Blog
The Forbidden Bookshelf
My science classes hid so much from me. Sixteen years ago, I learned that a million Earths could fit inside the sun. Amazed by this fact, I decided that I wanted to be an astronomer or astrophysicist. I loved how science was a systematic method of revealing the truth...
Searching for the Unknown
[This was a reflection paper I submitted for my class 24.01 Classics of Western Philosophy. I make references to terms in the class (e.g. Copy Principle, impressions, Doctrine of Recollection, etc.) that I didn't explain here because my intended reader (course staff)...
The Breakthrough Junior Challenge is back!
Hello, Challenger! It's Hillary, Winner of the 2017 Breakthrough Junior Challenge. How are you doing? Although our days are now fraught with uncertainty, one thing is for sure: the Challenge returns for 2020! This year, however, it comes with a timely twist. “Ooh,...
The Power of the People
Sitting in the middle of the frame, sullen-faced Joshua Molo periodically looks down at his phone as he speaks, almost robotically, to the camera. “I know what I did was wrong,” he said in Filipino, “I promise not to do it again.” This was Molo’s public apology video,...
Breakthrough Junior Challenge: How to Make the Winning Entry Pt. 2
If you’re here, you’re likely coming from my latest YouTube video (embedded above). As you might have understood from that video, I prepared scripts for two long videos on how you can make a winning Breakthrough Junior Challenge entry. However, I was only able to film...
Gravity Spy: You Can Help LIGO Discover Gravitational Waves
Last September 2015, LIGO had its first detection of gravitational waves from a pair of colliding black holes. As soon as the news broke, everyone was sharing the hype and elation of the LIGO scientists. Why was this discovery a big deal? It confirmed Einstein’s...
Behind the Scenes: Breakthrough Junior Challenge 2017
If you’re one of my Facebook friends or if we share at least 20 mutuals, you’ve probably seen one of my ardent (and shameless) calls to like and share my entry to the 2016 Breakthrough Junior Challenge. If you’re one of the amazing people who voted, then I would like...