One hundred seventy years ago, tuberculosis was a lethal disease. This illness posed a significant threat to humanity, resulting in an estimated 1 billion deaths between 1700 and 1900. Notably, traces of tuberculosis have been found in the mummies of ancient Egyptian kings. In the late 1840s, German botanist Hermann Brehmer, confronted with the fatality of tuberculosis, relocated to the Himalayas in search of fresh air. Remarkably, he survived and is believed to have successfully fought off Mycobacterium tuberculosis in that less favorable environment for bacterial growth. As a result, numerous nursing homes emerged across Europe and the United States, including specialized facilities for tuberculosis care and luxury accommodations for the affluent. However, by the 1940s, many of these nursing homes began closing due to the emergence of antibiotics, which drastically changed their economic viability. Throughout history, it seems that economic value often proves transient. - Joseph’s “j...
In 2002, Nobel Prize-winning economist Daniel Kahneman conducted an experiment called the “Dictator Game”. It was 1986. One of the two subjects was given $20 to share with the other. The first condition was that the recipient could exercise his veto power if he did not like the distribution ratio, and then, the ruler ensured that the giver did not have the money. The second condition eliminated the veto. In the first condition, most people who gave money were divided in half. In the second condition, however, the giver had about 70% and shared only 30%. Most people think of fairness to vested interests between 50% and 70%. But, in some cases, even though the recipient had a veto, the giver had 90% and wanted to share only 10%. At that time, it was beneficial for the recipient to receive at least 10%, but by exercising the veto power, the giver did not have the money either. This is the moment of conflict between justice and rationality. People do not make decisions based on reason alon...