November 2015 – DTCN

REM sleep is good for memory development

Our topic was about the mechanism of sleep. We repeat rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM sleep many times when we sleep. 15 percent of the duration of sleep in REM sleep. A research team mainly from the University of Tsukuba and the Riken national research institute revealed the roles of REM-sleep. They discovered that in REM-sleep, delta waves which is generated in non-REM sleep is strengthened. Delta waves are known to assist the formation of memory and the recovery of brain functions. This means that REM-sleep is very important for our memory development.

I think that both REM-sleep and non-REM sleep is important because we need REM sleep to form our memory and we need non-REM sleep to generate delta-waves in our brain. I need to take more time to sleep to take more REM sleep. I wonder and want to research about why we forget most of our dreams we saw. I think delta waves also participates in this problem.

‘Robot chef’ aimed at home kitchen

This article is about cooking robot. In April, Hannover Messe which is a big trade fair for industrial technology held in Germany and Moley Robotics was demonstrating the cooking machine. This cooking robot learns by capturing the movements of a human in the action of preparing a meal. But this machin is too big to use in the home so Moley wants to make this more compact and make this machine have a refrigerator and dishwasher. Moley thinks this machine will be able to have a sense like a human and is will be the device which makes people’s life comfortable.

After I read this article, I think about the convenience of cooking machine and a limit of it. I think this robot is very convenience and it will help our lives. If this machine will develop like moley’ thinking, it can make a variety of delicious dishes without our cooking. We can eat a variety of foods like famous chef. It is very convenient thing but I think there is a limit in this cooking robot. This machine cooks with read the recipes in a web so it can make foods like a chef. I think it can cook like a human but it doesn’t have ideas which are about cooking like a human. Given that reason ,I think about the convenience of cooking machine and a limit of it.

British Astronaut Hopes to Inspire Mars Interest

〈Summary〉

Tim peake is a British astronaut and he investigates Mars. He will blast off on a six-month mission for the European Space Agency in December.The mission is titled Principia after lsaac Newton’s groundbreaking Naturalis Principia Mathematica. He would be carrying out a series of scientific experiments, including some medical research by his own body. The space station traveling at a speed of 5miles per second.

〈Opinion〉

A lot of people are interested in space. But there are a lot of things about space that we don’t know. Though it is very difficult for us to understand space, we can know about astronauts. So I think that we should be interested in astoronauts.

Self-driving cars are aimed by hackers

Recently, car automation systems, such as cruise control and emergency braking systems have become the target of hackers. They can easily trick self-driving cars into taking evasive action. Automated cars use lidar that detect object and building a 3D image of the world around the car. Lider uses spinning lasers similer to laser poiter. Using this feature, hackers can mace a face object such as pedestrians, cyclists other cars or walls. These weakpoints allow hackers to take over key control system including gas pedal, brakes and stering.

I think self-driving cars are revolutionary technology. This technology can not only make drivers easy, but also reduce the car accidents. Replacing all of cars to automotive vehicles, the city become safety. This technology ought to be used for people’s safety, nevertheless, hackers abuse that and threaten us. For defending this great technology, we need make Lider higher quality. If they can use military technologies, they can be sure to make more strong than hackers. However, we must not too trust machine, because machine is not perfect.

Newfound Venus-Like Planet GJ 1132b May Have an Atmosphere

Astronomer of the Harverd-Smithonian Centerfor Astrophisics found very interesting exoplanet, called GJ 1132b. It may have a Venus-like atmosphere, but it is very similar to Earth in several points. GJ 1132b is only 16 percent larger than the Earth and has a mass 60 percent greater. And it is also indicated that it has a rocky composition similar to Earth and Earth-like force of gravity.
It is also so close to the Earth that we could study the atmosphere in detail with the Hubble Space Telescope. Because of these features, astronomers pay much attention to this interesting exoplanet.

Space is so mysterious. Space is so wonderful. I had heard that there might be human-like lives somewhere in space. I was very skeptical when I heard that. But this article made me excited. It is regret that it may have a Venus-like atmosphere. The atmosphere of the Venus is composed of much CO₂. So lives can’t be live on the Venus, and, needless to say, GJ 1132b.
But I’m wondering that astronomers found the Earth-like exoplanet and lives someday.

The mechanism of sleep and the possibility of appropriate sleep

(About topic)

My topic is about mechanism of sleep. When we sleep, we repeat shallow sleep and deep sleep. The former one is called “REM sleep” and the latter one is called “non-REM sleep”.

Roughly speaking, non-REM sleep helps us to rest the brain and REM sleep helps us to recover the body. But especially, the roles of REM sleep isn’t completely understood. Then, to reveal this might help unravel the mysteries of some diseases (for example, Alzheimer or depression).

What’s the roles of REM sleep? We think deep sleep seems to be good for memory. But, actually REM sleep (when brain isn’t completely resting) is essential to fix the storage.

Today’s research found that patients with Alzheimer’s disease and depression have less Delta waves (=high amplitude which is generated in the brain during non-REMN sleep) than healthy people. And if REM sleep is deprived, delta waves gradually weakened. We can maintain a healthy thanks to the two types of sleep.

(Consideration)

Before reading, I had thought that we fix the storage when our brains completely sleep (non-REM sleep). It was surprising.

So, how should we sleep to fix the storage? I think when human didn’t have no electric light, most of them slept at the same time that sun goes down, and got up as sun rises. So, it is originally normal for our body and it enables to take a balance of REM sleep and non-REM sleep. But, many modern people don’t sleep enough and the time they sleep is out of step with early man. So, I think that if we can sleep enough at appropriate time, fixing the storage becomes to be easier than ever. And it perhaps leads to prevent some diseases (Alzheimer or depression).

JAXA’s new system for astronauts

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency that called Japanese NASA will provide a new life support system for the International Space Station so Japanese astronauts can continue participating in the orbiting laboratory through 2024.

The expect was 2020, but the researching will be able longer providing the new life support equipment from Russia that is used to purify water and air on the station. And then, JAXA may announce the plan with budget about the system until next year.

Human have to eat something and take water to live. I think it is so difficult thing that cultivate plants and make water can intake in the space there is anything is able to be base to solve.

But, I think keeping trying to elucidate secret about environment of space and pioneer a new and unknown world is great and thankful.

A new discovery makes technology developed, so we can lead our life better than yesterday.

I watched a movie ‘Interstellar’. Humanity has to find a new star to make colony and a new civilization escaping from decreasing materials and worse of air. Astronauts kept studying gravity, science and environment can people live with limited food sailing space.

Astronauts may be terrified about death always. The JAXA’s plan means not only technology development but also support for people who doing risky things for better humanity.

Newfound Venus-Like Planet GJ 1132b May Have an Atmosphere

【Summary】

A new planet which is similar to earth was found. The planet was named GJ 1132.　Its size and mass are nearly same as these of earth and it seems to have an atmosphere. The distance from the earth is 39 light-years; it is relatively close to earth in terms of astronomical measure. The planet also has an Earth-like force of gravity.　A person standing on the surface of GJ 1132b would weigh only about 20 percent more than they do on Earth. The planet seems to have sister planet and research team is going to find it.

【Opinion】

This article gives us a big dream. If we plan to live in other planets, we are most likely to live on mars. But this discovery means that we gained a new option to live in another planet. The temperature of the planet is very high and we have little possibility to live in GJ 1132b, but astronomer will be able to catch a lot of knowledge and theories while they research it. The way they found the ‘twin’ of Venus is sure to be helpful to find a ‘twin’ of earth. The earth-like planet will be also discovered in near future.

Could plastic trees end air pollution??

The plastic tree which collects carbon dioxide in the air has been developed Massachusetts. Global warming is stopped with that. A plastic tree has 2 problems. First, the problem where to put carbon dioxide that a plastic tree gathered them. There is an opinion thrown away in the bottom of the sea. Second, the fear that carbon dioxide is released unlimitedly. The average temperature just rises 2 ℃ by global warming, and recouping doesn’t stick any more. So we have to stop global warming early. There is also a problem, but the plastic tree is effective in a global warming measure.

Global warming is getting intensified every day. Earth can’t be allowed a slight change from global warming. Abnormal weather extends the impact on the ecosystem. The plastic tree is very good invention in order to stop global warming. Cost and moral, processing of carbon dioxide, there are problems. However, global warming is more serious than these problems. Without being bound to the problem, we must use the plastic tree more effectively. I want to come the plastic tree in Japan and want to be able to use it. We must confront and seriously global warming. I hope to increase the invention, such as the plastic tree.

Software better than humans at guessing how you feel from speech

In the last class, we discussed the article about science technology.

The article says software developed at the University of Rochester has exceeded humans in its ability to identify emotions in speech.

There was an experiment to prove this. When classifying 700 audio samples, the software system could recognize the feelings behind human voice 72 per cent accuracy. On the other hand, a group of 138 people could recognize emotions only 60 per cent accuracy. So it is true that the software beats the humans at identifying emotions from speech alone.

The software uses shape, frequency, brightness, flatness and roughness of speech to identify the emotions. However the humans need not only sound but also meaning or facial expressions to guess the emotions.

After I read this article, I was surprised at development of science technology. In the near future, we may not be able to communicate without using such software. I mean that the software will take the place of the humans.

But is it good for us? I think the answer is No.

If the software becomes widespread, almost all the people will become to depend on it and be able to read someone’s emotion easily. At the same time, it will deprive us of the humanity. When we talk on the phone without the software, for example, we have to guess how she or he feels by ourselves. And we are worried about a pat reply. There are consideration, reliance, affection, kindness for others. Aren’t they the most important parts of human beings?

Altough science technology brings utility to us, we should first consider both good and bad aspects of it.