Inspire Tokyo

Zárdai István Zoltán is a philosopher with a keen interest in AI. He is investigating moral psychology, action and agency, and the links between responsibility, intention and voluntariness. He is a JSPS postdoc research fellow at Keio University. For more about action theory see www.philosophyofaction.com and Philpapers, and check out István’s research on his academia.edu profile.

Topics of Discussion with István Zárdai

Book: Sophie's World Book: Harry Potter and Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts Book: The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of Homer Book: Logicomix: An epic search for truth Book: The If Machine: Philosophical Enquiry in the Classroom Book: The Philosophy Gym Podcast: Hi-Phi Nation Why "The Simpsons" Is Now a Legit College-Level Philosophy Course The Simpsons' secret formula: it's written by maths geeks Philosophy4Children The Philosophy Foundation Kavka's Toxin Puzzle—His original paper Philosophy grads are good on the skills needed to enter law school and MBAs

Azamat Beknazarov is a solutions engineer at Google. He has been in the IT industry for the past 7 years working on web development, advertisement technology, and most recently machine learning (or predictive modeling), which is one of the many subfields within AI.

Topics of Discussion with Azamat Beknazarov

The difference between machine learning and artificial intelligence The software, hardware, and programming languages of machine learning The Google Translate app Amazon Mechanical Turk Captcha and visual computing technology How machine learning is being used today The importance of good and ethical data sets The future of machine learning The dangers of machine learning and AI

Links from the Discussion

Youtube Video: What is machine learning? Youtube Video: But what *is* a Neural Network? Youtube Channel: 3Blue1Brown Book: Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies by Nick Bostrom Book: The Master Algorithm: How the Quest for the Ultimate Learning Machine Will Remake Our World  TED Talk: The Quest for the Master Algorithm fast.ai - Making neural nets cool again Coursera - Online learning from the world’s best universities and companies Khan Academy - Online learning

Dave Gutteridge is a writer and performer who has worked in IT in the past and has recently been caught up in the exciting world of cryptocurrency. He currently works full time writing about cryptocurrency, covering all aspects of the market, including technology and market analysis.

Topics of Discussion with Dave Gutteridge

The difference between digital currency and cryptocurrency The clear benefits of cryptocurrency Earning a salary in cryptocurrency instead of Japanese Yen Currency crisis in Venezuela and Zimbabwe Using cryptocurrency in stores in Japan What causes the value of Bitcoin to rise and fall Cryptocurrency as an investment versus a money for everyday use What digital camera technology can tell us about the future of cryptocurrency

Finally, Dave offers excellent advice for those who want to learn more about cryptocurrency but are uncertain where to begin.

** Watch his presentation by clicking here! **

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3AeoOEOGYY

Chad Fraser began his career with Cirque du Soleil as part of the Performance Medicine Department at their headquarters in Montreal. Over the past 7 years, Chad has worked with 2 touring shows and is now currently the Head Therapist for Kurios.

Questions for Chad Fraser

What is a physiotherapist’s job during during a show? What makes a Cirque du Soleil show special? How do you keep the artists mentally engaged? What keeps you balanced mentally and physically? What is the most rewarding part of your job? What do most people not know about the job of the artists? How do you prepare for emergency situations? What are the similarities and differences between circus artists and sports athletes? The show has artists from 16 countries. What language does everyone speak? What advice do you have for someone in JH or HS who might be thinking about a career in physiotherapy?

 

** Watch his presentation by clicking here! **

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG8FpcUBXCc

 

Chris Green is the Second Secretary and Consul at the Embassy of Ireland in Japan. He has served in Japan for two years, and works on general consular matters as well as issues concerning agriculture & food, energy and environment, and sports.

Questions for Chris Green

What is a typical work day for a diplomat? How does it feel to represent your country? Have you ever felt nervous or afraid because of the pressure of representing Ireland? Is being a diplomat all about attending fancy parties and meeting important people? What has surprised you about how Japanese people see Ireland? Ireland will play Japan in the Rugby World Cup 2019. Who do you want to win? What point in Irish history would be the most exciting to be a diplomat? What advice do you have for someone in JH or HS who might be thinking about a career in diplomacy?

 

** Watch his presentation by clicking here! **

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDcnYk432s4

Milad Delfan Azari is a PhD candidate and a Research Assistant at Waseda University. He is involved with the High Energy Astrophysics Group within the Department of Physics.

Questions for Milad Delfan Azari

How did you fall in love with physics? What topic have you chosen for your PhD? How does it feel working and being surrounded by Nobel Prize winners? How has knowing many languages helped your career in science? (He speaks 6 languages!) What can someone in JH or HS do to prepare for a career in science? What is the most fulfilling part of your work as a scientist?

 

** Watch his presentations by clicking here and here! **

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9TeB3zmW7M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN2FeLmS-wc

Benoit Hardy-Chartrand is a Senior Research Associate in the Global Security and Politics Program at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), Canada’s premier international affairs think tank.

Questions for Benoit Hardy-Chartrand

What is a typical day of work like for a global politics researcher? What websites do you use to get your information? How do you choose the topics for the articles you write? Are you paid money to have a certain opinion about the news? What impact do researchers have on the world? What was your most embarrassing moment on live television? What advice would you give to those who are unsure what they want to do in the future? What can someone in JH or HS do to prepare for a career in international affairs?

 

** Watch his presentation by clicking here! **

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ijoavy_NvTU

Dr. Elizabeth Tasker is an associate professor at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Her research uses computer models to explore the formation of planets and galaxies. In September of 2017 her popular science book was published, titled, The Planet Factory: Exoplanets and the Search for a Second Earth.

Questions for Dr. Tasker 

When will we find intelligent life? When did your love space begin? Why did you decide to choose it as a career? How did you decide to write The Planet Factory. What is the biggest misunderstanding people have when they talk about space? What is it like doing a science like astrophysics where the objects you are studying cannot be touched or directly seen? What kind of technology do you use for work? Where in space would you like to travel to see with your own eyes?

Finally, Dr. Tasker offers her advice for anyone interested in studying science. Her answer will forever change the way you think about learning!

 

** Watch her presentation by clicking here! **

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOknzQtX4wI&t