AuthorTra My

Is South Korea the “Plastic Surgery Republic”?

In this blog post, we’ll explore the background behind the prevalence of plastic surgery in Korea, as well as its cultural and evolutionary causes.   Traditional Aesthetics and the Modern Ideal Single eyelids, delicate eyes, a small but cute nose, and a round, egg-shaped face resemble the faces of beauties painted by artists during the Joseon Dynasty. Conversely, double eyelids, cartoonishly...

Should college students really try so hard to get to know so many people?

In this blog post, I’d like to share a realization I’ve come to during my time in college: there’s no need to go out of your way to get to know a lot of people when it comes to relationships.   My Expectations vs. Reality in College When you become a college student, everyone worries about relationships. This is because humans are social beings, and that nature becomes even more apparent...

If you were in that situation, which would you choose: the “red pill” or the “blue pill”?

In this blog post, we’ll explore reality, virtual reality, and free will through the scene in ‘The Matrix’ where the protagonist must choose between the red pill and the blue pill.   Scenes from The Matrix and Popular Culture Just as scenes of dodging bullets by leaning backward are often seen in cinematic direction, one scene from The Matrix left a deep impression on popular...

Which yellow pill would you choose?

In this blog post, we’ll use the pill scene from the movie ‘The Matrix’ as a starting point to explore the dilemma of choosing between virtual reality and reality, truth and falsehood.   The Matrix and the Intuition of Choice Anyone who has seen the movie “The Matrix” will find it hard to forget the scene where Morpheus offers the red and blue pills. Neo swallows the red pill...

Are you going to live locked up in a zoo cage?

In this blog post, I’ll reflect on the choice between virtual reality and reality after watching the movie ‘The Matrix’ (1999).   The world of ‘The Matrix’ is truly fascinating. Starting from the imagination of what would happen if artificial intelligence—capable of creative computation rather than merely performing pre-programmed tasks—were to emerge, the film...

Nethack: Why Is It Still Considered a Classic Masterpiece?

In this blog post, we’ll take a step-by-step look at Nethack’s history, its text-based graphics, high level of freedom, and brutal difficulty, as well as some simple tips to help beginners get started right away.   Overview Nethack, released in 1987, is one of the representative titles of the early roguelike genre. Although it came out later than its predecessor, Rogue, it is certainly...

What Do Documentary Elements in Fiction Films Offer to Writing?

In this blog post, I will explore the questions raised by the documentary elements found in fiction films and Kiarostami’s reflective style regarding the writing I intend to pursue.   Reflections on Writing and Novelty A question I’ve been pondering frequently lately is, “How can I write in a new way?” While novelty is always an important issue in art, I’ve become increasingly preoccupied...

How should we understand the engineering stress-strain curve?

In this blog post, we will examine the basic concepts of the “engineering stress-strain curve,” the difference between normal stress-strain and true stress-strain, and the material properties that can be determined from the curve.   Selecting materials for manufacturing products in industrial settings requires engineering knowledge. What would happen if, for example, a support bracket...

The Principle of Resonance and Examples in Architecture and Daily Life: From the Tacoma Narrows Bridge to MRI Machines and Musical Instruments

In this blog post, we will focus on “The Principle of Resonance and Examples in Architecture and Daily Life.”   Introduction Do you remember kicking your feet to swing higher on a swing when you were a child? Can you believe that the principle behind this simple action—one we perform naturally without any instruction—could bring down even the sturdiest structures we can imagine in an instant...

Will Humanity Disappear in the Age of Strong Artificial Intelligence?

In this blog post, we revisit the Turing Test and Brian Christian’s optimism to examine the risks that the emergence of strong artificial intelligence could pose to humanity and social safety.   Introduction While attempts to predict the future based on the past and present have always existed, the future remains difficult to predict due to differences in interpretation and incomplete...