Post by Sunday at midnight.
UPDATE: Perhaps radiation across Korea in a few days, given global wind patterns mixing and swirling over the past week:
http://www.irsn.fr/FR/popup/Pages/irsn-meteo-france_19mars.aspx
1. Mark Whitaker
2. Listen to the Japanese Oarfish: taking a clue from animals that can predict the future better than environmentally distracted humans
3. The Oarfish in Japan is interesting. Picture at the link. The oarfish contributed to a form of ancient futures studies in Japan. There is a tradition in Japan that this fish only appears before major earthquakes because it lives very deep in the Pacific Ocean and they come up to "sacrifice themselves" on the beach in warning to the Japanese people of a pending disaster. Well, a huge number of the rare oarfish did surface on the beach or were caught in fishing nets a week or more in advance of the recent massive quake which was the largest ever in Japanese history. The same thing happened with animals during the Aceh quake in 2004 as well. The following news story about the oarfish was written BEFORE the 9.0/9.1 earthquake. Therefore, with hindsight, it is ironic that the news story closes with the hubristic statement humans prefer their more appropriate high tech prediction mechanisms even though they failed to help and when animals worldwide are better predictors of pending environmental disaster than humans. So apply this to futures studies: take advantage of that and set up a larger international monitoring of strange animal behavior. It would certainly save some human lives, and human beings might do well to learn something from their more environmentally connected friends on the planet. If Japan kept a record of the number of oarfish caught or found--and when/where they were were found--it might serve as a good prediction of the location and scale of Japanese earthquakes.
---
a report before the Japanese earthquake:
Oarfish omen spells earthquake disaster for Japan
Japan is bracing itself after dozens of rare giant oarfish - traditionally the harbinger of a powerful earthquake - have been washed ashore or caught in fishermen's nets.
By Julian Ryall in Tokyo 7:00AM GMT 04 Mar 2010
The appearance of the fish follows Saturday's destructive 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile and the January 12 tremors in Haiti, which claimed an estimated 200,000 lives.
A quake with a magnitude of 6.4 has also struck southern Taiwan.
This rash of tectonic movements around the Pacific "Rim of Fire" is heightening concern that Japan - the most earthquake-prone country in the world - is next in line for a major earthquake.
Those concerns have been stoked by the unexplained appearance of a fish that is known traditionally as the Messenger from the Sea God's Palace.
The giant oarfish can grow up to five metres in length and is usually to be found at depths of 1,000 metres and very rarely above 200 metres from the surface. Long and slender with a dorsal fin the length of its body, the oarfish resembles a snake.
In recent weeks, 10 specimens have been found either washed ashore or in fishing nets off Ishikawa Prefecture, half-a-dozen have been caught in nets off Toyama Prefecture and others have been reported in Kyoto, Shimane and Nagasaki prefectures, all on the northern coast.
According to traditional Japanese lore, the fish rise to the surface and beach themselves to warn of an impending earthquake - and there are scientific theories that bottom-dwelling fish may very well be susceptible to movements in seismic fault lines and act in uncharacteristic ways in advance of an earthquake - but experts here are [foolishly, in retrospect] placing more faith in their constant high-tech monitoring of the tectonic plates beneath the surface.
"In ancient times Japanese people believed that fish warned of coming earthquakes, particularly catfish," Hiroshi Tajihi, deputy director of the Kobe Earthquake Centre, told the Daily Telegraph.
"But these are just old superstitions and there is no scientific relationship between these sightings and an earthquake," he said.
---
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/7365076/Oarfish-omen-spells-earthquake-disaster-for-Japan.html
[picture of oarfish at link]
1.Cho A Jin
ReplyDelete2.Natural strange isdications can be signs of dangerous disaster, but can't be predictions.
3.As natural strange disasters have occured more frequently than past, possibilities of dangerous disaster have rised. However, with a specific natural strange isdication we can't predict anything, only what we can do is just being scared, or making noise. If we found a Natural strange isdication, we should study, and analyze every thing, in every feild with science technology.
----
과학이 발달한 요즘 세상인데도 아직 뚜렷한 원인을 찾지 못하고 있다. 그저 불꽃놀이로 인한 단순 사고사라는 말부터 환경오염, 지구 기후변화 때문이라는 말까지 다양한 해석이 떠 돌고 있다. 물론 종말론은 당연히 끼어든다. 하지만 정확한 원인은 모른다. 그런데 인간에게 충격을 주는 것은 전문가들의 견해다. 그 원인이 무엇이든 간에 동물들의 떼죽음에는 인간에 대한 지구의 경고가 담겨 있다는 것이다. 동물이 떼죽음 당하고 나면 다음의 표적은 바로 인간이라는 것이다. 맞다. 인류는 이제라도 지구가, 또는 우주가 우리에게 전해주는 메시지를 깨닫고 철저히 재난에 대비해야 한다
It says when we saw Natural strange isdications ,, we should think it is just a sign, and prepare a disaster with science technology, in every feild.
----
http://www.kgnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=258368
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletehae jung seo
ReplyDeleteIn short term,
Not All Population Trends Are Bad in Korea.
According to this article, population trends have an good effect on financial industry.
Because people who will take the lead in korea economy lift a burden from their shoulders as birth rate decreases. It's very interesting to me.
Most people,including me,think that declined brith rate brings serious problems to our society.
But, in short term, recent population trends help our economy. It brings to small burden on house hold buget. so, we can save more money and a company can invest funds without difficulty.
eventually, our economic parts will grow bigger than the past.
However, in long term, declined birth rate causes
a bad economic growth. The less economically active population will work, the more economically burdens that are taken by economically active population will increase.
So, goverment should encourage people to have a baby.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The demographic news in South Korea tends to always look bad.
But a couple of new studies provide some encouraging signs in population trends – especially for the financial industry.
The Nomura report notes that over the next five years the working-age population, age 16-54, will expand. At the same time, the lower birth rate means that costs associated with child dependency are falling. As well, because the old-age population is small compared to the people who are working, the costs of elderly welfare will be low.
Nomura says that the effect of this demographic sweet spot should be increased saving and investing by South Korean adults, resulting in the accumulation of more assets.
------------------------------------------------
http://blogs.wsj.com/korearealtime/2011/03/09/not-all-population-trends-are-bad-in-korea/
1.Yunseong Choi
ReplyDelete2.Chernobyl Study Finds Lingering Cancer Risk
3.The articles points out several important aspects and I will be talking about three of them. First, the danger of eating or drinking something that has been contaminated. It has been reported in Japan that there were traces of radioactive material in milk and spinach. Also, people are avoiding to buy fish; one of their most favorable dish. The articles states that not only being directly exposed to radioactive iodine increases the chances of thyroid cancer; but also, eating tainted food does. Second, the failure of Russian government to provide sufficient amount of potassium iodine to their citizens. Last, the quote from the article saying that “But thyroid cancer is largely a nonlethal cancer. If detected and treated in a timely manner, they have a good prognosis.”
Applying it to the futures study; as soon as I have heard about spill of radioactive material, I also saw news about Japanese authority preparing potassium iodine as a supplement for their citizens. Meaning that people have learned from Chernobyl meltdown and trying to not make the same mistakes. Then the quote saying that thyroid cancer does not post huge threat. I believe that a preferable, probable future would be that Japanese government trying to have yearly check-ups for thyroid cancer among their people and treating them in timely manner.
The media is now saying that it is too late for us to be sitting ducks and pray that we would not get radioactive exposure. I suggest that by systems thinking, people should learn from the past and prepare for the worst scenario while hoping for the best.
----------
An international team of researchers led by the National Cancer Institute, a federal agency based in Bethesda, Md., has been monitoring the health effects of the Chernobyl accident for years. In the study released Thursday, the team screened 12,500 people who were under 18-years-old at the time of the 1986 accident and lived in one of three provinces near the accident site. The subjects’ thyroid glands were measured for radioactivity within two months of the accident.
-------------
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/18/health/research/18cancer.html?ref=health
1.Jung Kwon Lee
ReplyDelete2.Even if the death penalty is abolished, the rate of crime would not decrease.
3.The cruel criminal, kim gil tae, who raped and murdered middle school female student, was on the court. Everybody was expecting that he would get a death penalty, but actually he got a life sentence instead of death penalty. The death penalty was abolished in the past, but many people saying that there should be death penalty. However, in my opinion, it is correct that abolishing the death penalty. Because we can judge how cruel the crime was, but we cannot judge human. It is better making them be penitent for their sin. In addition, the rate of crime did not decreased even when there was death penalty. Once who decided to do cruel crime, he/she gave up their life. Therefore, there are not afraid of the death.
------------------------------------------
4.[뉴스천지=장은진 기자] 여중생 성폭행 및 살인 혐의로 검거된 김길태 사건으로 흉악범에 대한 사형제 시행 여부가 공론화 된 가운데 중학생들이 사형제도 찬반의견을 밝혀 눈길을 끈다. 이번 설문조사는 자신들과 또래인 여중생이 성폭행 및 살인에 희생당한 후 중학생들이 처음으로 사형제에 대한 의견을 밝힌 것으로 최근 사형제가 사회적 쟁점이 되고 있는 만큼 이들의 의견 역시 중요한 의미를 지닐 것으로 보인다(this article is about the survey of the death penalty)
-----------
5.http://www.newscj.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=39900
1. Javkhlantugs Byambaaa (JV)
ReplyDelete2. Save the world or save a little cash?
3. Environmental pollution has been a big issue in any country's society. Specially, in this modern world, people like to live faster and faster; in order to, win in a competition of life that we share with others.Cars are the biggest demand to provide speed (perhaps after cellphones and internet as I assume) in everybody's daily lives. Everybody drives car to work, to shop, to grandparents' house, to other cities, to see friends, and such on.
From to think of it, cars, the wonderful and simple transporting machine, has became a leg for our legs. We all know that we spend a lots of money on gasoline and still we never gave up driving. Unfortunately, most of us don't really see how much polluted air we are breathing and giving others to breath as we drive along.
Recently, alternetive fuel cars are becoming a big trend. A trend that we all can live fast and spend less. Most importantly, we finally can make vivid decision to keep mother earth's air fresh for ourselves and others.
-----------
"Obviously, an alternative fuel car is a vehicle that runs on non-mainstream fuel. And mainstream fuel, of course, is petrol or diesel. Fossil fuel products that have their problems. Peak oil bites twice: in rising prices due to dwindling reserves and through carbon offset pricing.
Transport is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. America's cars and pickup trucks alone make up 30% of the nearly 700 million vehicles globally. But they are responsible for nearly half of the greenhouse gases emitted by those cars. In Europe transport accounts for 21% of greenhouse gas emissions.
So-called "green cars" can deliver better fuel efficiency and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Good for the planet and good for your wallet."
---
http://www.alternate-energy-sources.com/alternative-fuel-car.html
JAVHAA JV said...
ReplyDelete1. Javkhlantugs Byambaaa (JV)
2. Save the world or save a little cash?
3. Environmental pollution has been a big issue in any country's society. Specially, in this modern world, people like to live faster and faster; in order to, win in a competition of life that we share with others.Cars are the biggest demand to provide speed (perhaps after cellphones and internet as I assume) in everybody's daily lives. Everybody drives car to work, to shop, to grandparents' house, to other cities, to see friends, and such on.
From to think of it, cars, the wonderful and simple transporting machine, has became a leg for our legs. We all know that we spend a lots of money on gasoline and still we never gave up driving. Unfortunately, most of us don't really see how much polluted air we are breathing and giving others to breath as we drive along.
Recently, alternetive fuel cars are becoming a big trend. A trend that we all can live fast and spend less. Most importantly, we finally can make vivid decision to keep mother earth's air fresh for ourselves and others. So I give a "big" hi5 for this as a "Preferable" :)
-----------
"Obviously, an alternative fuel car is a vehicle that runs on non-mainstream fuel. And mainstream fuel, of course, is petrol or diesel. Fossil fuel products that have their problems. Peak oil bites twice: in rising prices due to dwindling reserves and through carbon offset pricing.
Transport is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. America's cars and pickup trucks alone make up 30% of the nearly 700 million vehicles globally. But they are responsible for nearly half of the greenhouse gases emitted by those cars. In Europe transport accounts for 21% of greenhouse gas emissions.
So-called "green cars" can deliver better fuel efficiency and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Good for the planet and good for your wallet."
---
http://www.alternate-energy-sources.com/alternative-fuel-car.html
March 20, 2011 9:41 AM
I posted it on sunday but it didn't show up.
ReplyDeleteSo here is my comment.
1. Jihye Lee
2. Dictatorship disappears and freedom comes after.
3. Egyptians one step ahead to freedom through the first election which they do not know the result before the vote in their lives. They aggressively had demonstrated to the government of Egyptian and they eventually got the rights to elect the person they want. In short, dictatorship over whole Egyptians finished and the new world for normal powerless people is coming!
So this freedom-seeking wave which contains the message of release from political dictator will affect other counties under the control such as North Korea and this movement will might cause some changes; economic growth, better human rights, and increased trade amongst the countries as following consequences because planned-market will be gone, and people will pursue their own private property. This scenario, I found it probable, preferable, and possible.
4. MANSOURA, Egypt — Elated that for the first time in their lives every ballot mattered, Egyptians flocked to the polls in record numbers on Saturday to vote in a referendum on a package of constitutional amendments that will shape the country’s political future after Hosni Mubarak’s overthrow.
From this provincial capital in the Nile Delta, across the sprawling capital of Cairo and beyond, voters were already waiting when the polls opened at 8 a.m., and the lines grew throughout the day, sometimes stretching until the wait exceeded three hours.
“Before, I was not even allowed into the polling station,” said Mohamed el-Sayid Auf, a stooped 52-year-old engineer and Muslim Brotherhood supporter voting in a poor neighborhood here. “The police would tell me: ‘Go home. We already voted on your behalf. We know what is best for Egypt better than you.’
“Now there is freedom; there is organization. The people of Egypt are happy today,” he continued. “I feel like I am flying. It is something coming from deep within my soul.”
5.http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/world/middleeast/20egypt.html?_r=1&hp
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLike Jihye said, I also posted on last Sunday but maybe there were some kind of problem so I'm posting my comment again.
ReplyDelete1. Choi, Dahye
2. There can be some significant side effects for smart-society.
3. Nowadays, more and more people tend to use smart-phone like iPhone or Galaxy S. These days the number of smart-phone user is going up rapidly.For example, in Korea, there were approximately 3,000,000 people who use smart-phone and now it's almost 7,000,000. As smart-society started, we can live our life more easier. However, there can be side effects which are not very good for us. For example, smart-divide can be happened. People who are not able to learn or buy smart-phones will get less information than smart-phone users.
4. 스마트폰과 모바일 인터넷 시장이 급성장하면서 21세기판(版) 디지털 디바이드,'스마트 갭(smart gap)'이 확대되고 있다. 스마트 갭은 스마트폰을 활용해 언제 어디서나 정보에 접근할 수 있는 사람과 그렇지 못한 사람 사이에 발생하는 경제 · 사회적 격차를 뜻한다. 1990년대 중반 PC 시장이 급격히 커지면서 정보 격차를 야기했던 디지털 디바이드보다 훨씬 강도 높은 양극화 현상을 예고하고 있다.
5.http://www.hankyung.com/news/app/newsview.php?aid=2010040267701