Relaxing Time & Relaxing Days

For reinforcement, see Operant Behavior in Neuroscience & Behavioral Analysis for Drug Dependence Studies 

In order to continue conducting research for many years, the author thinks it is extremely important to experience things you like outside of research and to immerse yourself in fun times. Even though research is a profession where you do what you like and are interested in, it is impossible to be satisfied with only that in a long research career.

Therefore, if research is what gives meaning to your life, the author would like to think about the meaning of the experiences such as the things you like and the fun times that have supported it. Among them, there are themes of neurobehavioral analysis research, and the author realized that the author can think about them very enjoyably. In that sense, the author added pages titled "Visual Reinforcement Stimuli" and "Auditory Reinforcement Stimuli" in this page. In essence, the author has simply described his hobbies of traveling, photography, and classical music appreciation in a roundabout way.

Even when it comes to reinforcing stimuli, the condition is that the response to them is heightened and sustained for each individual person. Therefore, the title "Reinforcing Stimuli" is, of course, merely a personal and relative one for the author. 

1. Visual reinforcement stimuli in photograph taking behavior

Japan has beautiful nature, an excellent culture, and a unique long history. Many tourists from overseas visit our country in search of these things. This allows us to reaffirm the greatness of Japan.

-- All the photos below were taken by the author.--

1.1 Beautiful nature in Japan

1.2 Traditional culture, lifestyle and people in Japan

1.3 Enjoying cruise ship trip

There is nothing more enjoyable and fulfilling than a cruise ship trip, where you can spend a relaxing time and days while looking at the blue sky and the ocean. Cruise ships have a long history overseas, and are not only enjoyed by the wealthy, but by ordinary citizens as a normal form of travel. Many people who have worked frugally and diligently for a long time as office workers or civil servants enjoy cruise ships in Japan after retirement. The author thinks that traveling abroad by plane is also fun, but a cruise ship trip does not involve the hustle and bustle of carrying heavy carry-on bags or the trouble of time differences. You can travel around the country on a cruise ship and enjoy a relaxing time and days at several ports of call, experiencing the culture, people's lives, history and nature of each place.

The first two representative cruise ships in Japan are the Asuka II and the Nippon Maru. Their parent companies are Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd., respectively. If you purchase stock certificates of each parent company, you can receive a considerable discount on boarding as a shareholder benefit. However, the stock prices of these two companies have risen sharply compared to several years ago. The stocks of the above two companies are currently attracting the most attention on the Tokyo Stock Exchange due to their price increases and high dividends. The reason for this is that during the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for logistics such as imports and exports has increased sharply, while at the same time, due to a shortage of container ships, freight rates have skyrocketed, and in an era of a weak yen, dollar-based contracts have also helped shipping companies' profits soar. Furthermore, due to attacks by the Houthis in the Red Sea, cargo ships and other vessels no longer pass through the Suez Canal, but instead go via the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, which further increased freight rates and increased the profits of the parent company. Japan, surrounded by the sea, is economically dependent on exports and imports with overseas countries, and 90% of that is dependent on maritime transport. Such parent companies are also responsible for the operation of cruise ships by their subsidiaries. Among the cruise ships, there was one company that operated the Pacific Venus, whose main business was the cruise business alone. Its operations ceased in December 2022 due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors. On the other hand, there is some good news: Nippon Yusen and Shosen Mitsui, respectively, begin to operate "the Asuka III" and "Fuji Ocean Cruise".

-- All of the photos below were taken by the author --

Nippon-maru

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.

Asuka II

Yusen Cruise Co., Ltd.

Pacific Venous

Japan Cruise Line Co., Ltd.

(The final voyage was in December 2022)

Diamond princess

Carnival Corporation & PLC

MSC Splendida

MSC Crociere S.p.A.

MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company)

MSC Bellissima

MSC Crociere S.p.A.

2.1 Johann Sebastian Bach

The Goldberg Variations

by Glenn Gould

While maintaining the beauty of Bach's style, Gren gould's performance was free of tradition and full of dynamism for the time. This helped people other than classical music fans realize that Bach's music was accessible. Gould had a strong attachment to his specially made Steinway CD 318 piano and a piano stool made by his father. He was extremely afraid of catching a cold, and was known for always wearing a mask, which was unusual for Westerners at the time, and for not shaking hands with people to prevent infection. He had a chronic respiratory disorder, and for those of us who are experiencing the recent serious COVID-19 epidemic, his attitude of protecting himself at the time is understandable. On the other hand, he himself later said that he did not want his fingertips, which are the lifeblood of a pianist, to be damaged by an insensitive handshake. Surgeons who use delicate finger techniques may feel the same way.

In the latter half of his 50-year-old life, he exclusively engaged in musical activities through record recording. The reason for this is said to be that he was tired of being criticized for every slight piano mistake he made during live performances. Testimonies from friends and others show that he had extremely sensitive emotions. It is tempting to wonder whether his debut performance of Bach was influenced by the swing jazz of the time, such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, and Glenn Miller.

It is said that Bach composed this song for 14-year-old Goldberg. The reason for this is that the boy played it in the next room when Count Keyserlingk, who was his servant, fell asleep in order to cure his insomnia. This song received little attention until the 20th century, when Wanda Landowska released a recording of a performance on a modern harpsichord. Furthermore, Gould's performance made this song completely famous. If Bach had heard Gould's performance, he might have said, "This is a wonderful song! Who composed this?" Listening to Landowska's performance makes you sleepy. This was probably the intention of the composer of this song. Many other works and performances that make you sleepy have their own great utility and value.

YouTube URL for the same song by the same performer (same below)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cwas_7H5KUs&list=RDCwas_7H5KUs&start_radio=1&rv=Cwas_7H5KUs&t=42

2.1 Ludwig van Beethoven

Symphony No. 7

by Wilhelm Furtwangler

with Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Fultwangler expresses Beethoven's dramatic and elegant musical ideas with his own unique style of tempo and dynamism. This is what makes him unique, and it is here that he attracts so many fans.

If the author had to choose three of Beethoven's nine symphonies to celebrate his 250th birthday, he would say the 9th Symphony with chorus first, followed by the 7th Symphony. The remaining three are up to personal preference.

The author feels that Furtwenger always kept in mind various biological rhythms such as human breathing, pulse, and emotional ups and downs when he conducted. He probably instinctively knew the pressure points that the listeners would feel in their brain circuits. The points of impact in his conducting movements are extremely ambiguous. Indeed, in the opening part of the 7th Symphony mentioned above, the sounds of the instruments are not necessarily in sync. The author feels like this gives the music an indescribable flavor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kuJEKMSPZw

2.2 Johannes Brahms

Symphony No. 2

by Bruno Walter with Philharmonic

Orchestra of New York

Of Brahms' four symphonies, this is the most natural, relaxed, and timeless piece. Bruno Walter conducted his New York Philharmonic. He expressed the hidden longing in Brahms' heart, sometimes calmly, and sometimes violently in the final movement. The author felt that the performance was well-balanced, with the conductor and orchestra in perfect harmony. This record was recorded in a studio, but it has a natural flow that feels uninterrupted, as if it were a concert recording. Walter was Jewish, so he emigrated from Germany to the United States, and through his connections with the New York Philharmonic and CBS Columbia Records, his performance activities spread throughout the world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJa2pPaBsDQ

2.3 Johannes Brahms

Alto Rhapsody

by Kathleen Ferrier

with Clemens Klauss, 

Male Cholus and the London

Philharmonic Orchestra

Brahms composed this piece based on Goethe's poem "Winter Journey in the Harz." The time he composed this piece coincided with the death of his mother, which prompted him to complete the German Requiem, and his unrequited love for Robert and Clara Schumann's third daughter. Catherine Ferrier sings the deepest emotions in Brahms' heart at that time with restrained expression. Under the direction of Clemens Krauss, the orchestra and the male chorus that supports them modestly in the background are in perfect harmony. Ferrier was born in England and worked as a telephone operator at the age of 14, so she did not receive any formal musical education. However, her talent for piano and singing was recognized by those around her from an early age. Her performances became known throughout the world through London Records (Decca, UK). However, she suffered from cancer at a young age and passed away at the peak of her career, much to the regret of her fans. Later, the "Catherine Ferrier Society" was established in England to commemorate her achievements in history. When the author thinks of her, hes also thins of another British woman, Rosalind Franklin. They share a commonality in that they both achieved great things as British women during the difficult times of World War II and the aftermath, yet both died of cancer at a young age. It was Rosalind who secretly obtained the X-ray diffraction images in her laboratory that provided supporting evidence for Watson and Crick's discovery of the double helix structure of DNA. She was not properly recognized in the British academic world at the time.

Kathleen Ferrier (1912 - 1953: died at age 41), Rosalind Franklin (1920 - 1958: died at age 37)

2.4 Felix Mendelssohn

Symphony No. 3 (Scottish)

by Wolfgang Sawallisch

with New Philharmonic Orchestra

When I listen to Brahms' music with the forehead wrinkled, I sometimes want to listen to something different and refreshing. Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 3 Scottish is the last symphony he composed and is highly accomplished. His symphonies such as No. 4 Italian and No. 5 Reformation are also famous, but these numbers are in the order of the publication of the scores, not the chronology of their composition.

The author heard this piece at a concert by the San Diego Symphony Orchestra (Jahja Ling as the conductor with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra) while participating in the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) held in San Diego and fell in love with it. This led me to buy the above-mentioned CD conducted by Sawallisch and have been listening to it ever since. This piece is filled with bright and beautiful melodies, but the author finds the occasional loneliness in its charm indescribable.

This composer's sweet and beautiful Violin Concerto in E minor is very famous. When the author listened to this song many times, he felt like he was drinking barley tea with sugar. However, the author now believes that it was songs like this that made us fall in love with classical music.

Mendelsohn is a great composer who left behind many wonderful works. He is sometimes described as a composer who lived a blessed life among musicians. However, like many other composers, his life was plagued by many hardships, and he left behind great works by concentrating on music and composing until his death at the age of 38. He also left behind great achievements other than his works. That was when he conducted a performance of JS Bach's St. Matthew Passion in Berlin, making people realize the greatness of Bach's music. It is hard to believe, but at that time, there was almost no interest in JS Bach's music. It can be said that it was Mendelssohn who introduced the music of Bach, who is even called the "father of music" and whose portrait hangs on the wall of music classrooms in Japanese schools.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wUa9i8rOJE&t=7s

2.5 Zoltan Kodaly

Sonata for Unaccompanied

Cello by Janos Starker

Hungarian-born Starker made his debut with this record. It was recorded by Pita Bartók, son of composer Béla Bartók. It was said that in the Period version of the mono recording of this piece, you can even hear the sound of rosin flying off the bow hair. This record later won the Grand Prix de l'Opédie, and Starker's performance of this Kodaly piece also became famous. Starker also has an excellent recording of Bach's solo cello sonatas, but here we have chosen the performance of his fellow countryman.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EtxvnqquM0

2.6 Igor Stravinsky

The Fire Bird

by Ernest Ansermet with

Swiss Romand Orchestra

Ansermet performs Stravinsky's unique rhythm and chords with the perfectly synchronized Suisse Romande Orchestra. Stravinsky's music is characterized by beautiful melodies that sometimes appear amid dissonance and unexpected rhythms. His understanding of the ballet music, which he developed during his long friendship with the composer (later parted ways with him), beautifully expresses Stravinsky's music. The transparency of the Suisse Romande wind instruments is also impressive. It is also rare for a conductor that Ansermet is a mathematician. The author would have liked to hear Ansermet's opinion that a foundation in mathematics is usrful to understand the structure of a piece of music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y55usKsULdw