The uncanny valley effect
The evolution of humankind is very long and every event throughout the history of humankind has somehow affected the way present humans function. The uncanny valley feeling is a innate fear that all humans have. The fear of observing something that looks human but ultimately is not, whether it is eyes being slightly off or the mouth being too thin or too large, humans are able to notice the difference between other humans and something that is not quite human but appears human. This can be seen in the current advancement of technology with the improvement of robots and other forms of AI. The robots that have human features are incredibly off putting and displeasing to look at.
The idea of uncanny valley is that at some point in our evolution humans had a natural predator that had human features but were not exactly human. The fear is passed down in our DNA. This begs the question of what existed and why is this fear something that still exists in modern humans.
Fox spirits in Japanese lore
Fox spirits are trickster spirits in Japanese myth and lore that are not necessarily good or bad in nature but exist to play pranks on mortals or other living beings. They do have a twisted sense of humor though and what may seem as terrible to us may be popular humor amongst the tricksters. They are also believed to have a issue with languages (dyslexic) and are unable to read.
英語学習をご検討中の皆様、１月キャンペーンは本日で締め切りとなります。
４月スタートはもちろん、ウォーミングアップを含めた、２月・３月のスタート生も受付中♪
当日体験もできる場合がございますので、お気軽にお問合せください！
Mistletoe is a fairly common weed that exists in the wild. Around Christmas and the colder seasons people hang mistletoe in doorways and the tradition behind it is that if two people are caught under mistletoe they must kiss or hug to show love to the mistletoe.
This tradition has some origins in Norse mythology and looks at the mother goddess Freya who had a son named Boulder. The son grew up strong and was adored by everyone. One day Freya, worried for her son, planned a celebration and invited all the elements, plants, metals and poisons. During this celebration Boulder was blessed by all none were able to harm him. Loki, the trickster god, was jealous of Boulder and wanted to harm him so he fashioned a dagger out of mistletoe. Freya had forgotten to invite mistletoe and as a result Boulder was not immune to it. The dagger evidently killed Boulder and Freya decided to place a kiss on mistletoe and a vow to place it in every doorway so that it may never be forgotten again.
There is an idea that perception is not as solid as what people may think. For example the color theory argues that color is not definitive one person might see blue as blue and another might see red but has been taught that the correct name is blue and would be unable to discern which person is correct. The idea that we all see the same colors is outdated and the idea that we are all seeing wildly different colors yet have embraced the same names is common and quite interesting to think about. What I may consider pink could actually be what you see as green but because we agreed on the name Pink we both call it that and there is no way of knowing who is right and who is wrong.
Exercise is a the act of intentionally moving your body for a specific period of time. This can come in many different forms such as swimming, yoga weightlifting or simply just walking. No matter the form of exercise it is important to choose one that you are comfortable with and do it regularly.
There are many benefits of exercise, one such is that it helps with mental health and reduces anxiety and depression. It also has many physical benefits as it can help boost your physical well being and improve your flexibility and stamina. Exercise is also a great way to lose weight or maintain weight loss. Frequent exercise has been shown to help reduce chances of health disease.
Caffeine benefits and concerns
Caffeine is a very common chemical in the world. It is found in drinks like tea, coffee and hot chocolate as it is a naturally occurring chemical. Humans have found a way to extract caffeine and create foods, drinks and even chewing gum that is caffeinated.
Caffeine is a stimulant in the way that it helps us stay more awake and alert over periods of time. The effects are not permanent and wear off after a few hours. This sudden high then gradual drop can cause people to develop a dependency on caffeine. Their brains, after some time, might struggle to function without caffeine and will take some time to get used to not being chemically stimulated.
Different kinds of learning styles.
People are incredibly unique and this extends to cognitive function and how our brains absorb information. In fact there are different learning styles developed to help foster growth in all individuals. Since people are so different it is only fair to assume that the way they learn would also be different, some may be able to read a book and retain enough information to pass a test while others may struggle to retain information through reading and thus would require an alternative learning style.
The two most common learning styles are visual and auditory. Visual refers to sight and learning information from visual clues. This applies to literature and using images to retain information. This is commonly seen in children who can understand words through pictures.
The second learning style to discuss is auditory learning and this is related to instruction. Being told things helps the student learn better than simply reading. This is common amongst people with reading disabilities such as Dyslexia which make reading almost impossible. These students typically listen to audio books or lectures to better help retain information. Reading is still important but not the main skill to be developed.
No matter what the learning style of the student is, it is important to encourage learning. And finding new and unique ways to educate and keep students engaged is vital to their growth.
The significance of Anime in Japan
Anime is a wildly popular in todays society. Prior to the 2020 pandemic, having an interest in anime was considered very niche. The pandemic allowed more people to communicate their interests and as a result anime has become very popular amongst all age groups.
Beyond being a globally popular form of entertainment, anime provides an insight to Japanese culture and society. Anime offers different and complex factors of the daily Japanese life and this includes everything from the foods commonly consumed, language, and architecture to festivities, religious ceremonies, customs, art, and clothing.
Though anime should not be the only source of information when trying to learn about Japanese culture. Try to engage with as many sources as possible to get a true insight into daily Japanese life.
Karaoke originated in Japan and is a pleasant past time for many locals and foreigners alike. There is a belief that Karaoke first started in a small bar in a small town in Kobe Japan. An entertainer did not show up for a performance and the owner decided to put some music on and invite the bar goers on stage to perform and keep merriment.
In Japan there is a cultural norm around singing in public. It is not considered embarrassing but instead accepted and encouraged. As a result many Japanese people fully participate in Karaoke. It is not just a friends activity as families have been known to go to Karaoke to spend quality time together.
