has far more sources of positive ions than in the past, causing an imbalance in the atmosphere. Most notably, electrical appliances such as television sets, radios and computers are the greatest sources of positive ions, which is responsible for the deteoriation of our physical and mental well-being. The biological impact of cations was revealed in a research done in 1976, when researchers measured the metabolic changes in mice in response to changes to ion charges. When exposed to cations, the rats showed increased aggression and shorter lifespan.

Another experiment was further conducted in Germany by researchers at Goldstein and Lewin Dept of Medical Research to substantiate the claim. Similar to the experiment in 1976, rats exposed to cations showed a spike in their norepinephrine level after a while, but as time passed, a state of exhaustion can be observed in the form of a lowered norepinephrine level. (Norepinephrine is a hormone that triggers the fight-or-flight response, which in turns causes vasodilation and increased heart rate.)

As such, the negative ions released by the Himalayan salt lamp would help balance out the positive ions in the surrounding air, allowing users to have greater sleep quality and greater vitality. It works the same way as taking a refreshing breath of the sea breeze during a walk along the beach!

Another explanation as to why the salt lamp can improve our mental health could be due to the light emitted by the salt lamp. Its warm glow provides an ambient mood, allowing used to feel more relaxed and comforatable with their surroundings. (Although this is not scientifically proven, but this is most likely why salt lamps can also be found in message and therapy spas.)

21 Mar 2012 -- Like A Boss! Episode 04: Cubes and Chevrons

After our last gathering a month ago, we decided to have another one at JCube this time. Unfortunately, Kwang Yueh was unable to join us this time due to work commitments... T.T

Anyway, JCube is the latest shopping centre located at Jurong East. Most people will perhaps remember its predecessor, JEC (Jurong Entertainment Centre) as it featured the Fuji Ice Palace, one of the only two ice rinks in Singapore. However, it was demolished in 2008 and finally made way for JCube after 4 long years. JCube was officially open on 2 April, and he current shopping mall now consists of 5 floors , as well as a rooftop landscaped plaza.

Before, it was the Jurong Entertainment Centre...

Now it has evolved, into JCube!

In addition, the ice rink has been refurnished and expanded to a bigger size, making it Singapore's first Olympic-size skating rink. For moviegoers, JCube seeks to provide you with one of the best movie experiences as it is now home to the first IMAX theatre in the suburbs.

Anyway, we had lunch at Manhattan Fish Market before exploring the shopping centre. We were amazed by the size of the skating rink. It is really, really HUGE! Unlike the previous ice rink which was much smaller and occupies one floor of the building by itself, the new skating rink is now surrounded by two levels of shops and restaurants. As the skating rink was closed on the day we were there, we were unable to get into the rink to play. Hence, all I got were pictures from outside the rink...

After exploring the mall for around nearly two hours, we went off for our next part of our gathering -- Karaoke at The Chevrons! This was a bit unplanned though, so we got a bit lost trying to find our way to Chevrons by foot (although we had fun along the way, doing funny things like taking random pictures etc.). After walking for half an hour (which was much longer than expected as my GPS said we should have reached within 10 minutes) and 1.1km later, we reached The Chevrons.

Inside the Aviary KTV, we were in for a surprise as we were told that Joshua's and my dress code was improper -- no short pants allowed. We had to rent pants for $3 each. T.T

Still, we had fun singing for two hours. Due to a sore throat, I was able to sing a lot, and it didn't that they were picking a couple of Aerosmith songs. So I had to make it up by doing a horrible imitation of Abracadabra and Bubble Pop, to everyone's "approval" (no pictures though, sorry.).

Rare Talents in FIFA12 Part 2: Winter Roster Update

With the Winter Roster Update coming in, there have been changes to the ratings of many players in the database. For those who may not know, players can update their squads by going to "Customise FIFA -> Edit teams -> Change squads/rosters -> Download updates". Once it’s done you’ll have the latest squads! :)

Meanwhile, we shall focus on some brilliant young players that can be found in this new patch, and also revisit the players that have been previously recommended to see whether their stock has rose and fallen.

1. Gabriel (Juventus) 66 -> 88

Juventus was quick to sign 17 year old Gabriel Appelt Pires before many other big clubs could do so, and The Old Lady had reason to be. This talented central defensive midfielder, signed along with his older brother Guilherme, was described as a "champion" by top European transfer guru Ernesto Bronzetti.

In FIFA 12, the Brazilian has a good passing range, with both his Long Passing and Short Passing stats above 70. Furthermore, his Ball Control and Vision stats are a whopping 72, pretty promising for a young midfielder who can dictate play in the heart of midfield and switch from defense to offense with his incisive passes. He can also shut down opponents pretty quickly with his decent tackling and intercepting abilities, so he's a definite must-have for FIFA 12 career mode players.

Before I forget, check out how he pressured Ronaldinho off the ball in a match against Flamengo (at around 0:35)


2. Nicola Leali (Brescia) 67-> 88

Prior to the Winter Roster update, the 18 year old Italian goalkeeper has an overall rating of 61 and a potential of 79. After the patch, he has grown to an overall rating of 67. Why is there such a big change over just half a season?

With clubs such as Sporting CP and Juventus (again!)tracking his progress, the Under-19 Italian custodian possesses great agility, a great sense of positioning and catlike reflexes, reminiscent of a young Buffon. With the club initally struggling, Leali has brought great assuredness between the sticks, and has helped steer the club to 7th place with his strong performances in goal.

In FIFA 12, what stood out for him was his Jumping and Reflexes stats, which are at 73 and 72 respectively. Other essential goalkeeping stats such as Handling, are all above 65 (with the exception of Kicking, which is a poor 55). Not bad for a 18-year-old.

3.  Mattia Destro (Siena) 72-> 87

Need a goalscorer? This Siena striker is the answer for you. On loan from Genoa, the 20 year old started his career in Ascoli. He moved to Inter in 2010, where he flourished under their youth system. He then moved to Genoa as a make-weight for Andrea Ranocchia's transfer to the Nerazzurri. The Italian was also capped at every level from U-16 to U-21.

In the game, Destro is perhaps one of the most promising goalscorers in the game. With both Positioning and Finishing stats at 78, expect this hotshot to score many goals for your team. He is also pretty quick (his Acceleration and Sprint Speed are at 79) and has pretty good Heading Accuracy.  His lethal finishing, combined with his quick feet, definitely makes him one of the most exciting attacking talents in the game. His only weakness is his Long Shots, but expect that to improve.

After discussing about the footballing talents that emerged after the patch, let's take a look at my previous recommendations after the winter update:

Roderick Miranda (65 -> 78) (Overall =, Potential -11) By far the most disappointing change, but oh well...
Federik Sørensen (73 -> 83) (Overall -1, Potential -4)
Cristian Pasquato (73 -> 86) (Overall -1, Potential +2)
Fernando Lucas Marins (71 -> 83) (Overall +1, Potential -4)
Daniel Johnson ( 60 -> 77) (Overall & Potential =)