IFSA alumnae Dr Clarissa Lee has published a book. Here is the link to the online book store of Gerakbudaya, the book's publisher.

How do we define everything around us? By it's shape, colour, or texture? Defining a chair as 'medium sized' and 'brown' may be useful in the subjective art of interior decoration, but to an objective eye they're not very helpful. Imagine then if we are to describe the motion of planets, the orbit of satellites, the flow of water through a hydroelectric dam, or the flow of electricity in a microprocessor. Subjectivity is not an option, and any impreciseness or subjectivity in standards may spell disaster.

It's a good thing we figured that out in the 19th century, as without it it would not make the 20th and 21st centuries possible.

Nothing and everything. Two mathematical concepts that seems intuitive now, but inconceivable before the invention of zero and infinity. Both of these concepts originates from India, both are linked by the philosophical approach of the civilizations of the subcontinent.

In hindsight, it seems that these two concepts, crucial to the modern world, can only arise from a society that appreciates both.

Steel seems to occupy a special place and purpose in our civilisation. Even though other materials exist, both metallic and non-metallic, they're not as utilised as much as steel. What special properties does it have that these others don't? Certainly there are other materials that are stronger, lighter, less prone to corrosion, or just plain less costly to make.

Or maybe steel is just the jack-of-all-trades that has all those properties in balance?

In Part I we tackled the origins of arithmetic, the most basic and fundamental form of mathematics. Now we look at the more abstract world of geometry brought by the Greeks. It's no coincidence that at the same time they formulate mathematical theorems, they also ponder on philosophical paradoxes.

As we shall see, the Greeks idea of mathematics has more to do with attaining perfection than practical solutions.