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May 03, 2024
 

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Faye Flam
For Faye Flam's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 7, 2019
Science hasn't found a 'gay gene' — so what?
A massive new study concludes inconclusively.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 31, 2019
Humans will be remembered for their mess
The first step toward solutions is to admit people caused the problem.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 27, 2019
Will we love or loathe the robots that come for our jobs?
A study suggests workers would rather be replaced by a robot than by a human
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 20, 2019
Mail-order DNA tests can be fun, but they aren't medical advice
Dr. Theodora Ross, a cancer geneticist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, says that to Silicon Valley types, she is like a taxi driver competing against the more convenient, Uber-like direct-to-consumer companies such as 23andMe. "They think we don't need to exist," she said. The techy approach invites consumers to swab a cheek and mail in the sample, and promises to reveal a broad swath of genetic information.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 17, 2019
You're better at choosing a pet than a spouse
Don't overthink it.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 10, 2019
No one understands Lyme disease
The sooner experts admit it, the sooner we'll figure out what's happening and perhaps prevent a lot of suffering.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 3, 2019
There's a problem with the human family tree
New findings from fossils and DNA should expand our thinking about our species.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 6, 2019
Facebook doesn't know if you're psychotic
Big data is still pretty bad at figuring out your secrets. That's a relief, and a disappointment.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 29, 2019
What we get wrong about UFOs
Beware of interpretations posing as facts. And when explanations are incomplete, don't fall for the fallacy of 'god of the gaps.'
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 25, 2019
In defense of the not-so-cute animals
Understanding how 'puppy dog eyes' are manipulating us shouldn't make us love our pets less. But give wolves a chance.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 22, 2019
Healthy living can't prevent cancer
But acknowledging the role of random bad luck should inspire more testing, research and treatments.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 15, 2019
Why it's risky to call e-cigarettes unsafe
Sure, it would be better if no one smoked any nicotine products, but the CDC's repetition of that message blurs important distinctions.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 1, 2019
A glimpse of starlight and hope for science
A century ago, English astronomers used a solar eclipse to confirm Einstein's theory of relativity — a revolutionary idea from a German.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 25, 2019
The atomic beauty of the new kilogram
Last week the kilogram got a new definition — one that rests on a quantity of light. The old kilogram was defined by a platinum cylinder kept in a vault in Paris, and at first glance, that system might seem more intuitive, but it was crude and prone to error. The new definition harnesses the elegance of the universe.
COMMENTARY / World
May 11, 2019
'Crispr babies' versus 'bubble boy'
The ethical difference between two feats of genetic medicine isn't that murky.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 4, 2019
Dating advice for 'maximizers' and 'satisficers'
Researchers have some dating advice for 'maximizers' who can't stop comparison shopping.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 27, 2019
The unseen crisis of drug shortages
High costs plague American health care, but so do low costs: Life-saving generics can become so cheap that companies stop making them.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 13, 2019
What you're not eating is killing you
Which is just a dramatic way of saying that you could live longer if you ate more healthy foods.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 12, 2019
Einstein couldn't believe his own black hole theory
A point of infinite density trapping even light? It's pretty far fetched, but its finally been photographed
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 6, 2019
Falling in love with meat all over again
It's a relief that vegetarian burgers are more and more like the real thing, because the real thing turns out to be nutritious.
Weak yen fattens tourist wallets in Japan
People visit the Ameya Yokocho market in Tokyo's Ueno district during the Golden Week holiday on Tuesday.
Biden calls ally Japan ‘xenophobic’ along with rivals China and Russia
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks in Syracuse, New York, on April 25.
Number of vacant homes in Japan hits record high of 9 million
A vacant house in Tokyo is seen demolished in January 2020.
Saudi Arabia steps up Gaza-related arrests as Israel ties edge closer
The arrests for Gaza-related posts indicate Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s regime will take a hard line against citizens not toeing the line when it comes to normalizing ties with Israel.
'So hot you can't breathe': Extreme heat hits the Philippines
A pedestrian cools himself with a folding hand fan as he waits for a ride along a road in Manila on Wednesday, as extreme heat hit the Philippines.
Kishida sets sights on energy and climate in South America trip
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will use a policy speech in Sao Paulo to set out his vision for ties between Japan and South America, almost 10 years after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe advocated for stronger ties between the two in the same city.
Yellow sand allergy: A health issue made worse by climate change
A screenshot of the Meteorological Agency's satellite image of clouds and yellow sand (in pink) on Sunday.
Climate change, chalky grains and the risks for Japan’s rice farmers
A farmer plants seedlings in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Prefecture. Japan’s self sufficiency rate for rice is nearly 100%, compared with 38% for food overall, on a calorie basis.
Japan wants you to spend more with ‘luxury tourism’
Performers play a traditional drum unique to Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in the prefectural capital of Kanazawa on March 16 to mark the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line to Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture.
Theaster Gates’ ambitious ‘Afro-Mingei’ brings Black Chicago to Tokyo
Theaster Gates' “A Heavenly Chord” lines up church pews before seven speakers and a Hammond B3 organ, a type of electric organ prevalent in Black American churches.

Podcast

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Longform

When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.
Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree
By Alex K.T. Martin

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