Category: article

AI + Transportation

AI + Transportation

Traffic pollution contributes to a large part of environment pollution, such as air pollution (greenhouse gas and road dust emission) and noise pollution. In urban aeras, traffic is one of the major sources of air pollution, which significantly affects our life. However, with the unprecedented development of artificial intelligence (AI), transportation is revolutionized, pollution can also be reduced. Signal control, navigation, and autonomous vehicle (AV) are several fields in transportation that are most related to our life and have already been cooperated with AI.
Traditional signal control uses fixed signal plan, which means that the duration and offsets of lights will be constant. Although fixed timing plan is stable and works for the most scenarios, it fails in some scenarios like congestion because it cannot change based on various traffic states. However, as AI can be involved, real-time signal control is possible. Real-time signal control changes light duration and offsets based on current traffic state and thus can be adaptive and flexible to resolve congestion. Google in 2021 launched a project that uses AI in signal control to make traffic lights more efficient. Apart from AI controlled signal that reduces congestion, AI also helps to navigate drivers (ie. Google map navigation) and then reduce congestion in one region. When detecting high traffic volume or density in one region, AI can propose different routine plan for nearby drivers such that traffic flow can be divided and balanced to prevent congestion. Faster traffic flow and less congestion reduces fuel usage and air pollution.
With the deployment of intelligent signal and navigation, the development of AVs can be accelerated. Since AV is controlled by computer, it accelerates and brakes smoother, which makes fuel uses more efficient and reduces energy consumption. Ideally, after all vehicles become AVs, vehicles together with signal and navigation can be fully controlled by AI, efficiency will be optimized, and congestion will be minimized.
With all the benefits of AI being said, the application is still challenging. Unlike classifying an image where making mistake is tolerable, any mistake in real-world application may be fatal, such as turning on the wrong signal light or failing to recognize a pedestrian in AV. Therefore, computer scientists and traffic engineers are still seeking better AI tools to accomplish cleaner and faster traffic.

CHENHAO ZHANG

Master’s Slave Or Slave’s Master

A piece of Paper;

Our whole life revolves around it.

Signature moments as we call;

Are so few on record.

 

Hatred and Stress,

Pain and Agony;

Finding its due place in this piece of paper.

Erasing joy and happiness forever.

 

Insecurity creeps in; with the possession of the

papers,

Poverty follows man as soon as he abandons it.

Middle path is hard to find;

Since contentment is so rare.

 

A piece of paper,

Acts as Almighty God.

Leaving us human beings

As mere puppets in its hands.

 

Student: Vidya Nair

The “Despicable” Chinese

The “Despicable” Chinese
Zhenlin Kan

Headlines like “Litter Everywhere After Their Departure” and “Unwelcome Tourists From China” raise the question of whether Chinese people are internationally regarded as less civilized than others. But are they?

It is difficult to not notice the deluge of negative opinions toward one specific population, so this warrants a closer look at this issue.

On March 1, 2016, a young Chinese female passenger was insulted aboard Virgin Atlantic Airways Flight VS250 from London to Shanghai. In addition to facing discriminatory verbal abuse from a white passenger, she was also threatened by the chief flight attendant. She was completely neglected during the whole flight (except for a Chinese attendant who was warned not to talk about the incident during the flight). Enraged, the victim narrated her experience on the Internet and wrote a scathing letter to the airline.

Noteworthy is that, unlike many Chinese people who are used to receiving unfair treatment initially caused by some rude Chinese tourists and prefer to tolerate such treatment instead of becoming entangled in some conflict, the woman was courageous enough to stand up and defend her dignity. As a result, her actions galvanized millions of internet users in China into seeking justice, attracted international attention, and utimately forced Virgin Atlantic Airways to issue a formal apology.

A week later, on March 8, a dozen “Chinese” tourists were caught swimming nude at a famous public beach in Thailand. A photo taken by a local resident spread quickly online, stimulating a diverse range of inflammatory comments about Chinese tourists. However, it was later learned that the tourists were Japanese. This raises the question of whether Chinese people are more likely than other ethnic groups to be wrongfully treated and accused.

The answer may be quite simple: After the photo was released online, no Chinese responded. None called for an investigation. It would appear that to many Chinese people, such events do not really matter as long as they have some personal impact. That is, it is not worth it to get involved and be bruised in the process. This may motivate many to remain aloof to others. Defend no one, and pay no attention to others’ conduct. No wonder things have been getting worse.

Are people of various ethnic backgrounds really different? I strongly doubt it. Then the answer calls for Chinese people to voice their concerns more actively. Without this voice, Chinese people are likely to witness their situation worsen.

The Merchant of Venice: An SFA

S. Zou

 

The character I choose for the play “The Merchant of Venice”, which is written by Shakespeare, is Portia. Portiafirst enter the play is at Act 1 Scene 2. In a room in Portia’s house, talking with Nerissa. Portia is one of the most important characters in this play. In my opinion, she is the key of the whole play. She is the key that opened the play by become the reason of Bassanio came to Antonio to borrow money. Shakespeareuses her as a key opened the play and he also use her as a line, a line which connected all the character together. Eventually, Shakespeare used this beautiful lady as a stage, a foundation, all the characters enter the scene and act on this stage, on this foundation. In my personal opinion, she is the symbol of human desire. She is the symbol of beauty, love, money and conflict. Because of her, Bassanio wants to borrow money from Antonio to marry her — Man wants beautiful lady. Bassanio’s action leads us to see how much Antonio love him as a son. And also lead us to Shylock’s hatred to Antonio. To sum up, Portia’s function is the key, the line, also the foundation or stage of this play, because of her, every character gets the chance to enter the play and act.

The scene I picked is Act 1 Scene 2 which is Portia first enter the play. Here is the scene in Scenic Form Analysis. (SFA)

Portia Nerissa Serving-man Total
2 6 8
1 1 2
14      8 22
     3 1 4
4 1 5
7 1 8
9 2 11
8 1 9
5 2 7
5 3 8
5 6 11
5 3 8
1 2 3
2 2
1 4 5
8 8

In the SFA, we can easily see that Portia and Nerissa’s characteristic out of it. As the SFA shows, Portia talks a lot with Nerissa, but Nerissa didn’t talk a lot back. Nerissa’s words remind me about Antonio. In my opinion, Nerissa is a wise person too. She knows how to listen, and how to question. She is a person whom Portia wants to pour her heart out to. It’s very similar to the mixture of a mother and a close friend. And Nerissa is that person to Portia. Because she is the waiting-women to Portia, which means she knows Portia better than any of her friend. She knows what’s Portia’s life looks like. And because of the job, she have to learn how to listen and how to speak. That’s the reason why Portia said a lot to her but she only respond with a few important words. As for Portia. We can tell she talked a lot in front of Nerissa, she almost pull out her heart and show it to Nerissa. It shows me she was a woman who is good at catching detail in daily life. Unlike Antonio, she is also a lady who doesn’t want to hide all her thoughts in her mind. She is a clear-up-girl. She likes to release her pressure by talking to somebody who knows and understands her. That’s why I think she is such a God- blesse-lady or a lucky girl. In her life, there is another lady who knows her and understands her, ready all the time for her open her heart and release the pressure. That kind of person is very hard to find in our life. To sum up, that’s my Act 1 Scene 2’s SFA.

Original version Speech.

If to do were as easy as to know what were good to do,

chapels had been churches and poor men’s cottages

princes’ palaces. It is a good divine that follows his own

instructions; I can easier teach twenty what were good to

be done, than to be one of the twenty to follow mine own                    15

teaching. The brain my devise laws for the blood, but a

hot temper leaps o’er a cold decree; such a hare is

madness the youth, to skip o’er the meshes of good

counsel the cripple. But this reasoning is not in the

fashion to choose me a husband. O me, the word “choose”!                   20

I may neither choose who I would nor refuse who I

Dislike; so is the will of a living daughter curb’d by the

Will of a dead father. Is it not hard, Nerissa, that I cannot

Choose on nor refuse none?(Act 1.Scene 2.11~24)

 

 

NINE CRAZY FACTS ABOUT THAILAND, THE LAND OF SMILES

  1. The world’s biggest Chinatown is situated in Bangkok.
  2. Thailand is the only country in South East Asia that wasn’t colonized by a western power.
  3. The Thai greeting “sawatdee” Originated during the Second World War. Prior to that, the usual greeting was to ask people whether they had eaten yet.
  4. Bangkok currently holds the Guinness world record for having the longest name of a place. Bangkok is actually the short version. The city’s ceremonial name is “krung thep mahanakhon amon rattanakosin mahinthara yuthaya mahadilok phop noppharat ratchathani burirom udomratchainiwet mahasathan amon piman awatan sathit sakkathattiya witsanukam prasit”. Now I challenge you to say it……..backwards.
  5. According to the World Meteorological Organization, Bangkok is the hottest capital city in the world. It may not be the hottest city in the world every day, but it’s certainly consistent in keeping with its reputation.
  6. Thailand also holds a large number of Guinness world records, including those for the man with the longest hair, the biggest hamburger, biggest restaurant, largest ever aerobic workout, and also for the most linked skydivers.
  7. In Thailand, both Father’s Day and Mother’s Day are celebrated to commemorate the birthdays of Their Majesties the King and the Queen.
  8. It is called the “land of smiles,” because of its ever smiling, inviting, soft spoken, friendly, and hospitable residents.
  9. Red Bull, the famous energy drink, originates in Thailand and was originally called red gaur.

 

Student: Chabuskhan Hamdalee