Discussion topics

The issue of universal basic income

By Jeremy S on janvier 23 2020

The idea of universal basic income (UBI) has been gaining steam around the world. A Japanese billionaire and an American presidential candidate, among others, have both thrown their weight behind it.

The concept is simple: the government provides unconditional money to their citizens. The theory is that in order to provide basic services for all citizens and to stimulate the economy, a small amount of money can be given to each person, equally. 

Which 2020 predictions came true?

By Di on janvier 16 2020

The year 2020 has served as a benchmark for many predictions, from business markets to technological advances to climate change. In 2015, Factor magazine published a list of ten predictions for 2020, most of which have come true.

  1. Same-day cancer treatment: YES

  2. Self-driving cars on the road: YES

  3. Cannabis market legalized and booming: YES

  4. 4 billion internet users: YES (almost 4.5 billion)

Must traditions be traditional?

By Jeremy S on décembre 19 2019
Topical

I’m from Canada, where Christmas is a big deal. The minute Halloween is finished, the Santa decorations go up in stores, Christmas songs start playing on the radio, and the fuss of holiday shopping starts in earnest. For me, one of the most nostalgic parts of Christmas is the food. I love a plate of roast turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce with some pumpkin pie, all with a frosty glass of eggnog to drink.

Christmas in a foodies' paradise

By The English Farm on décembre 12 2019
Evergreen

Japan is a culinary delight. There are many restaurants with Michelin stars. It's a country where ramen shops can command hours-long waits, and where entire floors of department stores are devoted to specialty food. If you take a domestic trip, you are expected to return to your office with omiyage—souvenir treats specific to a region. So one might expect Christmastime to be a season of decadent food. But actually, Christmas is when you get a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken [KFC]. 

Preventing gun crime in Japan

By James on décembre 5 2019

In 2014, there were just six gun deaths in Japan (≈0.00000004% of the population), compared to 33,599 (≈1.0% of the population) in the US.

Buying a gun in Japan takes patience and perseverance. First, you need to attend an all-day class, then sit a written exam and pass a shooting-range test with a mark of at least 95%. There are also mental health and drugs tests to pass.

Microsoft trials shorter work-weeks

By The English Farm on décembre 2 2019
Topical

CNN and multiple other news agencies around the world have reported that Microsoft introduced a program this summer in Japan called the "Work Life Choice Challenge." Microsoft shut down its offices every Friday in August. Managers also urged staff to cut down on the time spent in meetings, suggesting that these last no longer than 30 minutes.

Prime editing diseases away

By The English Farm on novembre 21 2019
Evergreen

The BBC reports that a new way of editing DNA could correct 89% of the errors in DNA that cause disease. The technology, called prime editing, has been used to correct damaging DNA mutations in the lab, including those that cause sickle cell anaemia. It is the latest advance in gene editing, which is developing at a rapid pace.

Saving the world with batteries

By Di on novembre 11 2019

The 2019 Nobel Prize in chemistry has been awarded to three scientists who played a large role in developing lithium-ion batteries: Stanley Whittingham of the U.K., American John Goodenough (at 97, the oldest Nobel laureate ever), and Japan’s Akira Yoshino. Whittingham created the first functional lithium-ion battery in the 1970s, then Goodenough increased its capacity two-fold over the next 10 years. Finally, Yoshino removed the pure lithium, making it much safer to use.

Japan's ageing population problem

By Craig on novembre 5 2019

The ageing of Japan is thought to outweigh that of all other nations, with Japan said to have the highest proportion of elderly citizens both in rural and urban areas. According to 2014 estimates, 33.0% of the Japanese population is above the age of 60, 25.9% are aged 65 or above, and 12.5% are aged 75 or above. 

Getting a wink in rented cars

By The English Farm on octobre 26 2019
Evergreen

Car rental companies in Japan have figured out why some customers are returning their vehicles with barely a mile on the clock. Rather than travel from point A to B, as many as one in eight “drivers” are using their rental cars to take a nap, catch up on work or even brush up their language skills, according to industry surveys.

Goldman Sachs addresses diversity

By Di on octobre 17 2019
Topical

Goldman Sachs has instituted a new diversity program based not on quotas but on hard data trends that uncovered why even progressive recruitment out of college hasn’t solved the problem. Women and minorities, it turned out, even when hired at the same rates as their white male counterparts, kept falling out of the pipeline. Attrition was enormous.

Who will care for Japan's elderly?

By Craig on octobre 14 2019

Today, more than a quarter of Japan's population is aged over 65. This is set to increase to 40% by 2055. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has warned that Japan will need to add one million nurses and care workers by 2025 to cope with this demographic change.

Encouraging immigration may seem like a simple solution—but it's not a popular one. Japan is still one of the most ethnically homogeneous countries in the world, with foreigners making up less than 2% of the population. Opening up Japan to large-scale immigration is a very sensitive subject.

First, do no harm

By Di on octobre 10 2019

Mathematicians, computer engineers and scientists in related fields should take a Hippocratic oath to protect the public from powerful new technologies under development, says Hannah Fry, an associate professor of mathematics at University College, London. The ethical pledge would commit scientists to think deeply about the possible applications of their work and compel them to pursue only those that, at the least, do no harm to society.

Young people demand a better future

By Di on septembre 30 2019

On Friday, September 22, millions of young people around the globe walked out of school to protest the lack of action to reverse climate change. Led by 16-year-old Greta Thunberg, teenagers, children, and some adults added their voices to an ever-growing movement to hold governments and corporations accountable for their environmental destruction and demand that they make immediate changes to reverse the damage. A week later, more strikes drew similar crowds, some even larger. In New Zealand, an unprecedented 3.5% of the population took to the streets.