Is it right for LCC airlines to continue developing?

 

BY Kim Young-Mok

Aju Middle School

 

 

These days, low cost carriers, in other words cheap airlines, are thriving. They are usually smaller airlines compared to major ones, and have low costs. Some say that the overall price of tickets has decreased thanks to them, and others say that the travel industry had benefited from them. However, others question safety problems and the financial stability of those companies.

The safety problems of LCC travels are continuously being questioned. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Korean low cost carriers had 0.63 accidents per 10,000 flights, which is approximately three times higher than major airlines. Those airlines usually have a small number of planes, and they run a crammed schedule in order to remain surplus. Because of this, safety inspections or renovations of old components are not conducted frequently enough, which directly leads to a more dangerous flight. Also, financial problems of low cost carriers make the company be negligent in keeping those rules. Many terrible disasters happen because safety measures are ignored or not kept strictly. Following safety rules in such fields is very important because otherwise it may lead to a catastrophe.

Another drawback is that they have many additional fees and unsatisfying customer service. For example, passengers might have to pay a huge fee for extra baggage. Also, refunds may not be available when you have to cancel the flight, and rescheduling would lead to bigger costs. Those additional fees are a huge drawback; since the sole advantage of those flights is having a low cost. Poor service is one disadvantage, too. Usually those low-fare flights are scheduled in the early morning or midnight, and they have simplified customer service because of the low fare.

kimyoungmoc@hanmail.net

Richard Branson: an unsuccessful space travel pioneer

The human race has been curious about the universe for thousands of years. They wondered what would be in the outer space, and longed to visit the place. In the last few decades, space technology has greatly improved, and now we can send people to space easily. However, only a few astronauts have been to space; not ordinary people. Now, Richard Branson, the president of Virgin Group, announced that he would run a space travel program. His aim is to send non-astronauts to space as tourists.

In order to achieve the goal, he founded Virgin Galactic, a commercial spaceflight company within Virgin Group. It purchased spacecrafts, built “Spaceports,” and started promoting their program internationally. One of their spaceships, SpaceShipTwo(SS2), was unveiled at the Mojave Spaceport in December 2009, and it had completed several test flights attached to another spacecraft, named WhiteKnightTwo. They have made great progress toward space travel, but there have been several adversaries. In April 2013, the SS2 achieved a speed of 1.2 Mach and 1.44 Mach in its supersonic flights, but it fell far short of the 3.28 Mach for 70 seconds required in flying to space. Also, in September 2014, it failed to reach the required altitude needed to get the Federal Aviation Administration licence to carry passengers.

On top of that, a tragedy happened recently. On October 31, 2014, VSS Enterprise, one of the spacecrafts, broke apart during a test flight. As a result, the pilot died and the co-pilot was seriously injured. It crashed shortly after it was released from the mothership. Investigations showed that the air braking system appeared to have malfunctioned. After this accident, many people condemned this program and some customers started to demand refund.

Branson’s space travel program is quite questionable about its possibility to succeed. Technical problems remain unsolved, and its high cost-$250,000 per person-is a pullback. Also, the public opinion is not positive about it. However, this program might not be completely meaningless as it is a process of customizing space travel for everyone in the future.

kimyoungmoc@hanmail.net

 

BY Kim Young-Mok

Aju Middle School

Should we welcome artificial intelligence into today’s society?

 

 

BY Kim Young-Mok

Aju Middle School

 

Day by day, artificial intelligence programs are slowly improving. In the near future, we could have robots to babysit our children, self-driving cars to get us safely from point A to point B, and many other helpful forms of AI technology which will make our lives unmeasurably easier. Yet, some people still contend that it will bring more harm than good, citing examples of human laziness and unemployment. Others mention Hollywood movies, such as “Terminator”, trying to prove that AI could eventually rule over us. Realistically, however, artificial intelligence will do neither of these things, and will ultimately benefit humans.

One way AI technology will prove indispensable is that it will help the disabled. Among the 6.5 billion people on Earth, the World Health Organization estimates that 100 million people are severely or moderately disabled. With artificially intelligent technology, such as maid robots, we can improve the quality of life for these people, by assisting them with tasks they are unable to do themselves.

Another vital role artificial intelligence will play is protecting the environment. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, or USEPA, smart software can reduce air pollution from industries. As fuels burn, byproducts such as carbon dioxide and other gases are released. Artificial intelligence can identify patters during combustion and modify manufacturing processes, thereby minimizing pollution. Additionally, it can capture harmful matter in the smokestacks of factories before they are released into the atmosphere.

Fearmongerers who spread anxiety over the use of artificial intelligence do not really have humanity’s best interest at heart. AI development will actually create a new field of jobs, and the idea of human enslavement by robots is simply absurd. After all, ultimately, they are programs that act as we program them to act.

kimyoungmoc@hanmail.net

 

Popular themes in science fiction movies

Have you seen ‘Interstellar?’ It is a very famous science fiction movie which includes imaginative and scientific content. Science fiction or SF is sometimes called ‘the literature of ideas,’ because of its unlimited imagination.. However, SF’s themes can be quite limited. Below are some popular themes of SF movies.

First of all, many SF movies deal with how humans were created or how they developed their civilizations. This theme has been very popular for the longest time, and numerous scholars and philosophers over time have debated over how we came into beings. Today, we learn that humans have evolved from monkeys over time, and our civilization was created over thousands of years. However, some of those movies suggest an alternative explanation. For example, in “2001 Space Odyssey(1968)”, a black stone named ‘monolith’ comes to earth, and then monkeys evolved to become humans and civilized themselves. The movie is about astronauts who go to space in order to find the stone and discover the human beings’ origin. Also, “Prometheus (2012)” supposes that aliens-called ‘engineers’ in the movie- created us. Prometheus is the name of the spaceship that explored the aliens’ planets in order to meet their creators.

Another popular theme is the relationship between humans and robots. In many movies, robots have to obey humans even though they are stronger and smarter than humans. This is the problem. In “2001 Space Odyssey”, there is a central maintenance computer which operates and manages the spaceship named HAL 9000. One day during the voyage, it gets confused by the contradictory commands the astronauts give, and revolts against them. It throws one of the astronauts out of the spaceship and gives instructions to the captain. In “Terminator”, an online defense network, the ‘Skynet’, wages a nuclear war and kills billions of people and rules humans.

Finally, aliens are also a familiar topic in SF movies. People have been wondering about aliens and UFOs for a long time. Many ancient legends and stories talk about aliens and their adventures. Movies such as “War of the Worlds(2005)”, “Independence Day(1996)”, and “World Invasion(2011)” are typical movies where aliens invade Earth. Yet, not all movies depict aliens as vicious and cruel creatures. In “Avatar(2009)”, humans, who want to destroy the environment for valuable kinds of metal, are antagonists: while the indigenous Navi tribe are rightful fighters who want to protect their mother planet. Also, “E.T.(1982)” is about an alien being who crashes on Earth and lives in a boy’s house. This movie was impressive and sensational among people because aliens were kind and friendly, not destructive or harmful.

kimyoungmoc@hanmail.net

 

BY Kim Young-Mok

Aju Middle School

Unique majors of Korean universities in 2014

Jobs are becoming more and more complicated and diverse these days. Following this trend, universities are establishing unique schools and majors that we have never encountered before.  Those  majors  usually  give a better chance for students to find creative jobs. One example of this is casino related majors. According to Kangwon Tourism College website, its department of casino teaches students about casino and hotel work, events, tourism marketing, and foreign languages. Students graduating from these majors are likely to be casino dealers, hoteliers, or tour guides. As the standard of living goes up, jewelry and coffee industries are also facing the same fate, and universities are founding related schools, too. According to Taegu Science University homepage, which runs the department of gemology marketing and jewelry design, students in those specified schools learn about jewelry appraisal and marketing. They can become jewelry appraisers, dealers, coordinators, and stylists once graduated. As for the coffee field, related schools are producing coffee baristas and experts. Students can find a job in coffee companies or even set up their own coffee shops.

Finally, military related schools also exist. Danguk University has a marine military department, where students learn national security, military tactics, defense policies, and international relations. After graduation they can become a second lieutenant in the Republic of Korea Marine Corps, or get hired by related companies such as the armament industry.

 

kimyoungmoc@hanmail.net

 

BY Kim Young-mok

Aju Middle School