In this blog post, we’ll examine the infrastructure and civil engineering of the Roman Empire—with a focus on ancient Roman roads and aqueducts—to see how they contributed to the empire’s development.   Civil Engineering and the Infrastructure of the Roman Empire Civil engineering is the field of engineering concerned with the construction and management of social overhead capital (SOC)...

In this blog post, we’ll examine the roles of motors and rotating shafts—key components of mechanical devices—and explore the principles behind how unbalanced mass causes vibration and damage in these devices, as well as the importance of balancing to mitigate these issues.   What is the relationship between machines and motors? We are now in the 21st century—the era of machines and...

In this blog post, I’ll examine why we tend to condemn selfish human behavior through the concept of “conscience,” and consider how the free-rider problem that arises in group projects can be mitigated from the perspective of conscience.   Why Do People Act Selfishly? In 2016, when the entire nation was in an uproar over the so-called “Choi Soon-sil influence-peddling scandal,” the media...

In this blog post, we will examine the basic principles of the immune system and the infectious diseases that have long threatened humanity, and explore how HIV damages the immune system, leading to AIDS.   The Terror of Infectious Diseases and the Discovery of the Immune System Throughout humanity’s history spanning millions of years, infectious diseases have always been a source of fear...

In this blog post, we’ll explore how the concepts of invisibility cloaks and invisible humans—once considered mere fantasies in movies and novels—are now being scientifically studied through metamaterials and transformational optics.   Invisibility cloaks and invisible humans have long been popular themes in novels and movies. For example, in the “Harry Potter” series, the protagonist Harry...

In this blog post, we’ll explore Bernoulli’s principle and the Magnus effect—two fundamental principles of fluid dynamics—through the mechanism by which a soccer ball curves as it spins.   It’s already been 24 years since the 2002 World Cup. The children born back then are now adults, and the excitement and passion of that time have become nothing but memories. Do you remember the South...

In this blog post, we’ll explore the principles behind semiconductor miniaturization—which has driven the proliferation of SSDs and smartphones as well as advancements in the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and autonomous vehicles—and the technologies that have been developed to overcome its limitations.   NAND Flash and the Significance of Semiconductor...

In this blog post, we’ll take a scientific look at the energy crisis that arose after humanity blocked out the sun in the movie “The Matrix,” and explore possible alternative energy sources and solutions to air pollution in a world where sunlight is blocked.   The World of “The Matrix” Without Sunlight The movie “The Matrix” had a profound impact on audiences. The premise—that human freedom...

In this blog post, we’ll examine the background and key research surrounding the long-standing debate over human nature and nurture through Matt Ridley’s ‘Nature and Nurture’, and explore how genes and the environment interact.   The debate over whether humans are governed by “nature”—that is, genes—or “nurture”—that is, the environment—has persisted for a long time, both in the...

In this blog post, I’ll examine which type of human—the “custom-made human” or the “natural human”—might lead a happier life from the perspectives of health and achievement, and I’ll argue that the “custom-made human” may indeed lead a happier life.   Designer Humans vs. Natural Humans: Which Is Happier? Everyone has probably experienced envy at least once—whether toward a friend’s talent or...