Robot Painter (24-01-2014)

Is creativity an exclusive human property? Can animals be original? What aboutrobots? Robots have become popular around the world due to our advancingtechnology, but what can robots truly do? This summer, a robot was built by a group of engineers and computer programmers. Amazingly, it can paint! The android’s name is David, and it used to be an old welding machine. However, the engineers first reprogrammed it to hold a paintbrush. Now, it is able to use up to five different brushes and 24 colors. Usually, David paints in black and white, but it can use colors as well. It has painted several works of art including a beautiful tree, human faces, and a crow.The people who put David together say they want to see what machines are capable of doing. They claim that David is proving that creativity can exist outside of humanity. Bradley J. Williamson (e-space. Inc) 본 기사의 모든 저작권은 (주)타임즈코어에 있습니다.

English Letters (24-01-2014)

English Letters  (24-01-2014)

Dear Andy,  My parents asked if I would want to do some volunteer work. It’s a bit embarrassing. But helping others is something that I’ve never actually done. After talking to my parents, I decided that I want to help those in need. My parents promised that they would find a job for me. I’m sure it won’t be hard since there are many places that help people in need in Seoul. I really like younger children. So I would like to volunteer at a place where I can interact with kids or babies. Have you ever done any volunteer work? If so, I’d love to hear all about it! Love, Mina Dear Mina,  I am so excited for you! Actually, I just had my first volunteering experience myself. My dad suggested we go to a local shelter on New Year’s Day. At the closest shelter, we served food during lunch time. After a while, my arms started to hurt. But I knew I couldn’t stop. There were so many hungry people. Some people even wanted seconds! But we didn’t have enough food. In the end, I was exhausted. But I felt grateful for the rewardingexperience. I can’t wait to hear about your volunteer work soon! Love, Andy

A Mysterious Manuscript

Do you enjoy riddles and codes? Consider theVoynich manuscript, an illustrated book written by hand in the early 15th century, which remains one of the world's biggest puzzles because it was written in an alphabet invented by its mysterious writer! No one is able to decode or read the book: although many famous code-breakers, mathematicians and linguists have tried, all have failed so far. Beyond the possibility of it being composed in Italy, no other details are known about the Voynich manuscript. All previous history has been lost: even the name of the manuscript originates from Wilfrid Voynich, who purchased the book in 1912, several centuries after the book was written. The manuscript is composed of 240 calf skin pages, and a few pages are missing. Scholars were so confused by the book that they believed it to be a hoax! However, a recent analysis by two researchers has identified a pattern that indicates there is a hidden message in the text. Currently, this confusing book is at the Yale Rare Book Library, where all kinds of people come try to decode the book. The diagrams of biology, plants and astronomy that are on almost every page indicate that solving the puzzle could lead to a new understanding of the history of science!

The Best Hidden Island (04-02-2014).

A recent photograph by NASA’s satellite has become a hot issue on the Internet. The photo shows a mysterious island which is surrounded by colorful coral reefs and dense jungles. It is North Sentinel Island, situated in the Bay of Bengal between Myanmar and Indonesia. The inhabitants are a tribe of Sentinels, who came from Africa. It is estimated that the people have lived in the islands since about 60,000 years ago and they have somehow been shut off from all outside contact for thousands of years. Astonishingly, there are only about 250 residents in the island. In addition, they still live a primitive lifestyle, arming themselves with spears and arrows. They have been very aggressive to any visitors. Those who have visited there have come back frightened or neverreturned. The last recorded contact with the Sentinelese was in 2006 and two fisherman were killed while fishing too close to the island. The Indian government has taken a stepback now and doesn’t attempt to visit the island or contact the residents anymore. Curious about the island? Google it!

Burrito Machine (24-01-2014)

Have you ever noticed how many vending machines exist around you? They’re very convenient and easy to use. You can buy hot coffee cans in cold winter or even cooked ramen from a vending machine in Korea! Now, a new vending machine is available in the United States market. It’s called Burrito Box! Burrito is a Mexican food item made of a tortilla folded over a filling of minced beef, chicken, cheese, or beans. It’s a popular snack among Mexicans and other people around the world. The machine was installed at a Mobil gas station in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, California last December. You can select from six kinds of burritos and there are even some options, such as sour cream. The machine company announced that the burritos are made with from ingredients free from hormones and antibiotics. Because it’s not a burrito shop, you cannot add what you want or subtract what you don’t. However, after you select your burrito, the screen on the machine shows you the burrito ingredients and nutrition facts. You then pay with a credit card. You may watch a music video or a video ad for 60 seconds while you wait for your burrito. According to the Burrito Box website, the second Burrito Box kiosk is scheduled to open at a 76 gas station in Century City on Jan. 18. Staff reporter Sean Jung (jshsean@timescore.co.kr)