SAKURA SCIENCE High School Program Group 3
Experiencing Cutting-Edge Science at the University of Tokyo's Kashiwa Campus
On Tuesday, August 19th, 34 high school students from India and three supervisors—a total of 37 people—visited the University of Tokyo's Kashiwa Campus.
Upon arrival, they were welcomed by Ms. HAYASHI Saeko, Director of the Liaison Office, who gave an introduction titled "Welcome to the Hub of Cutting-Edge Science: The University of Tokyo Kashiwa Campus. "She introduced the university's facilities and research activities, describing the three campuses located in Japan and the university's affiliated facilities overseas. When she mentioned the spherical telescope located at an altitude of 5,000 meters in Chile—which is higher than Mt. Fuji and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records—the students were astonished.
Afterwards, Associate Professor SHIOZAKI Takuhei from the Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute gave a special lecture titled "Microbial Oceanography in the Polar Regions." Using footage from his fieldwork in the Arctic, and using easy-to-understand phrasing, he talked about the necessity of nitrogen fixation, the role of nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and their relationship with sea ice. "There are many polar bears in the Arctic," he said. "Hiring a hunter costs more than 100,000 yen per day." The high school students were surprised by the high cost, but they understood when he added, "A hunter is essential to safely collect research samples."
After the special lecture, the high school students were split into two groups and toured the International MegaGauss Science Laboratory and the Laser and Synchrotron Research Center (LASOR). The students were fascinated by the state-of-the-art research facilities. At the International MegaGauss Science Laboratory, they experienced an electromagnetic flux compression experiment that instantly compresses metal. At the LASOR, questions came one after another: "Why is the cross-section of a laser cleaner than the original surface?" "How does a laser cut things?" When they were told, "Even we don't fully understand how lasers cut materials. It might take another ten years to uncover this, so please try to solve this mystery yourselves," the students' eyes lit up at the prospect of a new research theme.
It was truly a half-day immersed in cutting-edge science at a hub of advanced research. In the afternoon, the students headed to Asakusa to experience Japanese culture.