Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

Samsung Electronics’ Semiconductor (DS) division is paying out bonuses of up to roughly 60 million yen, while the smartphone and home appliance division is stuck at far lower levels — prompting labor unions to protest and demand better treatment. On the thread, opinions split between those arguing “it’s only natural to weight payouts toward the division that’s actually earning the money” and those countering “it doesn’t matter which division grinds to a halt, that’s a problem either way.” OECD data showing South Korea’s average wage now exceeds Japan’s was also brought up, spreading shock at the wage gap between the two countries.

Samsung Electronics is raking in massive profits from the AI boom, but cracks are starting to show within the organization. After handing out hefty bonuses to the semiconductor division, labor unions in other divisions are voicing objections. The huge profits are creating inequality that could undermine the “one big family” culture the company grew up on.

Union membership surges in the smartphone/appliance division

On the 21st, the labor union of Samsung’s DX division, which handles smartphones and home appliances, held a rally in front of Samsung’s Seoul headquarters demanding higher bonuses…

Source: nikkei.com / Read the original article here

*This article is compiled and summarized from the 5channel (Business News+) thread “[Corporate] Samsung Chip Division’s ¥60 Million Bonus, Phones Get ¥600K, Sparking Internal Strife.”

At the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, China, a humanoid robot ran the 100m dash in 9.32 seconds, beating Usain Bolt’s world record of 9.58 seconds. However, after crossing the finish line it failed to decelerate in time, crashed into the safety mat, and caught fire — and on 5ch, the reactions focused less on the record itself and more on the “fiery finish” punchline, along with concerns about future military applications.

Chinese humanoid robot beats Usain Bolt in the 100m with a time of 9.32 seconds… then slams into the mat and catches fire after the finish line

[Beijing — Ryosuke Terunuma] The “World Humanoid Robot Games,” a sporting competition testing the performance of humanoid robots, opened in Beijing on the 22nd. In the men’s 100m preliminary heat, a humanoid robot clocked 9.32 seconds (provisional), surpassing Usain Bolt’s human world record of 9.58 seconds.

(Omitted below — please check the source for the rest of the article)

Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here

*This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Science News+) thread “Chinese Humanoid Robot Beats Usain Bolt in the 100m With 9.32 Seconds… Then Crashes Into the Mat and Catches Fire After the Finish Line.”

The theory that “corn can’t reproduce on its own, so aliens must have made it” sparked a thread on 5ch’s Science News+ board about the history of crop breeding. According to the article, corn’s actual ancestor is a closely related wild plant called “teosinte,” and starting around 7000–9000 BC, humans repeatedly selected individuals with larger kernels, eventually shaping it into the corn we know today. In response, commenters piled on with other examples of “plants that spread without producing seeds,” citing bananas, bread wheat, and Japanese narcissus.

August 18, 2026

Izumi Nakagawa

Developed by aliens? The mystery of a plant that can’t reproduce on its own

Source: friday.kodansha.co.jp / Original article here

*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Science News+) thread “Made by Aliens!? The Mystery of Corn That Can’t Reproduce on Its Own, and the New Variety Born in ’25 That Could Save Us From a Food Crisis.”