Toefl Practice

Have computers helped or hurt our lives?

Generally speaking, every invention has advantages and disadvantages. And whether users get good out of it depends on users themselves. This is also true for computers too. Computers are now prevalent around the world. Almost everyone has a chance to use computers. I think computers have brought about so much advantages than disadvantages that hurt our lives that it has helped us in total. There are 3 reasons that will lead you to this conclusion.

First, the use of the Internet has changed everything including society, economies, and communication dramatically. Take communication for example, we are now connected each other via email and social media that enables us to be constantly connected. If you want to tell something, you just have tell the computer to do so. The use of the Internet has trumped geography.This is definitely the example of computers helping us.

Secondly, computers help us to do calculation. Computers are good at doing simple and repetitive computation and memorizing exact numbers which are both human being are not good at. Take space development for example, the calculation of space shuttle launching, the speed of orbit, and other physics by computers have helped us explore the mystery of space. Without computers, with only human brain, we couldn't have done this exciting things.

Finally, computers shows virtually created new world. Computers are also good at simulating, such as the movement of consumers, the change of environment, and the scenery of old world. Take films for example, a lot of films now depend on computer graphics that enables to happen something virtually without actually make that happen. And 3D effect is now becoming prevalent. This whole experiments that we wouldn't have experienced without computers have definitely brought us a excitement and curiosity.

In conclusion, of course there are some side-effects that hurt our lives using computers, however, there are a lot more benefits using them. Because we are now connected over geographical distance, we can calculate faster and solve difficult problems, and we now can see the virtual new world.

wasting time

Since more than a year ago, I record my every learning history. Even this English writing practice. I assign 20minutes for this actually. Also, I record the history of Computer Science learning, reading a book, learning English, etc. The aim I do this now is a little bit obscure now surprisingly while it was obvious at the beginning. Now, I'll consider about this habit and maybe find drawbacks or good points, and fix it.

First, the aim of this. I think I started this because I wanted to make the abstract learning effort visible. When I started this, I was really into learning English. For example, I did more than 6 hours a day. However, English is something you use, and I didn't have a lot of chance using it, I was uneasy about the meaning of what I did. And by visualizing it, in the form of time, I felt better because I could feel like I did whole this!!, this is gonna bring me something good. This is one of its good points. However, there is a bad point of course. Now the learning history is visible that I know how much I did at the end of the day. This means I can compare it with that of other days. Since I am a little bit a perfectionist that I felt I lost on the day when the total amount of time is much shorter than other day while it doesn't matter. However, from a different perspective, this would boost my willingness to do more. But instinctively, I recently think this is stressful. Stressful because I am ruled by something that is not essential.

The essential point of learning is quality rather than quantity. I know it is not completely proportional to the amount of time I spent. Of course, more I study, more I get better. But I think it is time to pursuit quality learning experience since there are so much amount of things I want to learn. I it simply impossible to learn them all doing in a way I do. I need to be clever.

In conclusion, as of now, I don't stop this. Because it is not that complicated and painful habit. And I see more benefit than disadvantage. I think I am still at the stage that I needs constant effort of learning that require certain amount of time spent for learning on a daily basis. And this habit is helpful for this. But in the near future when the time is ripe, I will be at the stage I use what I've got so far that requires so much creativity and passion, and more quality pursuit in learning, I am gonna stop this habit. Because what I need at that stage is the quality of what I did rather than how much I devoted myself.

Toefl Practice

Why do you think it is that people's lives are longer now?

I live in a country where the people have the longest longevity, Japan. I see a lot of old people walking in the town, and see less kids these days. Comparing with the people in the past, the average longevity has definitely increased without a doubt. There are a few reasons that explain this. And this will also show why Japanese people have the longest longevity.

First, we have a rich system of welfare. We all have to enroll in national health insurance that covers the 70% of medical cost you pay. This insurance can apply for any deceases, sickness except for some special cases such as dental makeover. Therefore, it is a rare case in Japan that people lose their lives due to curable sickness because they just have to go to hospital and get better. People generally don't have problem with money accepting medical attention. And not only for Japan, not expensive medical cost is becoming prevalent in the world.

Second, the technology has evolved. There used to be a lot of deceases or ailments that couldn't be cured in the past. These days, as technology progress, the more possibility those deceases can be cured. Therefore, people get cured even if they get serious ones. And not only curing, the precaution that will prevent people from getting serious deceases or even small sickness is well taken so that people get less sickness that made people's lives longer consequently.

Finally, people now get richer food. In this society, food production is massively done by doing separately across the world. In turn, the production of food got efficient and abundant. Therefore, people now eat enough food without so much pain getting food like people did in the past. This richness made people more healthy and gave leisure that in turn brought longevity.

In conclusion, people all over the world got longer longevity because human beings got a better system and technology to fight against deceases and sickness and get enough food for health.

Distributed Education: the new form of Education

The other day, Computer Science department of Stanford University announced that 3 lectures are going to be provided this fall for not only students at there, but also people in the world. Those lectures contain lecture video, quiz, assignments, and discussion as well. Stanford has been doing this kind of distributed education, but this time, Stanford will offer real time lectures meaning people around the world literally participate in the classes simultaneously.

I've been using the series of lectures, of course with assignments and quiz as well. However, I felt somewhat alone. I was studying alone. I think the existence of certain number of people will boost your motivation or passion toward learning because of social effect and competition. You'll be motivated if you see people in your class do better than you or harder than you right? And this experimental distributed education is actually really different from the old ones.

I plan to enroll 2 lectures out of 3. Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. This is like the new form of education. In the long time ago, there were no enough school that kids had to go a long way. In the past, education was physically distant. But now, it its distance is zero. You can access to the world's best education just by turning on your computer. The only distance you have to come over is your mind. Mind that you want to get that education.

The CS department at Stanford is definitely lead the new form of education with technology of Internet. I felt like they did kind of role they had, that is what the No1 education institute has got to do. And this kind of distributed education will be prevalent not only CS, but also for any fields. This is the right use of the Internet. I can't wait to see the world with dynamically connected each other where there are a lot of shortcuts.

75000 people have enrolled to Artificial Intelligence class as of this writing. This will grow further. And Stanford also offers the community service using facebook that connects all students. This is just a beginning. What is another options or way of providing distributed education??

TOEFL Practice

Do you like serious movies or funny movies more?

I really enjoy watching movies as hobby. And sometimes I find really nice movies out of a number of them. And I noticed that they are all serious movie rather than funny movie. I think there are 2 reasons that I like serious ones than funny ones.

First, we can mirror our emotion to the hero/heroine in the serious movie. We get very involved, and feel as if we were in the movie then we virtually experience what happens in the film. Therefore, the message of the film will be delivered to us more easily so that those emotion from virtual experiences would persist for long time. As a result, the serious ones are more memorable.

Secondly, considering the nature of serious ones and funny ones, the former ones are more interesting. Funny film tends to be providing temporary laughter constantly. And we may laugh at that time, and enjoy watching. However, those emotions tend to stem from really weak and less informational background because temporary laughter consists of sudden or unexpected phenomenons. On the other hand, serious films provide something through giving viewers abundant information of background and reasoning. Therefore, the story or message persists in our mind.

In conclusion, the best films tend to be serious ones because they are more memorable for us because we can emotionally involved in the film, and the nature of serious films that they provide rich information of the story.

test

// p243 ex8-3



#include 

#include 



#define CVX_RED         CV_RGB(0xff,0x00,0x00)

#define CVX_GREEN       CV_RGB(0x00,0xff,0x00)

#define CVX_BLUE        CV_RGB(0x00,0x00,0xff)





int main() {

    cvNamedWindow("contour", 1);

    

    IplImage *img_8uc1 = cvLoadImage("/Users/yusuke/Dropbox/openCV/OpenCV env/OpenCV env/data/stuff.jpg", CV_LOAD_IMAGE_GRAYSCALE);

    IplImage *img_edge = cvCreateImage(cvGetSize(img_8uc1), 8, 1);

    IplImage *img_8uc3 = cvCreateImage(cvGetSize(img_8uc1), 8, 3);

    

    cvThreshold(img_8uc1, img_edge, 128, 255, CV_THRESH_BINARY);

    

    CvMemStorage *storage = cvCreateMemStorage();

    CvSeq *first_contour = NULL;

    

    //last argument is mode, there are other modes!!, returning the number of contours found

    int Nc = cvFindContours(img_edge, storage, &first_contour, sizeof(CvContour), CV_RETR_EXTERNAL);   

    

    int n = 0;

    printf("Total Contours Detected: %d\n", Nc);

    for (CvSeq *c = first_contour; c != NULL; c = c->h_next) { // traverse the list of found contour

        cvCvtColor(img_8uc1, img_8uc3, CV_GRAY2BGR);

        

        // draw that contour using color, color is defined above 

        cvDrawContours(img_8uc3, c, CVX_RED, CVX_BLUE, 0, 2, 8);

        printf("contour #%d\n", n);

        cvShowImage("contour",  img_8uc3);  

        printf(" %d elements: \n", c->total);     // c->total is the number of edges,or  points

        for (int i = 0; i < c->total; i++) {     // traverse the all edges of that contour

            CvPoint *p = CV_GET_SEQ_ELEM(CvPoint, c, i);

            printf(" (%d, %d)\n", p->x, p->y);

        }

        cvWaitKey(0);

        n++;

    }

    printf("Finished\n");

    cvCvtColor(img_8uc1, img_8uc3, CV_GRAY2BGR);

    cvShowImage("contour", img_8uc3);

    cvWaitKey(0);

    

    return 0;

}

Determined to One

Yesterday was recently the worst day I ever had in terms of how aimless I was. I was not willing to anything that is related to my major. I know I am not enough, I've got to catch up to those top-notch people in the world. I have interest in it.

I did learning about OpenCV as always in the morning, and when I was considering what I do next, I had 3 choices, OpenCV, iOS development, and Python. Since I had no strongly determined goal for each, I got lost. And I enjoyed another part of my life, indulging in things that have made by somebody. I watched 2 films, and played computer video game for the first time in about more than a year. That was great experience while I am into those things, but when I had done with all of them and went to bed, I was feeling terrible, reflecting my whole day and I noticed that I had too many choices with lack of passion. I know the source of every challenge and action are passion. I did less passion. And I thought, what am I now passionate about? And in the bed, I came up.

I am passionate about Computer Vision. Remember the day when you first did that, how it fascinated me. I can do that one by one. Don't let anybody bother your instinct and will. Don't live somebody's life. I felt like this. And I suddenly came up with one order from my instinct. "ひとまず１冊やってみれば", try complete a whole book for a now?. I felt my goals for now determined to one that makes my action more accurate and quick and determined.

This is the implication. When people have too many choices without any priority and clear goal, people hesitate to pick one. And I recalled one scene of my favorite manga "Slum Dunk". That was the scene when Kaede Rukawa beats the best player in Japan Sawakita, coach Anzai explains that when offense has multiple choices, deffence can't pick one that the offense can pass through. This is the good use of having multiple choices. But this time, these available choices are what you can do while my multiple choices what I can't do now.

It is best to have multiple weapons for anything. But, when you are not, and willing to get multiple weapons, you have to have passion for getting each weapon, and sometimes you have to pick one to move on. Still, the most important thing is passion. With that, you are always determined and you know what to do next.