I was required to read one of Bernie Siegel's books in college and was hooked on his positivity from that moment on. The stories of his unconventional1and the exceptional patients he wrote about were so2 to me and had such a big3on how I saw life from then on.
Who knew that so many years later I would look to Dr. Bernie and his CDs again to4my own cancer experience?
I'm an ambitious5, and when I started going through chemo(化疗), even though I'm a very6 person, I lost my drive to write. I was just too tired and not in the7. One day, while waiting to go in for8, I had one of Dr. Bernie's books in my hand. Another patient9what I was reading and struck up a conversation with me10 he had one of his books with him as well. It11that among other things, he was an eighty-year-old writer. He was 12a published author, and he was currently13on a new book.
We would see each other at various times and14friends. Sometimes he wore a duck hat, and I would tell myself, he was definitely a(n) 15of Dr. Bernie. He really put a 16on my face. He unfortunately17 last year due to his cancer,18he left a deep impression on me and gave me the 19 to pick up my pen again. I20to myself, "If he can do it, then so can I."
A new study from the Georgia Institute of Technology finds that older and younger people have a varying preference for what they would want a personal robot to look like. And they change their minds based on what the robot is supposed to do.
Participants were shown a series of photos, either robotic, human or mixed human-robot faces, and were asked to select the one that they would prefer for their robot's appearance. Most college-aged adults in the study preferred a robotic appearance, although the others were also generally open to them. However, nearly 60 percent of older adults said they would want a robot with a human face, and only 6 percent of them chose one with a mixed human-robot appearance.
"We found that participants, both younger and older, will assign emotional traits to a robot based on its face, which will determine what they are most comfortably interacting with," Akanksha Prakash, a psychology graduate student at Georgia Tech who led the study, said in a statement. So when participants were told the robot was helping with personal care, chores, social interaction or helping to make decisions, something interesting happened.
Preference was less strong for helping with chores, although the majority of older and younger participants chose a robot with a robotic face. But for decision-making tasks, such as getting advice on where to invest money, younger participants tended to select a mixed human-robot appearance. A robotic face was their least favored choice for this task. Older adults generally preferred a human face. Personal care tasks such as bathing caused the most divisive preferences within both age groups. Those who chose a human face did so because they associated the robot with human-like care capabilities — such as nursing — and trustworthy traits. Many others didn't want anything looking like a human to bathe them due to the private nature of the task.
Based on this early research, the researcher says that if a robot is designed to help only with a specific task, its appearance should fit in with the task. For instance, if the robot is designed to specifically assist the user with critical decisions, the robot should be given an intelligent look instead of a funny one. However, if the robot is tasked with a variety of jobs in the home, allowing for appearance customizability(可定制性) might be the best option.
The researcher next plans to expand the study to other age groups and people with more diverse educational backgrounds.
Japan is very serious about robotics (机器人技术). If robots are going to fit in, they probably need to learn the Japanese custom of serving tea. Fortunately, researchers at the University of Tokyo are just exploring that. In a show this week, a humanoid(人形机器人)with camera eyes made by Kawada Industries Inc. poured tea from a bottle into a cup. Then another robot on wheels delivered the cup of tea in an experimental room that has sensors embedded in the floor and sofa as well as cameras on the ceiling, to simulate(模仿)life with robot technology.
"A human being may be faster, but you'd have to say ‘Thank you'," said Professor Tomomasa Sato from the University of Tokyo. "That's the best part about a robot. You don't have to feel bad about asking it to do things."
Sato believes Japan, a rapidly aging society where more than a fifth of the population is 65 or older, will lead the world in designing robots to care for the elderly, sick and bedridden(长期卧床的).
Already, monitoring technologies, such as sensors that automatically turn on lights when people enter a room, are becoming widespread in Japan.
The walking, child-size Asimo from Honda Motor Co. greets people at show-rooms. NEC Corp. has developed a smaller robot-on-wheels companion called Papero. A seal robot available since 2004 can entertain the elderly and others in need of fuzzy companionship.
Sato says his experimental room is raising awareness about privacy questions that may arise when electronic devices(设备)monitor a person's movements down to the smallest detail.
On the bright side, the tea-pouring humanoid has been programmed to do the dishes.
It's nice being nice to others; it's also great to give people a hand. However, if you start to hurt yourself by doing so, then this is not so healthy.If you fear that you might fall into this category, the following tips will help you to stand up for yourself and regain your self-confidence.
Although you may often stay silent if something is wrong or bothers you, it is better to speak your mind right away. You don't have to be rude, but you do have to be firm and direct. Don't do things for others if you don't really want to. Speak up, and soon others will be seeing you in a whole new light.
Start small.
This will allow you to practice being brave and self-confident. Tell a person who has cut in line in front of you to move to the back of the line, or tell a salesperson to do that. Before long, you will be confident enough to stand up to your friends and family members.
Judge well.
When dealing with others, you have to exercise good judgment. If a colleague isn't doing his part, you should rightfully demand that he start doing so. However, if a taxi cuts you off in traffic, just let it go.
Rome wasn't built in a day. If you want to get back again after having been a pushover(耳软心活的人), it's best to take one step at a time.
A. Express yourself.
B. Regain your confidence.
C. Start by speaking up for yourself with strangers.
D. Everyone has the right to live without being judged.
E. If you slip back into the pushover mode every once in a while, don't blame yourself.
F. Sadly, some people are so easily pushed around that they come to be seen as pushovers.
G. It's one thing to be confident, but quite another to forcefully say no to an unreasonable request.
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Many people think when they become rich and successful, happiness will (nature) follow. However, the world is full of rich people who are miserable as if they (live) in Hell. We have read some stories about movie stars who committed suicide died from drugs. Quite clearly, money is not the only answer all problems. Wealth(acquire) through dishonest means does not bring happiness. In my view, the secret to happiness lies in your hard work, your (contribute) towards others' happiness and your wealth you earn through your own effort. If you get your money by taking advantage of others, you will not be happy with it. Long-term happiness(base) on honesty, hard work and self-esteem. Happiness is not end; it is a process. It is no use saying that some day when I get a car, build a house or own my own business, then I will be really happy. Life just does not work that way. If you wait for certain things (happen) to make you happy, you will always feel unfulfilled. There will always be something (miss).
