In this blog post, I’ll talk about how someone worn out by daily life can briefly escape from it by experiencing the music, the people, and the free-spirited atmosphere at a rock festival.   Perhaps because of the short monsoon season, that summer was particularly hot. In late July, after the monsoon ended early, I was working on a summer session project in Building 301. The summer session...

In this blog post, I will examine concerns regarding environmental pollution, human health, the local ecosystem, and economic impacts surrounding the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant in Malaysia, and consider whether the plant should be shut down in light of these issues.   The Malaysian government approved the establishment of the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant, and construction began in 2008...

In this blog post, we’ll explore the principles, types, preoperative examinations, postoperative care, and pros and cons of intraocular lens implantation (ICL)—an alternative to consider when LASIK or LASEK surgery isn’t feasible.   Having worn glasses since elementary school, I understand the inconvenience of glasses better than anyone. My vision was so poor that I could barely distinguish...

In this blog post, I’d like to share my firsthand experiences from several visits to Las Vegas to discuss how the city was built and is operated, and how I came to discover the face of capitalism—and its hidden side—there.   As I approach graduation, I find myself reminiscing about happier times in the past. I think the happiest times of my life were when I was just having fun in the U.S...

In this blog post, we’ll compare the process of human speech and listening with the transmission and reception process of a radio to explore the principle by which a radio carries music signals on high-frequency radio waves and converts them back into sound that humans can hear.   SBS Power FM at 107.7 MHz, MBC FM4U at 91.9 MHz, KBS Classic FM at 93.1 MHz… These are the frequencies we...

In this blog post, we’ll explore the principles behind how radios and TVs select and receive the desired broadcast signal from among various frequencies, the basic concepts of filtering, and how a simple low-pass filter works.   Today, many people watch TV or listen to the radio. To receive a broadcast, you must select and receive radio waves within a specific frequency band transmitted by a...

In this blog post, we’ll examine the principles behind yogurt cup lids and water-repellent car coatings, and explore how superhydrophobic materials inspired by the nanostructure of lotus leaves are being developed and utilized.   I often enjoy eating yogurt in a cup. The real pleasure of eating yogurt this way was licking the yogurt stuck to the lid with my tongue. It may seem a bit silly to...

In this blog post, we’ll examine what “dirt”—which we often consider unsanitary—is actually made of, and how excessive scrubbing affects skin health.   These days, public bathhouses are becoming increasingly rare—it’s hard to spot one while walking down the street. Even when you do visit a bathhouse, the number of professional scrubbers who charge a fee to remove dead skin has dwindled, so...

In this blog post, we’ll examine the characteristics and uses of fossil fuels—such as oil, coal, natural gas, and oil sands—as well as their depletion, the environmental issues they raise, and trends in the development of alternative energy sources.   What Is Fossil Energy? Fossil energy, or fossil fuels, refers to fuels formed over long periods of time as the remains of plants and animals...

In this blog post, we’ll explore the basic concepts of deep learning and examine exactly how it works, using the example of training a computer to recognize letters written in various handwriting styles.   ‘Will Doctors Become an Extinct Profession?’, ‘Humans Are No Longer Needed’, ‘The Arrival of Learning Machines’, ‘The Future of Jobs Transformed...