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【No. 0402】High Quality Sleep

Jan 24, 2016 17:39
Sleep is very valuable for human beings.

It can heal fatigues of your body and brain, enhance immunity, and get rid of stresses.

However, if the quality of sleep is low or the sleep is not enough, it will cause obesity, aging, weakening of the immune system and increasing of the cancer risk.

For a high-quality sleep, the secretion of melatonin, which you might call "sleep hormone," is required.

We usually start to secrete melatonin before sleep, and a large amount of melatonin is secreted during the sleep.

Melatonin is secreted from your pineal gland, but even if slight light enter your eyes, the secretion will be suppressed.

You should not use a PC or a smartphone before bedtime, and you should make your room totally dark while sleeping.
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【No. 0401】The Color of Death

Jan 23, 2016 15:42
Today, I learned about colors that symbolize "death" for each country.

In many countries, such as the US, Europe, China, and Japan, people think the symbol color of death is "black."

The reason seems to be derived from that black is associated with darkness and people wear black costumes in funerals.

However, it is "green" in South America.

The reason seems to be due to the thought that the dead are equal to nature.

By the way, the symbol color of death is "white" for Hindus, and "silver" for Muslims.
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【No. 0400】An Automatic Door

Jan 22, 2016 15:43
Automatic doors sometimes don't react to me.

It's a little embarrassing.

Formerly there were automatic doors that detect weights, but recently almost all of them use infrared sensors.

Therefore, the reason why automatic doors don't react is due to your clothes or your hair colors.

Basically, when the color is dark or the similar to the floor/mat color, it's difficult to react.

Conversely, when your clothes/hair color is bright or gaudy, it's easy to react.

If the automatic door doesn't react to you, let's move strongly with a bright thing.
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【No. 0399】Lovejoy Comet

Jan 21, 2016 19:49
Today, I will introduce "Lovejoy comet (C/2014 Q2)," which is discovered by Terry Lovejoy from Australia in 2014.

The feature of this comet is to emit green lights, and made its closest approach to Earth in January 2015.

It's said that this opportunity is visited once every 8,000 years.

Also, according to NASA, the Lovejoy comet seems to continue blowing a gas containing 21 types of organic molecules.

The gas also contains alcohol (ethyl alcohol), the amount per second corresponds to 500 bottles of wine.

The name "Lovejoy comet" might be appropriate as this comet's name;

【No. 0398】Snow Shoveling

Jan 20, 2016 19:41
It was sunny yesterday, but today it snowed heavily again.

For sake of safety, I shoveled the snow in various places.

Actually, I wear sandals through a year, but a lot of snow got through my sandals and it was cold.

I think I was idiot.

Also, I got tired from shoveling.

I searched for shoveling later, and it was found that the knack is to use whole your body, and not to twist your torso.
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【No. 0397】There's No Limit to Things (Ue niwa ue ga aru)

Jan 19, 2016 15:06
Today, I'd like to introduce a Japanese phrase that we often confused.

It's "ue niwa ue ga aru (which means there's no limit to things, or there's always somebody above you.)"

This is the phrase, which express there is no limit to things, but we often say "ue niwa ue ga iru ("iru" means a person is present, while "aru" means a thing is present)."

I think the reason is because when we say this phrase to people, "iru" sounds more natural.

However, originally, using "aru" in this phrase seems to be accurate even when the subject is person.

Actually, I had also thought that "ue niwa ue ga iru" was a correct Japanese expression until today.
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【No. 0396】Warm Snow Day

Jan 18, 2016 14:39
Today the snow piled up high after a long interval.

It was scared for me to drive a snowy road as ever.

However, since I felt that it was warmer than usual, I searched for the reason.

When the snow falls, the height of cloud become low, and radiative cooling is suppressed.

Also, when the snow is piled up, the effect of solar radiation reflected from snow surfaces becomes large, and it could make us feel warm.

Furthermore, if a condition that wind is calm is added, we seem to feel the snow day as a warm day.
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【No. 0395】Cows Have Best Friends

Jan 17, 2016 13:43
According to the research of Northampton University, cows have best friends of the same sex.

When separating a particular partner from the cows, their heart rates and cortisol blood levels increase.

This means that they feel a strong stress.

This research also implies that cows have high sociality.

Researchers point out to be able to increase the productivity of cows by letting them see their best friends always.
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【No. 0394】Body Fat Percentage of Pigs

Jan 16, 2016 12:50
Obese people are sometimes referred as "豚(buta, which means pig)" in Japan.

(I have no idea whether such a figurative expression is used as well overseas.)

However, the body fat percentage of the pig is actually about 13% to 18%.

That is, it is lower than the body fat percentage of the average human.

Also, some people seem to use "豚(pig)" as the meaning of "dirty" or "idiot."

However, pigs are a cleanly animal, because they distinguish clearly a toilet, a bedding, and a place to eat.

Furthermore, since they can recognize themselves when they watch a mirror, it's able to be said that they have high cognitive abilities.

The expression "pig" might be a compliment.
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【No. 0393】Classroom Cleaning

Jan 15, 2016 13:38
Today, I'd like to introduce a custom of Japanese schools.

Japanese schools (except university/college) usually don't hire a cleaning staff, students clean their classrooms and equipment.

In most cases, all students are separated into several groups, and each group cleans a classroom, a hallway, a toilet, or a schoolyard, respectively, everyday.

If you search for "Japan school cleaning" on Google Images, you will find the scenes (which are so nostalgic for me...).

For these reasons, I think we would become to use public facilities carefully so as not to blemish them.

By the way, in most Japanese elementary/junior high/high schools, we change into indoor shoes when we enter the school buildings.
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【No. 0392】Three Events

Jan 14, 2016 18:56
There were three events yesterday and today, so I will write them together in this diary.

First, I got an official job offer (the occupation is correspond to an assistant professor) yesterday.

I'm so happy.

Second, I took a TOEIC Speaking Writing exam today.

The speaking section was very tough for me because my practice was not enough.

Finally, I finished learning 12,000 words.

It took around 200 hours.

Although it brought a sense of accomplishment, I no doubt forget many words, I'm planning to start the similar learning from the beginning.

By the way, the 12,000 th word was "twitter."

It was very easy thank to a SNS, haha.
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【No. 0391】Tickling Sensation

Jan 13, 2016 15:59
If your feet bottom or armpit is touched by somebody else, you will feel a tickle and laugh.

Why is that?

Since regions that artery passes close to your skin are danger, a lot of nerve is concentrated so as to be acutely aware of stimulation.

However, even if you touch such regions by yourself, you will not feel a tickle because your cerebellum will predict the stimulus and control it.

On the other hand, if somebody else touches you, your brain will fall into chaos and generate an unpleasant sensation, because your cerebellum can't predict the stimulus.

This sensation is called tickling sensation, it make us laugh to relieve/escape the status.

There is experimental data that monkeys and rats also laugh when they are tickled.

By the way, tickling had been performed as a kind of torture at a time in the past.
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【No. 0390】Obesity Rate

Jan 12, 2016 21:55
According to a study that summarizes 188 countries data, one third of the world's population seem to be obese.

Furthermore, there are no countries that succeeded in reducing obesity population in the past 33 years.

WHO has defined people with more than 30 BMI as obesity, and in the criteria, about 5% Japanese are obesity.

However, most Japanese develop diabetes before their BMI reach 30, so we can't gain weight in healthy.

For the reason, the Japan Society for the Study of Obesity has defined Japanese people with more than 25 BMI as obesity.

The obesity rate in Japan also tends to increase, but the BMI average value of 10-20's women was decreased.

Most Japanese women desire to lose their weight, and it's said that around one in eight is too skinny.

In particular, the average calorie intake of 20's Japanese women is 1628 kcal, which is lower than the food shortage days immediately after the end of the war, and the number seems exceptionally low level in the world.
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【No. 0389】Polar Bear Trivia

Jan 11, 2016 14:17
Today, I will share some trivia about polar bears.

The polar bear looks white, but the skin color is actually black, and the hair color is transparent.

If the body hair color is transparent, the heat of the sun will be absorbed effectively because light is transmitted easily through the hair.

Furthermore, the inside of the hair is hollow, and light is scattered, so it looks white, and it has an heat accumulation effect.

Since the body temperature of the polar bear is hardly released, there are very little infrared light that is radiated from the body, and it's really difficult to capture the figure using an infrared camera.

Also, the body hair, which looks white, plays a role of protective coloration, and polar bears seem to hide their black noses when they have a hunt.

【No. 0388】Age of Mario

Jan 10, 2016 16:06
Mario (proper name: Mario Mario) is the most famous game character in the world, which is created by Mr. Miyamoto.

According to Mr. Miyamoto, Mario is around 26 years old.

I had played various Mario games when I was a child, but I exceeded the age of Mario insidiously.

The age of Dr. Mario hasn't been revealed, but it seems to be thought that he is a little more elder, because he is a doctor.

The age of Princess Peach also hasn't been revealed, but her age seems to be similar to Mario's age, because when Mario is a baby in Mario & Ruigi RPG 2, Peach is also a baby.
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【No. 0387】National Fungus

Jan 9, 2016 12:21
Yesterday, I told you about national gemstones, but today I will introduce a national fungus.

The national fungus symbolize the country, and only Japan defined it as far as I know.

The national fungus in Japan is Aspergillus oryzae, which is indispensable for the Japanese food culture.

The Aspergillus oryzae can make various enzymes by decomposing grain components.

By using this property, we have produced ingredients such as soy sauce, miso, and sake, that are used for Japanese foods.

This fungus indeed represent Japan.
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【No. 0386】National Gemstone

Jan 8, 2016 12:58
Many people may be familiar with national flowers (also known as floral emblems) and national birds, but today I will show you national gemstones.

National gemstones are stones that symbolizes the countries, and a national gemstone in Japan is a crystal.

The reason is because that once high-quality crystals were able to be extracted in Japan, and we had an excellent crystal polishing technique.

Basically, stones that are known as specialties become the national gemstones.

For example, the national gemstone in; India and Arab is a pearl, Austria and Australia is an opal, Thailand and Myanmar is a ruby, and Colombia is an emerald.

There are also many exceptions, e.g., the national gemstone in; the US is a sapphire, the UK is a diamond, and China is a jade, but the localities of these gemstones are not these countries.

These national gemstones were decided by the national flag color, the national image, or the trade culture.
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【No. 0385】Snails

Jan 7, 2016 20:03
We often see snails on concrete walls after the rain.

Do you know the reason?

Since snails' shells are mainly made of calcium carbonate, they are able to extend their shells by incorporating calcium.

Also, when concrete gets wet, calcium carbonate ooze out.

Yes, they come on concrete walls to eat calcium carbonate that oozes out of concrete.

By the way, snails have about 12 thousand teeth, and don't have genders.
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【No. 0384】First-time Job Interview

Jan 6, 2016 22:13
Today, I was interviewed for an assistant professor.

Since it might decide my life, I was very nervous.

Unfortunately, my preparation wasn't enough, so I was bewildered by some questions, and wasn't able to answer them well.

I am depressed now.

However, I will no doubt resurge tomorrow.

Actually, I drove more than 500 km for today's job interview, so I am super exhausted and I will sleep soon.
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【No. 0383】Sneeze

Jan 5, 2016 21:11
When you sneeze, you will close your eyes naturally.

This is because to prevent your eyes from popping out (eyeball dislocation).

If you close your eyes strongly, your cheek muscles will rise, and your nasal cavity will expand.

As the result, the breathability of your nose will become smooth, and the pressure on your eyeballs will become suppressed.

Therefore, if you sneeze without closing your eyes, your eyeballs may pop out literally.