If something fortunate and yet unplanned happened accidentally, we call it serendipity. Being more creative and useful, it is a sort of gift that a series of unexpected accidents give us in one way or another. To receive such gifts, we even welcome accidents and troubles. Often, we can recall our problems and failures ended … Continue reading Serendipity
Minkowski’s Spacetime
Einstein's theory of relativity tells us that we live in a sort of spacetime continuum. The cosmos we recognize is not only a spatial entity but also a time sequence that contains itself. We can easily understand such "reality" with a few thought experiments. For example, the sunlight we see right now is not the … Continue reading Minkowski’s Spacetime
Be not Defeated by the Rain
Kenji Miyazawa (1896-1933) is one of the well-known novelists and poets in Japan, especially for children's literature. While he was unknown as the author during his lifetime, his works are now part of the best classic lineups. Almost all Japanese now are familiar with his name and have read some of his novels, poets, and … Continue reading Be not Defeated by the Rain
Solomon’s Wisdom
Why do we suffer? That is one of the fundamental questions we have been asking throughout our human history. And such a sense of suffering could be both internal and external. We often identify them as internal and external threats. Both are sometimes interchangeable, even inseparable. What are the external threats? Still, we suffer from … Continue reading Solomon’s Wisdom
Thy Sight Alone
Thinking of the entire universe makes us feel a sense of awe and wonder. We used to believe that the planet Earth was the whole world that we could imagine. It was, however, only the beginning of how we observe the cosmos. We now know that Earth is the only third planet from the Sun, … Continue reading Thy Sight Alone
Prisoner’s Dilemma
In the field of game theory, one of the well-known models is the so-called prisoner's dilemma. For example, there are two prisoners, A and B, in a separate room for interrogation. And they don't have any means of communication between two. In this situation, the prosecutors offer each prisoner a bargain. That is either betraying … Continue reading Prisoner’s Dilemma
A Grain of Sand
If you only have one day to live, how do you spend the moment? Often, we hear the advice, saying, "Live as if it is your last day" or "Live as if you were to die tomorrow." Also, some suggest that we consider our lives as "one day" instead of 80 or 90 years of … Continue reading A Grain of Sand
