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July 16, 2024
 

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Peter Singer
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 13, 2016
Why burkini bans are unwise
Using bans to force immigrants to assimilate isn't the best way to integrate them into mainstream society.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 14, 2016
Given the Zika threat, should the world go to Rio?
An independent fact-finding investigation should be made to determine the scale of the threat the Zika virus would pose to visitors attending the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 17, 2016
Time to teach ethics to artificial intelligence
With driverless cars already on California roads, it is not too soon to ask whether we can program a machine to act ethically.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 8, 2016
As perceptions of animals evolve, so does English
In a language like English, which implicitly categorizes animals as things rather than persons, adopting the personal pronoun would embody the same recognition — and remind us who animals really are.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 10, 2016
The hidden goods of 2015
If we were to judge the state of the world by the news headlines, 2015 was the year of Islamist terror, especially in Paris. But there were two major positive developments as well.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 13, 2015
Fate of the Earth is on the line at Paris meeting
The lives of billions of people, for centuries to come, will be at stake at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Paris at the end of the month.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 11, 2015
Volkswagen and the future of corporate honesty
The plummet of Volkswagen's stock shows that honesty is the best policy for corporations that want to maximize value over the long term.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 3, 2015
Escaping the refugee crisis
The best way to help refugees would be for affluent countries to provide much more support for the poorer countries that are sheltering the vast majority of them.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 17, 2015
Jeremy Bentham's fallacies, then and now
Written in the early 19th century, Jeremy Bentham's 'The Book of Fallacies' still has resonance today.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 20, 2015
Reconsidering man's dominion over animals
If Pope Francis can change people's views of animal welfare, he will have done more good than any other pope in recent history.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 9, 2015
The Magna Carta, 800 years on
Written 800 years ago, Magna Carta elevated the law above the ruler's will. Unfortunately, that idea still is not accepted in many countries.
COMMENTARY / World
May 16, 2015
Life-saving drugs for all can be achieved
With the right incentives, drugmakers could be induced to develop medicines that save lives in the Third World as well as the First.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 21, 2015
How altruism makes the world a better place
Studies show that people who are generous are typically happier and more satisfied with their lives than those who do not give.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 11, 2015
Countering Islamic extremism
Is shunning the use of the term 'radical Islam' helping or hurting U.S. President Barack Obama's effort to combat violent extremism?
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 13, 2015
The pope prompts a rethink about contraception
As Pope Francis was returning from the Philippines to Rome last month, he raised the issue of whether it is legitimate for outside agencies to promote family planning in developing countries. There are several reasons why it is.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY
Jan 19, 2015
Magic moments of noncompetitive surfing
Many of the highlights of surfing have more to do with experiencing the splendor and power of the waves than with the competitive ability to ride them.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 12, 2014
West versus Islamic State: the ransom dilemma
The refusal to pay ransoms to terrorists can seem callous, but in truth it is the only ethical policy. Governments that pay ransoms to save some of their citizens' lives put the remainder of their citizens — and others — at greater risk.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 14, 2014
Battle against Ebola raises ethical questions
The tiny number of Ebola cases in rich countries — and the ensuing panic-inducing headlines and quarantine measures — have brought home the global nature of infectious disease today.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 10, 2014
Should adult sibling incest be against the law?
The German Ethics Council's recommendation that consensual sexual intercourse between adult siblings should cease to be a crime leads a university ethics professor to wonder whether a rational debate on the subject is even possible.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 23, 2014
Choosing death when loss of self is imminent
For people who do not want to live on when their mind has gone, deciding whether and when to die is difficult, and likely to meet resistance from loved ones.
Who needs AI when you have Hatsune Miku?
Over the first six months of 2024, a handful of songs using Vocaloid singer Hatsune Miku’s voice have enjoyed widespread attention, underlining a global interest in the character and the technology she represents.
Bloodied Trump survives assassination attempt at political rally
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is surrounded and evacuated by Secret Service agents at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. Trump was rushed off stage at the rally after shots rang out.
Shooter came within inches of killing Trump, but left few clues as to why
An aerial view shows the stage where Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump had been standing during an assassination attempt the day before, and the roof of a nearby building where a gunman was shot dead by law enforcement, in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Sunday.
Yen’s woes seem too big for even a BOJ hike this month to solve
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
After Trump shooting, U.S. presidential race might take a violent turn
United States Secret Service Counter Snipers stand guard on a rooftop during a campaign rally for U.S. President Donald Trump in Avoca, Pennsylvania, in 2020.
No AC this summer? No problem (for me).
Think air conditioning is a requirement for a Tokyo summer? Think again.
She’s paying ¥1 million to help behind the scenes at the Paris Olympics
Mai Tarumi, who previously volunteered at the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, has a travel budget of ¥1 million for her trip to volunteer at the Paris Games.

Podcast

You can often see generations of families enjoying performances together at Fuji Rock Festival.
Japan’s summer music festivals are feeling the heat in more ways than one

Longform

Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
By Tomoko Otake

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Exploring Japanese culturevia Tohoku’s festivals
Exploring Japanese culturevia Tohoku’s festivals

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