Sequels in September 2017

Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Abe will dissolve the lower house

Following the dissolve of lower diet, each party began to prepare for the general election. Seiji Maebara, the top of Democratic Party decided to disintegrate the party. Most of the members will join to Kibounotou (Hope Party) which was developed by Yuriko Koike, the Governor of Tokyo. But, Koike denied accepting all of the members and she will examine each candidate's policy.

Koike's party is conservative while Democratic Party is rather liberal. Thus, this merger is hardly understandable. Koike herself is evaluated as a populist. And Democratic Party was historically apart from ruling Liberal Democratic Party. I do not believe they will be successfully integrated. Abe will win the next election.


Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Germany general election

Donald Trump ringed Angela Merkel to express a celebration. His reaction is meaningless at a glance because Trump and Merkel have been in a tense. Trump may be tricking Merkel or made an irony.


Saturday, September 16, 2017
London tube explosion

After that, London Tube faced an explosion again. This time, it occurred at Tower Hill station on 26th. It was not due to terrorists, but an ignited battery pack.

Metro: Panic at Tower Hill station after ‘battery pack explodes’ on District Line train


Thursday, September 14, 2017
JP Morgan disgrace Bitcoin

The price of Bitcoin rapidly recovered. On the other hand, the Chinese government began to restrict the deal of Bitcoin more strictly than ever before. It is unclear whether the price of Bitcoin will be stabilized.

Renewable energy source in the future

After the earthquake and Tsunami disaster in 2011, Japan had to face a serious shortage of electricity due to rising criticism against atomic power plants. Citizens nearby power plants opposed to restarting plants. As a result, many fire power plants had to be worked with enhanced magnitude. It caused deteriorated air pollution with no doubt.

Renewable energy was also focused in Japan. But Jpan has not enriched the utilization of renewable energy sources yet, compared with some European countries. While there are some reasons, narrow lands seem to be the dominant factor against broadened renewable energy. Few houses in Japan can equip solar panels. Windmills can be built in limited coasts. Ground heat is promising since there are many volcanoes in Japan. But most of the candidate areas are designated as a national park in which artificial buildings are prohibited.

Most of all, the cost-effectiveness of renewable energy sources is inferior to the conventional energy sources. Companies do not believe they are worthy of investment.

However, the balance will be amended. Innovation is expected in this region, whereas the potential of fossil fuels is exhausting. I have heard that the quality of solar panels is hardly improved any more. But according to the article below, there seems much room of enhancement.

The Conversation: Renewables will be cheaper than coal in the future. Here are the numbers

At least until the mid 21st century, fossil fuels will not be exhausted yet. On the other hand, renewable energy will be used more dominantly. And atomic power plants will still face broad criticism, I guess.

Hawaii vacation

I visited Hawaii for this summer vacation.

It is for the second time for me to visit Hawaii. Its tropical wind and joyful atmosphere attracted me so much.

Diamond Head is seen over the coast. I went there by bus.

I ate pancakes at Bills Waikiki. It is famous as the server of the world best breakfast.

Pancakes were delicious. But unfortunately, the breakfast plate was not so good.

Hawaiian night was fantastic. Cool wind felt good.

The night view seen at Mount Tantalus was extremely beautiful.

The last night at Waikiki, I rode on a sunset cruise. It was a splendid experience.

Surprisingly, I felt cooler in Hawaii than in Japan because the air humidity is different. It was a perfect vacation, and I would like to visit there again and again.

Abe will dissolve the lower house

Shinzo Abe, the Prime Minister of Japan, suggested the dissolve of the lower house of parliament.

Independence: Japan election: Shinzo Abe calls snap vote and dissolves lower house of parliament

As usual, an extraordinary Diet session will be held on Sep 28th. But Abe is planning to declare the dissolve at the beginning of the session. Following the declaration, a general election will be conducted.

Abe said that planned consumption tax hike would be used for child education instead of social security. He claims that this policy change will be judged by citizens, and he named this dissolve as a solution to the national crisis.

Abe's intention is guessed by several people. Opposing Democratic Party criticizes his decision as irresponsible for the current situation in which North Korea and the US is in the tense. According to Democratic Party, Abe intends to avoid criticism on Moritomo Gakuen and Kakei Gakuen, which are suspected to have been built under an illegal process of the intervention by the government.

On the contrary, Soichiro Tahara, a famous journalist, commented that Abe worries about the military intervention of the US to North Korea. If the US and North Korea begin to fight, Japan will face an extremely difficult situation. According to Tahara, Abe intends to stabilize the diet for the wartime.

In reality, the current situation is quite advantageous for ruling Liberal Democratic Party because opposing Democratic Party is in the chaos. Abe's decision is quite rational as a ruler to extend the life of the administration. I think his intention is rather simple.

Germany general election

Yesterday, a general election was conducted in Germany.

The Guardian: German election: Merkel wins fourth term but far-right AfD surges to third

The ruling Christian Democrat-led alliance kept the largest seats. Angela Merkel will successfully continue to be the Chancellor. She declared the triumph seeing the outcome.

Actually, however, the rise of far-right AfD brought a worry to Germany. It is for the first time for AfD to acquire the seat of parliament. A considerable amount of German people refuse immigrants, especially who are Muslim. Merkel never makes a coalition with AfD. But instead, she has to choose other parties to be an ally for the majority.

Indeed, the price of Euro rapidly fell after the election, maybe reflecting the worry about political instability in Germany.

Thanks to this result, this year will not be the year of far-right policy in Europe. But the future is quite uncertain.

Gates regrets three-finger-salute

While it is dropping the share in the computing industry recently, Windows is still a great platform. It rose as Windows 3.1 and was established as Windows 95 as an operational system in the late 20th century. Since then, Windows has been the dominant OS and representative as the computer itself.

Bill Gates, the famous man as the founder of Windows and the world richest person, has one regretful decision regarding Windows.

International Business Times: Bill Gates reveals the one thing he regrets about Windows

It is "three finger salute," as you know. You can call task manager or reboot the Windows OS with pressing the Control+Alter+Delete keys. Gates said he would like to adopt a simpler command for restart the OS.

Actually, this command is a little complicated so that beginners hardly remember it. And when your left hand is occupied you would struggle to press the three keys at the same time.

On the other hand, a simpler command would be mistakenly run. You may have experienced to press an erroneous key to cause an unexpected movement. Gates' command was excellent, I believe.

Medical AI is near to come

Recently, I mentioned medical AI as nearly to be introduced.

My past entry: AI medicine realized

As well, I had a joke regarding AI psychiatrist on an April Fool. Which is true?

My past entry: Google Psychiatrist launched: loosing my job

Actually, medical AI has not been realized. But, the day when an AI doctor overwhelms human physicians is not so far distant from today. Within a few years, AI will begin to support doctors in diagnosing patients. And doctors will ask the best treatment strategy to an AI after a decade, I believe.

There are many regions in which AI is advantageous to perform. Pattern recognition is one of the typical scenes. Thus, diagnosing skin cancer through distinguishing malignant color or structure from normal tissues must be a topic. Indeed, Google has already equipped a system of censoring child porn in its cloud storage.

My past entry: Banning of Google account due to instant upload

It is in a sense misfortunate for dermatologists to be overwhelmed by AI. They have been eager to make a diagnosis at a glance in front of the skin of the patient. Their talent will be no more special soon. When I was trained by a dermatologist in the past, I could not distinguish malignant skins from normal at all. That experience ignited my inferiority complex. Ironically, I will not need to feel disgraced.

So, will physicians be replaced by robots? The issue is not so simple. There is someone to be responsible for the patient's treatment. Unless getting the complete human right and personality, AI cannot compensate for the failure of treatment. Thus, to be sued will be the only value of the human. It is also ironic.

Nonetheless, I am optimistic about the future. Physicians have made many efforts to improve the treatment. AI is one of the tools for doctors. If patients are cured without the risk of human error, it is simply better for all.

Toysarus bankrupted

Toys-R-Us, a popular retailer of toys in the US committed bankruptcy. Its debt has reached three billion USD.

International Business Times: Toys 'R' Us files for bankruptcy as it buckles under $5bn worth of debt

Toysarus developed as a gigantic dealer of toys mainly for children. The other days, Toysarus was representative of toys themselves. But recently, many competitors such as Amazon, Target, and Walmart, rose and Toysarus began to struggle to keep its sales.

Some people analyzed that Toysarus had failed to adapt the era of the internet ordering. At first, Toysarus made a contract with Amazon for exclusive selling. Later, however, Amazon began to deal with other retailers to broaden the range of toys. Toysarus could not develop its own system of online shopping.

On the other hand, if Toysarus had been successful to offer the unique experience to customers visiting the store, it would have survived this year. Many artists and creators are eager to gather their lovers to the stage instead of selling copiable media.

In another point of view, toys are no more tools for kids, especially in Japan. Nowadays, many adults are fond of collect traditional toys. As well, several items which are enjoyable not only children but also adults are developed. Toysarus has been a brand for kids. It could be disadvantageous, I think.

Omega-3 reduce your aggression?

Omega-3 fatty acid is recently paid attention for its various effects on human health. Researchers are attempting to utilize it for treatment of several diseases including mental disorders.

Recently, some fish oil was proven to have a preventive effect on depression. On the other hand, the effect of DHA and other fatty acids on schizophrenia is still controversial.

Here, there is a clinical trial regarding the effect of DHA and EPA on violent behaviors in schizophrenic patients. In this study, participants were randomly assigned to fish oil group or placebo group. Patients taking fish oil showed lessor score of Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS) than the control with statistical significance. Interestingly, fish oil did not improve their psychotic symptoms.

Schizophrenia Research: Effects of Omega-3 in the Treatment of Violent Schizophrenia Patients

Unfortunately, I cannot read the full article now. Therefore, I cannot evaluate the validity of this study. If the result of this study is reliable, it is hypothesized that Omega-3 fatty acid can reduce aggressive ideas in schizophrenic patients, and this effect is not relevant to the symptoms itself of schizophrenia. I wonder if healthy people will become calm after taking fish oil, indirectly suggested by this study. Are fish eaters pleasant than beef eaters? Otherwise, it is possible that schizophrenic patients tend to fail to take omega-3 fatty acid as usual. Anyway, eating fish regularly is good for your mental health.

Gene criminology

Should genetic flaws be a reason for lessened sentence for a crime? It is a fundamental issue in forensic mental health.

Indeed, some types of genetic variations are known for a background of violent crimes. For example, MAO-A gene is proven to have a critical role in reactive aggression.

Actually, in some countries, lawyers seem successful to gain a shorter sentence for a criminal with genetic factors.

International Business Times: The crime gene: Should bad genetics mean a shorter sentence for criminals?

 It is surprising for me as it has never been discussed in Japan. Instead, in Japan, some criminal cases committed by a man who had Klinefelter syndrome were focused. The court sentence did account the influence of genetic factor of the defendant.

If some kinds of genes are responsible for crimes, as it is not a so fantastic hypothesis, criminals should not be responsible for their genes. On the other hand, there are many many factors which potentially bring us to a crime other than genes. Like poverty, low intelligence, and influence of parents, there are many factors we cannot control. Should they also accountable for factors to mitigate the sentence? It seems difficult.

Gene criminology is not established as an academic region. It was often argued, and sometimes discriminated. An open-minded discussion is required. But we should not jump to conclusion so rapidly.

Is magic mushroom a solution for depressive patients?

As I mentioned repeatedly, depression is one of the most serious diseases in the world. The magnitude of its adverse influence on the life of patients and society itself is astronomical.

Therefore, many kinds of therapeutic strategies have been attempted to treat depression. In spite of several hypotheses regarding the cause of depression, medication is still dominant way of treatment. However, each antidepressant is effective to only a third of patients. There are many patients suffering from treatment-resistant symptoms.

Recently, some experimental treatments for depression are focused. Magic mushroom is one of the potential drugs. Psilocybin, a dominant component of magic mushroom is considered to have an effect to make users euphoric. Some researchers believe this fact suggests a possibility of psilocybin as a useful antidepressant. There are a couple of clinical trials conducted.

International Business Times: Two parents' fight to set up the largest ever magic mushroom trial for depression is nearly over

In my opinion, whatever cure depression is welcomed. But I am very skeptical of the effect of magic mushroom. Psychedelic drugs never cure the depressive symptoms but only eliminate inhibiting functions in the brain. In the state of disinhibition, people feel euphoric and cheerful because they cannot see any barriers in the life. But, the reality is different.

Regarding continuous effect should also be examined with a strict protocol. Longitudinal adverse effect of substance with dependency should not be underestimated. Even if a clinical trial is successful, I hesitate to use such psychedelic drugs to patients with depression.

Price of London property falls

House price in London is falling this September.

According to Rightmove, a property website, the average price of property in London flee 2.9% in this month. The range of decrease varied in each location. On the other hand, Southwark met 9.4% increase.

International Business Times: London house prices record biggest slump in a decade in September

Housing demand in London seems still high. Then, the drop of the price may be due to the end of estate bubble. London’s property price was rising every year by up to 10%. This tendency could not survive for many years.

Brexit has caused fear of exile in foreigners living in London. It is unsure Brexit influenced the price of the property. But, the negative policy against immigration should take power to lower the value of properties in London.

A symposium regarding children and parents' mind

Last weekend, I attended an academic conference as a symposiast. The theme was "What is occurring in the mind of children and parents?" A professor specialized in child psychiatry made a teaching session. Subsequently, three symposiasts including me made a presentation.

I mentioned some critical cases in the session. Indeed, I have experienced some criminal cases which were relevant to child abuse and mental health problems in children. While it is difficult to generalize the characteristics in each case, I believe most criminals who took his or her children's lives had
been quite normal. They were not psychopathic or sadistic. They truly loved their children. But, some factors such as the onset of psychiatric illness and children's mental condition destroyed their ordinary life.

Then, how can we prevent the tragedy? It is not easy to answer. I believe most cases felt solitude before committing the crime. They believed they would not be rescued by anyone. They did not trust anyone including themselves. Thus, there is an absolute need of supporters.

Unfortunately, the depressive state gets rid of the rational thought. In a depressive state, we feel guilty and desperate. We can hardly listen to other's words. Prevention and early intervention are essential not to deteriorate the severity of illness.

Symposium was successful. I have much learned about child psychiatry. Thanks for speakers and organizers.

Germany is world best country

The Kochenov Quality of Nationality Index (QNI), conducted by Henley & Partners, published the list of nations which are the best to live. Germany was at the top of the list out of 195 nations.

International Business Times: Revealed: The world's best (and worst) nationalities

France, Denmark, and Ireland are following Germany. The UK was slipped from the top ten countries. Afganistan and some nations of the Middle East are named at the bottom of the list.

Northern European countries are often listed up in such a lineup. Their culture is sophisticated and citizens are kind. However, I would miss the sunshine if I lived there. They also lack entertainment.

Japan is one of the safest nations in the world. Also, living in Japan is very convenient, I believe. But Japan has some disadvantages. Foreign people tend to suffer from communication gap with Japanese. Discrimination against foreigners also exists in Japan. Most of all, Japan has a challenge in improving productivity in the society. I respect German people who have accomplished today's prosperity.

London tube explosion

On Sep 15th, 2017, an explosion occurred in a tube staying at Parsons Green station in London.

Due to this incident, a total of 29 people were injured. Nobody was reported to have been killed so far. The bomb was enclosed in a white plastic bucket inside a supermarket bag. Parsons Green station seems to have been reopened.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the bombing. Theresa May, the Prime Minister of the UK, declared that the warning level against terror attack became critical. Armed police will appear on the streets in the coming days, according to May.

The Guardian: London tube bombing: PM says terror threat level raised to critical

Donald Trump tweeted that Scotland Yard should enhance the level of supervision on the behaviors of terrorists. But May did not support his suggestion, mentioning that unlimited speculation by the police would not be appropriate.

However, it is true that London is facing a difficult situation between the public safety and freedom from being censored. This bombing case can be only a testimony for terrorists. It is fortunate that no one has been killed. But it is no more guaranteed for the future.

Quantum, AI, and singularity

Recently in Japan, the stock price of companies dealing with quantum computing is rising. Quantum computing is one of the focused technologies in recent years and is promised to change the world dramatically.

Quantum computing will be faster than any current machines by millions of times. But its uniqueness is not limited to the speed itself. Many scientists claim the realization of quantum computing will change our life completely.

Independent: Quantum computing breakthrough could help 'change life completely', say scientists

In the article above, what will be changed by quantum computing is not described concretely. It is highly certain that quantum computing will bring us an unbreakable code system. It makes the internet connection completely secure. Cyber criminals will perished due to the rise of quantum computing. Instead, they will become a pickpocket on the real street.

Quantum computing well collaborates with an AI. Current AI program is very progressive, but its quality is limited for the processing speed. If quantum computing is available, deep learning will proceed with incredible speed. In every game in which all information is clarified to the players, computer players will never be defeated by the human.

It is said that the point of singularity is approaching within 30 years. Quantum computing will make its realization faster.

JP Morgan disgrace Bitcoin

The price of Bitcoin fell by nearly 20% in a day.

A comment from JP Morgan's CEO seems to be the chance of the rapid falling. It was in the conference 

Jamie Dimon, an CEO of JP Morgan said in the Barclays' financial conference in New York on Sep 12. According to him, Bitcoin is a kind of fraud and useful only to drug dealers.

International Business times: Bitcoin is a 'fraud' only useful for drug dealers and North Korea, says JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon

He claimed that Bitcoin is against their rules and therefore stupid. I believe he has no idea of what Bitcoin and blockchain means. His outdated ideology is rather a disgrace for conventional bank organizations.

However, it should be accepted that his absurd comment is still influential to the economy of cryptocurrency. Values of alter-coins were also damaged. There is no doubt that Bitcoin economy is very vulnerable so that only gamblers are fond of dealing with Bitcoin.

On the other hand, it is possible that major investors for Bitcoin will sue Dimon for damaging the price of Bitcoin. But it will not be successful because the reason of price change is not a comment of a particular person but the behaviors of stockholders.

I am not sure about the true price of Bitcoin. More or less, however, cryptocurrency will become the major source of value in the near future.

iPhone X is released

Yesterday, Apple held an annual conference to introduce newest products.

In this setting, iPhone 8, iPhone 8pus, and iPhone X were mentioned. They are planned to be released in this Autumn consequently.

International Business Times: Apple iPhone X revealed: Say hello to the £1,000 smartphone that can read your face

iPhone 8 is the newest version of iPhone. It had been suggested that Apple would publish iPhone 7s. But this version was skipped.

At the same time, iPhone X, a luxury version of iPhone was developed. In iPhone X, the home button was omitted. Its display is created with an organic EL panel. Also, Apple has introduced several other features in iPhone X. It will cost more than 1000 USD.

Unfortunately, I was not attracted to the figure and the concept of iPhone X. Some Android Phones have no home button. Some match iPhone X in the graphic resolution.There seems no absolute superiority in iPhone X.

Nonetheless, providing a luxury model is a good strategy for Apple, I believe. Some Apple users want more high-qualified devices even if for a higher cost. Matching their need should be a priority for Apple, considering the fact most Android phones are cheaper than iPhones.

I will not buy an iPhone for a while. Instead, I have to replace my Android phone to a newer one.

Sex robot kills you?

Yesterday, I mentioned the risk of porn sites. Now, the risk of being killed by a sex doll is mentioned in this article below.

International Business Times: Hackers could order sex robots to kill their human lovers

There are many types of sex dolls all over the world, and there are not many, but a considerable amount of people who are fond of them. The Recent development of computer technology will make them far more real and reactive to the users. While I have no experience, they would offer us a very impressive sense.

On the other hand, an AI based sex robot has a risk of being cracked by an alien, according to the author. It is no doubt that sex robots are no exception of vulnerable devices. You should be aware of the risk.

I think, however, there are many things to be addressed. A refrigerator, a cooler, and an IH cooking machine are also devices which can bring a critical outcome if being cracked. The most dangerous device is, of course, a car, and the airplane.

Rather, if a sex robot is compromised, your naked figure would be shot by the camera attached to the eyes. And the crackers would threaten you with the photo. It is much more realistic scenario than being killed by the robot.

Android is not suitable to porn sites

You should not watch porn sites via Android, according to this article.

The Conversation: Why being aware of your mortality can be good for you

The reason is, of course, a risk of cracking. Android phone is vulnerable to being hacked, compared to iOS. And porn sites are generally risky. It is possible that the target of crackers is shifting from Windows to Android following the current trend of consumers' behavior.

Especially, young people are accustomed to Android Phone. On the other hand, they are often not aware of the dangerousness of malware. Furthermore, young people are more concerned about porn sites.

Deutsche Bank will replace many bankers into AI

It is an expected, but fearful report. Deutsche Bank will perform restructure and replace a considerable amount of employees to an AI.

International Business Times: Deutsche Bank will turn to AI and cut jobs because staff already 'behave like robots'

Chief Executive John Cryan said that many employees would face a huge impact due to the rise of AI because they have already resembled robots.

An accountant is one of the examples which will be replaced by AI. Its specialty relies on an accuracy. And AI is advantageous to the human in accuracy. According to a survey conducted this year, approximately 80% of bankers believe AI would drastically impact on the way of banking in the future.

So, how can you keep your job protected from AI? The answer is unclear. Even the most talented employee will be caught by the AI as far as his work can be copied. Rather, not so smart but humorous and friendly employees may keep a position in the workforce.

White Christians are no more majority in the US

The proportion of White Christians in the US is decreasing. And now only 43% of the US citizens are categorized, approximately halved from four decades ago, according to a new survey.

The Guardian: Clinical trials revolution could change the future of medical research

It is partially due to expanded immigration. The share of Christian remains 70%. But, some Americans are hesitating to belong to a strict cult. The percentage of White evangelicals is now 17%, decreased by 6% in this decade. Their shrinking power to the community might ignite social anxiety, leading to the triumph of Donald Trump, I guess.

The construction of the US is changing. Trump, with typically conservative ideology, is willing to get the US as a republic of WASP. But the concept of WASP itself also became vague. Originally, the US has been a melting pot of many races. Even if Trump administration prohibits immigration, it is difficult to reverse the global trend of mixture of multi-culture. It will be the matter what is the symbol of the integration of the US in the future.

Psychedelic drug and fever

Although the harm is well known, some psychedelic drugs such as LSD are still popular among some people. Users say they bring them a fantastic experience.

Indeed, a recent study suggests LSD cause your brain a heightened state of consciousness. Thus, the brain activity was elevated after taking LSD.

The Guardian: Psychedelic drugs induce 'heightened state of consciousness', brain scans show

So far, some artists were fond of taking psychedelic drugs. It was for promoting imagination. This finding is consistent with their experience.

However, I need not rely on such drugs for enhancing my brain. To begin, I caught a cold and suffered from a serious headache. And I had several psychedelic dreams. Perhaps I had feverish delirium. This experience was quite similar to that of taking LSD, while I have no experience.

Dreamers program to be terminated

Donald Trump, the President of the US, decided to terminate Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

The Guardian: Trump ends 'Dreamers' program, leaving fate of 800,000 uncertain

This program has permitted children of immigrants who entered the US without the legal procedure to stay in the US. It functions as a moratorium for immigrants Jrs, so called "dreamers."

If this policy is canceled, 800,000 young undocumented migrants will be potentially exiled from the US. Trump requested local governments to set proper regulation to fix this issue. The ex-president Obama made a opposing comment.

Considering his nationalistic ideology, this decision-making is predictable. But, it is uncertain whether Trump's plan will be realized. Humanitarian organizations are willing to sue the government to the court about this decision for violation of the human right. The thoughts of parliaments in each state will differ from each other.

As well as other Trump's America First policy, this decision damages the grobal trust to the US. I am afraid that Trump's policy will ruin the true "American Dream."

Heavy cold

I caught a serious cold yesterday. So, I am suffering from severe headache and general fatigue. Cough and sputum have not been seen yet. Perhaps, my immune system is fighting with virus.

My brain is almost nonfunctional due to deadly dizziness. I have fallen asleep for 20 hours. I hope I will get recovered soon.

Banned sending children by car

Some British primary schools began to fine parents who send their children to the school by car.

International Business Times: Parents to be fined if they drop their children off at school by car

This new regulation was launched on Sep 4th, 2017 in Heavers Farm, on Dinsdale Gardens, and St Chads, on Alverston Gardens. Parents have been prohibited to take on/off their children in front of the school at the limited time. Breachers are going to be fined by 130 GBP.

This strange rule has some ends, according to the media. The schools to be subjected are located on a dead end. Thus, the first reason seems for safety, and avoiding traffic jam is also important.

However, it is described that encouraging pupils to walk to the school is another purpose. I am not sure this comment is rational. Some children have to go to school from distant place. In addition, British people are very sensitive to the security of their children, in my sense. Some parents worry about their kids kidnapped. Their attitude looks a little overprotective from Japanese. I am doubtful how many parents will adhere to this new regulation.

Good personality predicts future success?

There are massive hypotheses to determine the condition of success. Are people who are smart, born in a rich family, belong to a sophisticated group going to enjoy a successful life? Or, can some people be successful despite terrible situation around them?

Among many factors, there are two decisive conditions which are deemed as the key to success: money and intelligence. People in a rich cluster are likely to earn more money than poor people. And, intelligent persons who graduate a university get more salary than people who graduate only a high school. There is almost no doubt of the importance of these two factors.

Even if intelligence is an important factor for success, however, there are other possibilities around this. For example, some researchers claim that personality can predict the future success more precisely than intelligence. According to Nobel prize winner Heckman, the grades and achievement test results in childhood were good predictors of future life, not limited to income, but also criminal records, obesity, and self-reported life satisfaction.

Independent: Personality has greater impact on success than IQ, new research suggests

This report is very encouraging for many people who think themselves as not so smart or rich. Indeed, some highly intelligent people have a difficulty in dealing with other people in society. They are often arrogant, uncollaborative, or failing to show compassion to others. In other words, modesty, friendship, and conscience are essential for maintaining a good relationship with others. A man with these virtues should be called an uplight man.

However, personality trait is far difficult to be examined than intelligence, while intelligence itself is not to be measured in a simple way. It is also possible that a man who was liked by everyone in a community is hated in another community. Some troublesome characters can be valued in a specific situation. Furthermore, it is quite doubtful a person's personality trait can be visualized with simplified tests. Though Heckman said that school grade includes the evaluation of each pupil's personality, I do not believe school teachers could rank the students' personality properly, because the perception of each personality is altered through mutual relationship.

Medical device on your smartphone

What do you imagine if your smartphone saves your life? Perhaps, GPS, alert for missile or earthquake, and simply the internet connection are candidates.

But in reality, smartphones are going to be a medical tool. There are examples how your smartphone will change into a medical device.

Mirror: 5 ways your smartphone could save your life

I have noticed the possibility to utilize this tiny computer as a medical monitor. But, there are more progressive usage possible to be realized in the near future.

Electrocardiogram, pulse oximeter, and sphygmomanometer will be contained in the smartphone with ease. Detecting skin cancer and retinoblastoma is more difficult, but not impossible. In this region, pattern recognition capacity is essential for proper diagnosis. And AI is advantageous to distinguish the malignancy from normal shape of the body.

Cost is a current and critical issue. In addition, preciseness is another point of discussion. If the device fails to detect the disease, providers cannot be responsible for delayed treatment. Human physicians will be necessary for a while.

Which nation has the most positive influence on the world?

Canada seems to have a positive influence on the world, according to a new survey.

Independent: These are the countries with the most positive influence on the world

This study was conducted by IPSOS Mori, an international organization dealing with marketing and media research.

The data shows that 81% of the participants believe Canada has a positive influence on the world. On the other hand, only 40% agree about the US.

But this is not this chart biased? The participants were tens of thousands of people among 25 countries including Japan and South Korea. On the other hand, there are only 11 countries as the subjects to be evaluated about influence on the world.

In the original reports, some other charts are also shown. Regarding self-perception, 63% of Japanese believe that Japan is having an overall positive influence.

Interestingly, each nation has a difference in the discrepancy between self-conception and global appraisal. Russia, India, and the US are not so positively evaluated as they think about their own nations.

Japan and Korea lack the data of global impression. I estimate that Japanese and Koreans are both rather pessimistic. And I believe Korea can be appraised more in the world.

Chiba-shi meets Hatsune Miku

Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of Hatsune Miku.

Hatsune Miku is a famous Vocaloid. Vocaloids were originally developed to sing songs like a human according to the program of the composer. Before Hatsune Miku, there had already been some vocaloids. But Hatsune Miku became popular for her cute figure and highly qualified voice. Nowadays, tens of thousands of songs developed of many composers for Hatsune Miku are available worldwide.

Hatsune Miku was born in Hokkaido where the company produced her is. But, Chiba-shi is also an enthusiastic supporter of Hatsune Miku.

Some people have mentioned that the symbol of Chiba-shi resembles the silhouette of Hatsune Miku. And then, Chiba-shi conducted a series of events to celebrate the 10th anniversary. Chiba-shi's symbol was changed to Hatsune Miku on 31st August.

It is wonderful that such a virtual idol is collaborating with a prefecturel government. Unfortunately, I cannot visit the event conducted at Makuhari. Nonetheless, I will enjoy this celebration.