# THE ISLANDERS PODCAST | Season 2
:::spoiler Idea Pool
#### James
> ~~Hackathon~~
> Rabbit Hole Episode (multiple questions with lottery system)
> ~~Things We Have Lost Over the Years~~
> ~~Management 101~~
> ~~Fear of Love?~~
> Our Views On Social Media

#### Daniel
> College students' concept on Money
> Hidden social norm in TW
(tipping/escalator/priority seats...)
> Can human really think out side the box/ why can't human think outside the box
> overestimation/underestimation/procastiation/prejudice

#### Yen
> In Search of Our Deepest Fears
> ~~Dream Sharing~~
> ~~Our Mental Model of Imagination~~
> What if......, Those crossroads we've faced
> How are you driven? The inner force pushing you forward
> Reactions facing ridiculous context
> Going OUTDOORRRRRRRR!! Share your favorite outdoor activities and stories

:::

:::spoiler A-List
> Arthur Hung, neuroscientist, Yen's ex-roommate
> Bastien, cofounder of NTHU Toastmaster
> Quinn Liu, Leader of NTHU Sailing Club, and an outdoor enthusiast
> Insert Idea Here
> Insert Idea Here
:::

:::spoiler Tension Idea Pool
> Uber vs Taxi
> Nuclear vs Regen
> Aboriginal Bonus
> Price-rising Issues in Taiwan
> On the Malaysian Cigarette Ban
> Is Corriander Edible
> The programming courses in elementary education
(extend:should we learn dialect, like Taiwanese, at home or in school?)
> Beer vs Liquor
> Use disposable utensils or not
:::
Boardroom: https://hackmd.io/VJ_7bByRQf2x3Js4FvWpMA?view

## Ep.13 The Hackathon Experience
*Date: 10.30.2019, Target Time: 60 mins*

### SUMMARY
Welcome to Season 2 of the Islanders Podcast! Join James, Daniel and Yen back at the studio this week to talk about attending the hackathon event at NTHU. They share some of their experience in hands-on product development, rapid prototyping and even sleep management. Don't miss this episode if you consider yourself tech-savvy!

### INTRO
Today we are going to talk about hackathon. It is an engineering competition designed for competitors to focus on a certain project. Try their best to get some breakthrought over the struggling starting point in an intensive two-day event planning, discussing, and working together overnight.
Q: What is the best part you like in this hackathon?
A: Rapid Prototyping/Solving Questions/Bare-bones programming
A: The event organizer feed you so well(J: check the bottom, there are sides)

### NOTES
#### What we gained from the competition?
- Knowing the difference between academic and industry like focus points and concerns
- Having the chance to take a look at current development and trends in industry.
- Getting a chance to realize our novel ideas with our own knowledge and skills (since academic test focuses more on theories, while the competition focuses more on practical applications and skills )

#### What kinds of skills did we used in the competition?
- Defining problems carefully
- Critical thinking (from 2nd year )
- Teamwork
- Presentation

#### Some reflections on the competition
- What we have learnt vs what we think we can do
- We should have thorough understanding about the resources we have - before starting thinking the problem
- Lack of experience and domain knowledge

#### Pros and Cons of Hackthon
- For company
- For students
- Nearly entirely focus on coding skill
- Focus on the ability to go to market

#### Side#1 - Daniel's Mini Whiteboard
#### Side#2 - James' Sleeping Management
#### Side#3 - The Food at the Hackathon
#### Side#4 - Our Corporate Mentor, Vincent

---

## Ep.14 Management For Dummies
*Date: 11.5.2019, Target Time: 60 mins*

### SUMMARY
Welcome to Management 101! Join James and Yen today as they explore the many facets of management as well as their past experiences in student management roles, be it head of the student association or organizer of summer camps. They also talk about some of the (many) difficulties and things that they may have done differently.

### INTRO
Today Daniel is not with us, and we are going to use this chance to talk about management, our experiences in it, and the difficulties that come with it. There are a lot of chances during our college life/high school life for us to experience management, and it is not always easy. However, experience in managing, or communicating even, will benefit us greatly in the future.

### NOTES
#### Yen's Past Experience in Management
* Presentaion organizer of the student seminars in our class
* As the vice of the student associtation in residential college
* Organizer of the orientaion camp in residential college

#### James' Past Experience in Management and his different approaches
- As Head of Department's Student Association
- As Organizer of Summer Camp

#### What made you decided to become the role of manager in the team?

#### How do the mediate the conflicts in your team?

#### What are the important qualities to be a good manager/leader?

#### What is the hardest part of working as the manager in the team?

#### How to make/keep the team motivated?

---

## Ep.15 Exit Light, Enter Night
*Date: 11.12.2019, Target Time: 60 mins*

### SUMMARY
Join James, Daniel and Yen today as they talk about dreams! They share some of their recurring nightmares as well as delve into facts about dreams. Listen to their possible theories about why people dream and what they think dreams might mean in the real world.

### INTRO
Today we are going to talk about dreams! Dreams are, I think, cross-dimensional encounters that we have when the subconscious mind and our conscious mind cross each other. And most of the time, dreams are queer, scary, or too good to be true. On our show tonight, we want to discuss about the dreams that we have, and I will also share some fun facts about dreams.

### NOTES

#### What is the most ridiculous dream you have had?

#### What do you think about/do according to your dreams?
D:running in am endless maze
some nightmare after playing the game "devotion"
dreaming of my daily life (lefting my wallet in Taipei)
ghost press
To Murder To flee To surrender
#### Are there any common themes/objects in most of your dreams? How does it connect(original form) to your subconscious(adj + n.) mind?

#### Do your dreams have stories? Tell us about some dreams with a great story?

#### What do your think your dreams are composed of?

#### Facts about dreams by James

---

## Ep.16 Imaginary Imagery
*Date: 11.19.2019, Target Time: 60 mins*

### SUMMARY
Today the boys ask themselves whether their imagination is tethered by their growing knowledge. Join James, Daniel and Yen as they go through fun thought exercises and try to imagine their imaginary spaces, capacity, and the related mechanisms. From a water bottle to the blizzards and birthday parties, their answers are sure to surprise!

### INTRO
Today we're going to talk about imagination, how it works, and how it brings meaning into our life. We will go through something sounds philosophical but actuall quite fun. Join us together to explore your imagination on you imagination!

### NOTES

#### How do our imagination works?
Kneading Section:
- Imagine a watter bottle
- Describe its shape/color/size
- Imagine a piece of chocolate
- Imagine an artwork

Discussion:
- What do we need to imagine things?
- Do we need to imagine through language?
- Do we need to imagine through sensors/perceptions?
- Something to trigger
- Based on our knowledge

#### How do we imagine stories?

Kneading Section:
- Imagine a hunter
- Imagine one day's life of the hunter

Discussion:
- How do you make up the whole story?
- How could this idea related to our life?

#### Is imagination FREE?
Kneading Section:
- Imagine a song
- Imagine a math formula
- Imagine your spine
- Imagine what do Inuit people do when blizzard comes?
- The boundary of our imagination
- How can we imagine things beyond our knowledge?
- Are Languages imagination?
- How do your imaginery ideas triggered?
- Is knowledge our imagination?

#### Addtional Questions
- Are guesses and lies part of the imagination?
- What do you think is the most important function of imagination
- Do you think reality is part of our imagination?

---

## Ep.17 Random Access Memories
*Date: 11.26.2019, Target Time: 60 mins*

### SUMMARY
As we grow up, there are bound to be things that disappear into the vast river of memories. It may be a favorite restaurant of yours that went out of business, or it may be a lost photograph that means much to you. Join James, Daniel and Yen today to hear their stories of losing as well as the beautiful memories that stay etched to their hearts.

### INTRO
(Add clarification after intro & Broaden)
Today we want to talk about the things that we lost over the years. It may be an object of importance, or even maybe a place that you like to go. We will share our stories on this matter, so join us on this trip down memory lane! First, I want to share why I want to talk about this topic today...

### NOTES
#### Thought Exercise
- Came across an interesting question today(which I heard on another podcast). If I were to give you a book which documents your whole life, would you read it?

#### Why this topic?
- Recent events has led me to think about the stuff that I have lost over the years.
- Closing of the breakfast parlor across the street
- Almost went there daily for quite some time
- Not much near to eat
- Closing of the famous 24-hour bookstore in Taipei
- Good atmosphere, things that interest me

#### Daniel's Memories
- What is your story?
- Visualize it! What does it look like? Where is it?
- What do you miss about it?

#### The Mechanisms
- What do you think makes you miss this item/place? Is it because of the good memories?
- Do you think you will miss something even if it brings bad memories? (extend: post-war)
- Hypothetical: If all the components of said memory comes back(ie new store), would you feel the same about it
- Hypothetical: If you could suddenly retrieve said item from your past, would you like to have it -> push to add. question

#### Yen's Memories
- What is your story?
- Visualize it! What does it look like? Where is it?
- What do you miss about it?

#### Additional Questions
- Do you think the memory lives bigger now than it used to when you had access to said memory? Does it become more valuable?
- Do you think it is healthier/better for us if we treat the memories that exist in our mind as if they were real(as if the things were never lost)?

---

## Ep.18 Let's Talk About Love
*Date: 12.3.2019, Target Time: 60 mins*

### SUMMARY
Merry Christmas! Join James, Daniel, Yen and a special guest Lucifer in this Christmas special to discuss their love stories, or rather, their lack of love stories. Sit back on this festive day with a cup of hot chocolate in one hand, biscuits on another, and enjoy an hour full of spicy tidbits and heart-warming confessions.

### INTRO
- Talk about Christmas(half-celebration status) -> Talk about beverage -> Talk about spices in Taiwan -> Merry Christmas in couple languages
- Talk about first guest in our 2nd season
- Clarification - Romantic Love
Love is wonderful. It is what makes you feel warm and fuzzy in your heart...

### NOTES
#### Why this topic?
Tis the season of love...
Events...

#### Main Question Set & Notes
- What do you think love is? **(James - extension [define])**
- Do you think love is a game of chance or a goal achievable through active pursuit?
- Why do you think you are single? Single by choice? Single by circumstance?
- Beneficial or detrimental - boys & girls schools **(James - extension [perspective])**
- Different Education philosophy - East and West **(James - extension [course])**

- Have you ever watched any romantic movies? TV show? Are there any cliche 'love'-related gestures that you've utilized in real-life? How did it work out for you?
- Experiences on having a crush on sbd.

- Say you are in a relationship, what would be your worst nightmare? **(James - extension - [Slow dancing in a burning room])**
- What are some of the fears that you have related to love?

- Last year in college. Are the chances slipping away?
- Characteristics you look for in a partner?

#### Additional Questions
- Have we changed your mind today? Are you willing to try relationships?

---

## Ep.19 Facts & Fiction
*Date: 12.14.2019, Target Time: 60 mins*

### SUMMARY
Join James, Daniel and Yen today to explore some science-related fun! Listen to the boys put their college degree to use as they try to solve some engineering problems from the book 'What If?' that are borderline science fiction.

### INTRO
Short Story: American Library Tour, YouTube (James)
After almost four years in engineering school, we will try to put our engineering skills(or problem-solving ability rather) into practice today.

I have with me a book that I have owned for a few years, and in this episode we are going to tackle some problems presented in the book with some common sense and basic scientific knowledge that we have (hopefully) garnered over the years.

This book is written by Randall Monroe, who is a former NASA rocket scientist, current american blogger who creates little comics, like the ones in newspapers, and puts them on his blog xkcd.com. So people write to him from time to time about peculiar questions and he answers them, along with little comics on the side, with the scientific knowledge that he has, combined with his connections in the industry.

The full title of the book is: What if? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions, and today we are going into serious mode and will try to answer some of the stange, over the top questions to the best of our ability.

### NOTES
Before we start...
- How do you normally solve questions?
- Do you like open-ended questions? Or do you like standard Q&A?
- in exams (mostly standardized), real life (mostly open-ended)
- modularized system - learn from standard to systems

The Questions
- If all humans were to disappear from Earth, what would be the last artificial light left? (What If)
:::spoiler Answer
1. Generators(diesel, coal): Few days~months / Lack of fuel(nobody adding fuel)
2. Renewable(wind turbines, geothermal, hydroelectric dams):Few years~decades / Mechanical Failure
3. Batteries: Few days~years / Discharge naturally
4. Nuclear Reactors: Few months~years / Emergency Halt(Lack of Electronic Control)
5. Solar Power(Space): Few years~decades / Space Debris
6. Solar Power(Earth): Few decades~centuries / Corrosion
7. Nuclear Waste(Celsium-137): 2 Centuries / 30yr Half-life
:::

- What speed do we have to go on a bike in order to heat ourselves up the same way a spaceship heats up on re-entry? (What If)
:::spoiler Answer
1. Why does air heat up? Air compression, not commonly-believed air friction
2. For air temp to rise for 20 degrees celsius, you have to travel at 200kph
3. Fastest bikes: 40kph
4. Traveling at 200kph requires 25 times the power compared to traveling at 40kph
5. Conclusion: Impossible
:::

- How high can a human throw something? (What If)
:::spoiler Answer
1. Professional Athletes
2. Pitcher
3. Fastest in the world - Aroldis Chapman 169.1(km/h), 2010
4. Calculate by formula - entry speed @ 169.1(km/h) => 46.97(m/s)^2/(19.6) = 112.56(m)
5. Realistically about sub-100 meters, considering aerodynamics
6. Conclusion: Could improve by throwing other objects(lighter, better aero)
:::

- How many tennis balls fit in an Airbus A380? (Google)
:::spoiler Answer
1. Theory: Estimation by Powers of Ten
2. Size & Shape of Airbus A380:
Cylinder - 73(m) length, 6.58(m)~5.92(m)(6.25(m)) diameter = 2238(m^3)
3. Size & Shape of tennis ball: Ball - 0.0665(m) diameter = 0.00123(m^3)
4. Rough estimation(straight division): (max)1,819,512(balls)
5. Through power estimation: 10^3/10^-3 = 10^6(balls)
6. Consider packing: Front-center-cubic packing
~ 0.74 density = 1656.12(m^3)/0.00123(m^3) = 1,346,439(balls)
7. Answer: About 1.2 million - 1.3 million (balls)
:::

---

## Ep.20 Rewind 2019
*Date: 12/24/2019, Target Time: 60 mins*

### SUMMARY
It was a crazy and bizarre year for three of us as we experienced all kinds of adventures and even started our podcast show this summer. For various reasons, 2019 is definitely one of the most memorable year in our college lives. At the beginning of 2020, we decided to have a special episode to reminisce our top 5 events in 2019 respectively and record these precious memories.

### INTRO
short story: chrismas party & gift exchange
In Taiwan, Christmas is also an important holiday. Numerous department stores hold special Christmas events and ornate the streets with all kinds of lights and decorations, let alone these gigantic Christmas trees. Besides these large and commercial celebrations, college students in TW also hold their own Christmas party, dance parties particularly, which are usually held by several departments in universities. At the party, people dress in fancy clothes and dance, people drink, people drunk, people throw up and go crazy eventually. It’s also a place where boys try to date girls or confess their feelings to the girl he likes in, but most of them either fail or dare not and get drunk to forget about the frustration.

Some experience with Christmas dance parties. Why did you attend the event? What did you wear? What did you do at the party?

Also, students would like to exchange gifts with others. Normally, the prices of gifts will range from 150~300 dollars or even higher, and students will be given an adjective, a noun and the person to receive the gift.

Your story about gift exchange at Christmas, what did you get, and what did you send?

### NOTES
Sharing Rules:
1. Each of us will share our top 4 and 5 events in 2019 respectively.
1. Explain why these event is meaningful to you. how did the event influence your life?
2. Share our top 3 events
3. Explain
4. Share our top 2 events
5. Explain
6. Share our top 1 events
7. Explain
8. Our new years resolusions

:::spoiler Daniel's top 5
1. Podcast
2. Fracture on my left arm
3. Project research
4. Spiritual talker
5. Hackathon / car accident / lucky story of my python.
:::

:::spoiler James' top 5
1. Podcast
2. Studio renovation
3. Bicycle riding
4. Trip to Tainan
5. Hackathon

Honorable mentions
1. Getting Computer
2. Performing with band
:::

:::spoiler Yen's Top 5
1. Improvements on my Taiwanese and other skills that also roll
2. Podcast
3. Into the Theatre and my reconeection on sotrytelling/movies/scripts
4. Moderating in deliberative democracy/Participatory Budgeting
5. Trip to Israel and Jordan (w/ podcast Hardcore History)
:::

New year resolutions
1. Getting the admission from prestigous foreign graduate schools.
2. Recording more high quality podcast shows.
3. Finishing my project research and publishing my work to journals.
4. Trying to have 1000 fans on my spiritualtalker fan page or even write a book collecting my articles these years.
5. Find an internship.

---

## Ep.21 Election Day
*Date: 1/13/2020, Target Time: 60 mins*

### SUMMARY
The 2020 Taiwan Presidential Legislative Elections just took place last Saturday! Join James, Daniel, Yen and special guest Brian to talk about the election, its preceding events, and the history of democracy in Taiwan.

### INTRO
On January eleventh, Taiwan welcomed the fifteenth presidential legislative elections. Being first time voters, this event was especially meaningful to us. In this episode all about the election and the many events prior to the election, we've also invited one of our friends, who is a politics major from National Taiwan University, to join us in this discussion and provide professional insights into the various phenomenon regarding this important demonstration of democracy. Please welcome our guest tonight!

### NOTES
**Background story of Taiwan’s politics**
First, I would like to ask you to give us a brief intro about the history and development of democracy in Taiwan, the government institutions and major parties in Taiwan.

**The election this year**
The presidential candidates this year and their political ideology
* Ing-Wen Tsai, DPP(Democratic Progressive Party)
* Preservation of Taiwanese Democracy
* Socialist
* Anti-Nuclear Power
* Labor Law Reform
* Public Servant Pension Reform
* Same Sex Marriage
* Nepotism

* Kuo-Yu Han, KMT(Kuomintang, Chinese Nationalist Party)
* Stronger ties with Beijing
* Pro-Nuclear Power
* Economic growth over democracy

* James Soong, PFP(People First Party)

**Some special phenomenon of this election**
1. Fierce confrontation and conflicts between different generations and groups
* Han sanity (Why? What’s the definition of populism?)
2. Strong interference from China government (Xi’s ambition to unify and liberate Taiwan by military forces and fake news manipulation)
3. The influence of anti-extradition Bill protests in HK and the fears of subjugation of our nation.
4. The meaning of the election to the world & and the role of Taiwan in the world (industry, the tug of war between pro China and pro USA, geographic position)

**Our perspectives**
1. Predictions of the election vs the reality
(What’s the difference? What caused the difference? Echo chambers in social media(extend to politics tendency of our friends and the elder members in our family)/low voting rate of youngsters...)
2. Our viewpoints on politics in the past and now?
(Any difference? Why? What caused the differences?)

**Outcome**
1. Presidential Results: 8.17m(57.1%) / 5.52m(38.6%) / 0.6m(4.2%)
2. Legislator Results: DPP 61 / KMT 38 / TPP 5 / NPP 3 / OTHER 6
3. Voting Rate: 74.3%(2012) / 66.3%(2016) / 66.1%(2018) / 74.9%(2020)

---

## Ep.22 New Year Survival Guide
*Date: 1/18/2020, Target Time: 60 mins*

### SUMMARY
This weekend we welcome the Chinese New Year festivities. Once in a lunar year, we gather round with our families to eat profusely and gamble away all our red envelopes. Join James, Daniel and Yen this week to learn how to survive all those nosy relatives and unending holiday rituals.

### INTRO
This weekend, this biggest storm of the year is going to strike Taiwan, and no one will be spared under its wake/path. This coming crisis which is as cold as the freezing winter will last for seven days, and it will also play a role to eliminate the weak and only the fittest will remain. In these seven days, you will run into dense smoke and pray to the gods for safety, you will compete with the crowd for food. Extensive labor, malicious interrogation, and significant money loss are just common things in this survival game, let alone the continuous and endless roars of cannons. So, prepare yourself, in this episode, and we will guide you on how to survive this battlefield, aka Chinese new year.

### NOTES
- Strategy of being an authentic holiday celebrator:
How to celebrate Chinese new year like a local you must know

- Chinese new year’s eve(除夕):
1. The big cleanup

2. Reunion dinner
The meaning of different dishes. Lots of puns
Steamed fish (remainder imply that the wealth in the coming new year will be plentiful and abundant)
White radish cake (彩頭)
Chicken soup (雞 吉)
Hot pot (reunion)
New year cake (高)

3. Red envelopes agreement
Who gets red envelopes?
The agreement between parents and elder relatives.
Hierarchy and the value of money
Where does the red envelope money go? Kept by yourself or taken over by your parents

4. Gambling
What do we play? mahjong/poker…

- The first day of Chinese new year:
1. Worship gods in temples in the neighborhood
2. Visiting relatives

- The second day:
1. Visiting mother's side of family.

- New year phenomenon:
Some things that usually happen only during new year or some things that we only do in the holidays
1. Annoying songs of new year everywhere
2. New year films
3. New year special TV program
4. New year's blessings

Wishing you prosperity and wealth
Great fortune and great favor.
May everything go as you hope.

1. Ordering dishes for reunion dinner
2. Buying gift boxes as presents for relatives
3. The awkward interrogation from uncles and aunts… (work/relationship…)
4. Purchasing new year's goods

- The meaning of Chinese new year to us
- For Daniel:
The chance to see all the family members
Long and mutual holidays allowing the whole family to travel together
Having the right to
Receiving lots of red envelopes which are the major source of my allowance in new year
- for kids and adults:

- New Year Survivors
at this moment, the elder of the family always say : ''the spring is coming! with worriness.
* D-2 The Cleaning
* D-1 Reunion Dinner, red envelope
* D-0 Staying-up, Gambling, TV Show
* D+1 New Year, greeting relatives and neighbors
* D+2 Back to mom's side of the family
* D+3 Break
* D+4 Welcoming the gods' return

---

## Ep.23 Good Or Evil?
*Date: 2/3/2020, Target Time: 60 mins*

### SUMMARY
Are you good or evil? Find out with James, Daniel and Yen this week as they venture into the world of Dragons & Dungeons. Not the game per se, but their alignment system. Join the boys in part one of this two part episode as they take the test to determine (and learn about) their own moral stance.

### INTRO
Hello welcome back to the islanders podcast. First of all, I want to thank you for coming back to join us, and we are also delighted to be back on board. [Talk a little bit about Chinese New Year...]

For this week and next week, this will be a two part episode about something (again) that might be considered nerdy but is also extremely interesting I think. We're going to talk about Dragons and Dungeons! Now I actually don't know too much about the game, but we are actually going to talk about a whole different aspect of the game, which is its alignment test! Today, the three of us are going to do the test and see what the game classifies us as. [Talk about the alignment system...]

The alignment system is divided into two axes. One of the axes is ethical alignment, which divides into three parts: Chaotic, Neutral, and Lawful. The other axis is moral alignment, which is divided also into three parts: Good, Neutral, and Evil. The two axes divide the characters into nine categories. This test is usually done before a game of D&D, and it influences the players' decision in the game. However, I think there are similarities to how a person may act in real life. So, are you ready to jump into the test?

### NOTES
https://hackmd.io/atuNoOW7TGa_xcJWbeTh6w?view
- Relationship to Family
- Relationship to Friends
- Relationship to Community
- Relationship to King and Country

---

## Ep.24 The Lawful and the Chaotic
*Date: 2/3/2020, Target Time: 60 mins*

### SUMMARY
Join James, Daniel and Yen this week as they dive into more D&D questions! In part two of this two part episode, their alignments are revealed (spoiler: they're all different) and they try to categorize famous characters in history or fiction into the nine alignments. They also reminisce season two as it comes to an end.

### INTRO

### NOTES
https://hackmd.io/atuNoOW7TGa_xcJWbeTh6w?view
- Thoughts on Crime and Punishment
- Thoughts on Business and the Economy

---