In this blog post, we’ll examine the causes of free-riding in group projects, explore long-term and short-term solutions to reduce it, and consider why it’s so difficult to prevent free-riding in the real world outside of school. Group projects are often cited as an “example of why socialism failed.” Since everyone is evaluated based on a collective outcome, “free riders” emerge who...
In this blog post, we’ll explore the principles behind capacitive fingerprint recognition technology, its applications in mobile devices, and the challenges that still need to be addressed. The Evolution of Fingerprint Recognition Technology and the Emergence of Capacitive Fingerprint Recognition When Apple’s “iPhone 5s” was released in 2013, one of the technologies that garnered...
In this blog post, we’ll examine how the expansion of storage space in the information age has influenced people’s desire to collect information and their storage habits. In 1980, Stephen Bloomberg—known as the greatest book thief of the 20th century—was arrested in the United States. At the time of his arrest, it was revealed that he had stolen approximately 23,600 rare books from as many...
In this blog post, we’ll explore why pandemics spread repeatedly by examining the relationship between a virus’s genetic material, mutations, and the immune system, and look at the potential of science and technology to prevent them. In 2015, another “epidemic storm” struck South Korea. The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) resulted in 186 confirmed cases in South Korea, 38 of whom...
In this blog post, I will examine various perspectives on whether artificial intelligence can possess emotions, empathize with humans, and coexist as an equal to humans, and I will summarize my own thoughts on the matter. Can Artificial Intelligence Have Emotions? Ray Kurzweil, author of ‘The Birth of the Mind’, argued that we should view artificial intelligence—which possesses...
In this blog post, we’ll examine—based on examples of AI androids from movies—the extent to which robots’ economic freedom and social rights can be recognized, and how humans and robots can coexist. The film ‘The Bicentennial Man’ (1999) tells the story of “Andrew,” an AI android, and his journey from being a mass-produced household android to being recognized as a human...
In this blog post, we’ll examine why human altruistic behavior occurs based on the repetition-reciprocity hypothesis and explore its significance and limitations. How can human altruism be explained? Before studying humans from the perspective of evolutionary biology, there is one important assumption: that humans are inherently selfish. It is believed that humans live to pursue their own...
In this blog post, we’ll examine why altruistic behaviors—which seem evolutionarily disadvantageous—have persisted to this day, using the costly signaling hypothesis. Why Do Altruistic Behaviors Persist? We often hear news stories about people who, despite an announcement that a subway train is about to arrive, jump onto the tracks without hesitation to rescue someone who has fallen...
In this blog post, we’ll examine how altruistic behavior has been maintained throughout the course of evolution, focusing on the “costly signaling” hypothesis. Altruistic Behavior and the Costly Signaling Hypothesis In our daily lives, we often see people helping others—whether by voluntarily donating to support neighbors in need, giving blood and dedicating their time, or willingly...
In this blog post, we’ll explore the necessity, ethical issues, and scientific validity of animal experiments used in the development of pharmaceuticals and various products, as well as potential alternatives to animal testing. Are Animal Tests Really Necessary? With advances in medical technology today, vaccines have been developed to prevent various infectious diseases such as polio...