Month: November 2015

Software better than humans at guessing how you feel from speech

In this class,  we discussed the useful software. I will tell you about the summary and my opinion.

1 Summary

The new software has an ability to identify emotion in speech. The researchers  plan to use it to understand the effects of emotion in parent-child interactions. The software recognizes emotions to identify tone, facial expression.

2 Opinion

I think that this technology is very useful. There are two example. One is that it is difficult for us to understand a baby’s emotion. When he or she is crying, we cannot understand what should I do. So we should use the new software to interact with a baby well. The other is that it is very useful for the elderly. In recent years, a number of elderly people live alone. And they are likely to become demented because they do not have other person to communicate with. This is why the new software is useful for the elderly. However, there is a problem. If we rely on this  software overly, our communication skill will be decreased. It is a serious problem. Now, some of the young cannot control their feeling. It is because they rely on the Internet. In conclusion, I think that the new software will improve our life. On the other hand, we should not rely on it overly.

The possibility of 3D printing

We discussed the possibility of 3D printing.
Recently, we are receiving a favor of 3D printing invention, which is to make a new produce that we want to make.
People around the world pay attention to this new technology, and everyone expect 3D printing change our world.
According to the article, 3D printing can not only produce a new thing, but also augment and repair things we already own.
It’s like Encore, may help us extend the value of the things we already own.
Additionally, a similar project is took up, which can mill away redundant sections of an object.
Rather than printing a new thing, repairing or augmenting can save material and energy. It may extend the possibility of 3D printing. It means sustainablitity.

Now, many kinds of new technologies are attracting world’s attention. But some have a problem that is harm for environment or needs too much costs and so on. So I think sustainablity is the most important point in the future.
Even though a technology is very convenient, if it cannot keep, that technology has no worth.
According to this view, this project, Encore, created its future. Searching new potential of technology is important for its sustainablity.

Toyota want to make hybrid car in China

(summary)

Prius are being made with its Chinese with venture partner, FAW,is China’s biggest carmaker.

China is the world’s fastest growing car market, but also has five of the ten most polluted cities in the world.Hybrid cars use both petrol and electric motors and their exhaust is less than others. So Toyota thinks Prius could help China deal with its environmental and energy shortage problems.Then, Toyota hopes to sell 3,000 units in the country. In the other hands, foreign big car companies also plan to make hybrid vehicles with Chinese partner companies.

(opinion)

I hope Toyota to sell a lot of cars in China. Toyota, which has most annual auto sales in the world, has less than 5% of the market share in China. So I hope this chance that Prius will tap into markets in China will make I hope Toyota to sell a lot of cars in China. Toyota, which has most annual auto sales in the world, has less than 5% of the market share in China. So I hope this chance that Prius will tap into markets in China will make auto sales increase in this country and Toyota maintains the place as the company have the largest market share in the world,and then stimulate economic recovery in Japan.
At the same time,diesel cars which had been called the cars with biggest future potential face a predicamentthe since revelation of the scandals of volkswagen. So I hope this problem further promote technology about fuel-cell car hydrogen-powered.
On another front, I think as a lover of cycling that we need the society to choose rather a bike than a car as a means of transportation. The bicycle is not only good for the environment, is a good exercise. First of all bicycle is also the most energy-efficient invention. In developed countries such as Northern Europe and Netherlands, there are bicycle rentals everywhere in town, and bike paths have also been developed. Japan is backwards in the respect require the development of not only sience technology but also transport infrastructure.

NASA wants people to apply to be astronauts

This article says that NASA is gathering people who want to volunteer to go space travel. Especially, NASA expects for these volunteers to exploring the Mars and putting boot prints on the Mars surface. However, there are three qualifications to apply this project. First, appointee have to be a US citizen. Secondly, applicants have to be smart and passionated from what they have done. Thirdly, applicants who had passed an evaluation, they have to endure spaeflight physical test which cost amount of time. Some experts such as Brian Kelly says this program is a consideralbe strides to the space travel history.

I am very interested when I first read this article, since I am lost in the isuue of outer space. I had seen many movies which are related to outer space, such as <Interstellar> and related videos in Youtube such as signs of UFOs and the existence of extraterrestrial being is Moon and Mars. However, I would never participate to the program which introduced in this article even NASA directly wants me to join in. This is because there are no assurance that this project will be end successfully. Even though I am curious to the existense of universe and want to travel to the universe, SAFETY is the BEST.

Processed meats do cause cancer-WHO

This is the story about the processed meats. The WHO said that Processed meats do cause cancer. It showed that 50g of processed meat a day increased the chance of developing cancer by 18%. This data is from WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.  In the research, we can find that processed meats are in the same level with plutonium, alcohol and so on.

So, does it mean that we have to stop eating  the processed meats? Dr. Kurt Straif said that this didn’t mean the processed meats are dangerous. We just have to cut down the amount of  meats.

After reading this news, I decide to  eat less processed meats than before. I always eat the processed meats four or five times a week. I will try to eat just two or three times a week and cut down the amount of them. I will try to exchange the processed meats to the fleshes. Also,  I think i should eat more vegetables to make a good balance of my diet.

More and more people get cancer, but i think we cannot protect ourselves . In my opinion, trying the balance diet and eating the food what you want to eat will make our lives happier.

“NASA wants people to apply to be astronauts

The other day, we discussed a report on the plan of NASA. According to this article, NASA wants  normal people to apply to be astronauts, and some of them will work on preparation for their journey to Mars. However, there are some requirements for applying. First, they have to be US citizens. Second, they have to be pretty smart and accomplished. Thirdly, they have to pass the NASA long-duration spaceflight physical test. If someone fulfills all of these requirements, he/she can take part in the space missions. NASA thinks that U.S. astronauts will be at the forefront of the new and challenging space flight missions.

When I read this article, I felt that technology has developed rapidly. It is wonderful to go to Mars. At the same time, however, I think that NASA should work out the plan very carefully. At present, people have little information about Mars. Therefore, we don’t know how dangerous Mars is correctly. Under these circumstances, if NASA makes people go to Mars, serious accidents may happen. NASA wants to be at the forefront of the new and challenging space flight missions, but it should not be in a hurry. I think that NASA has to prepare carefully before their journey to Mars.

3D printing becomes more useful

In the last class, we talked about “3D print extra bits for old objects to help extend their life.

Recently, it is said that 3D printing is going to change the world. 3D printing is used to make new objects, but thanks to a new technology, this system is also used to augment and repair things we already own. Augmenting and repairing save material and energy, so this use is admirable. 3D printing is not yet general, but it is expected to spread over the world soon, and more than a million will be sold in 2017.

Reading this article, I felt uneasy about spread of 3D printing. Certainly, this technology is useful. However, the spread of this useful tool means that the risk of abusing becomes higher and higher. Some may use this system to produce guns illegally. Moreover, we can make everything by ourselves by using 3D printing, so no one will buy things from manufactories or companies. It is not necessary for people to buy products because we can make them by using 3D printing. Then, I think every products will unsold, and economy will stagnate and stop. New technologies always make our daily lives more convenient, but we have to turn our eyes not only to the good side but also to the bad one. It can be said that 3D printing is “double-edged sword”. I am very excited about this future evolution, but I must not forget the potential implications on society and demerits of this system.

“Nasa Mars announcement: Red Planet’s atmosphere was blown away by bursts of gas from the Sun, scientists suggest”

In the last class, we discussed the article about NASA’s interesting announcement about Mars.

The summary of the article and my opinion are as follows.

 

1) The Summary

NASA researchers announced that its Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft mission has discovered how Mars has become a barren planet over billions of years.

Mars had once been covered by rich atmosphere and it was much warmer and wetter. However, it has been transformed into the cold and dry planet we see today. According to scientists, it is because solar winds have stripped ions from the Martian atmosphere, especially during coronal mass ejections, and so Mars has gradually been losing much of its atmosphere. This announcement figured it out.

The latest research also revealed the finding that auroras which are very similar to those in the Earth can be observed in Mars, and the relationship between magnetic fields and the loss of Martian atmosphere. In addition, it announced that the dust, which was found in Martian atmosphere the other day, is likely to be coming from another planet.

 

2) My Opinion

I have a lot of interest in such study as astronomy or Space Science and NASA’s new findings about Mars stated in this article are very interesting. Although only about 50 years have passed since Apollo 11 succeeded in landing on the moon for the first time, scientists have been unveiling much of the mystery of the universe. However, such continuous and large-scale research and technological development take a significant cost. There are some who doubts the necessity of such study in a society. Then, what is the significance of learning such matter? Why have we been making great effort in order to figure out the mystery of astronomical matters? I think following two points can be given as answers.

First, astronomical research can be useful for posterity. To be sure, we can enjoy few benefits from such study now. In the future, however, it will be necessary; because the earth where we live is not eternal, and there might be nothing that can be done without any accumulated astronomical knowledge when we can no longer live in the earth one day in the future. This is why we should try to understand as many things about the universe as possible for the future.

Second, astronomy is very important and magnificent study related to the fundamentals of our existence. Almost all people are always busy solving problems at hand in a daily life. However, at the same time there is always following problems in the innermost part of our heart: “who are we?”, “Where are we from?” or “Where are we headed?”. Such problems are essential and we cannot help thinking about them as long as we are alive. Therefore, astronomy is necessary because it is the study which can enable us to approach such fundamental matters.

In conclusion, I think learning studies about astronomical matters is significant because it is necessary for the future and us who live now.

We have to take care about eating processed meats.

[Summary]

WHO announced that processed meats did cause cancer if you ate 50g of processed meat everyday and the risks of causing cancer increased by 18%.

The risks of eating processed meats have placed in same category with plutonium and alcohol. However it doesn’t mean that they have same dangerous.

This announcement doesn’t force you to stop eating processed meats but if you want to decrease the risk of cancer, you had better refrain from eating them.

 

[Opinion]

When I heard this news, I thought that eating processed meat was no problem. Before this announcement released, many people ate a lot of processed meat and had a lot of happiness. If processed meat have serious dangerous, almost all people have been killed by cancer now, but actually, people are living with happiness of eating them now. It means that processed meat have less dangerous, so we need not stop to eat processed meat.

Besides, I think that this WHO’s announcement will create another problem which is that people are going to stop eating processed meat and processed meat will be sold less. It means that a dairy farmer will get a big shock and be bankrupt, so I think that official organization like WHO have to have a responsibility for their announcement.

NASA wants people to apply to be astronauts

The other day, we discussed technological news about NASA. Following are its summary and my opinion.

NASA has recruited astronauts who will be working preparation for their journey to Mars. And its application guidelines are hard. In fact, NASA wants people who is a US citizen, has great intelligence and have to be accomplished, and must pass the NASA long-duration spaceflight physical test if the application goes forward. NASA and the US astronauts are leading-edge of space flight missions.

In my opinion, space development program will advance steadily and Japan should cooperate with international plans and not to get off to a late start. I am browsing the homepage of NASA and JAXA. Then, I found out the plan of International Space Station (ISS). This is a project that started since 1984 and created an international station in the space. The station is about the same size of a soccer court. The US, Russia, Canada, European countries and Japan made its component elements and operate the parts with responsibility. Japan has a major role of the plan. For example, HIV (H-II Transfer Vehicle), is known for the name kounotori, has grate play as a supply machine. In this way, Japan should work together with international and progress in an area of the space.