Video discussion with Lord Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal, Founder of the Centre for Existential Risk at Cambridge University
Lord Martin Rees in discussion with Trinity in Japan on 31 July 2020. Topics discussed include the recent Nobel Prize for Didier Queloz, existential risks to humanity, exoplanets and extraterrestrial life, the possibility and conditions on planet Mars and on other planets and exoplanets, and experimental programs to detect extraterrestrial life, and the current situation at Trinity College Cambridge in the virus crisis.
Martin achieved many discoveries in astrophysics and astronomy including the origin of cosmic background radiation black holes, quasars, and gamma ray bursts. Martin is Astronomer Royal, was Master of Trinity College, and President of the Royal Society. Over his long career and today, Martin had and has many important leadership positions, and has received many prizes and distinctions.
Gerhard Fasol: A European view on the future of engineering education in Kyushu
Future engineering education. 4th Symposium of the Kyushu Society for Engineering Education. 11 July 2017 13:00-16:30 Kyushu Institute of Technology
Future engineering education meeting program.
13:00-15:00
Yuichi Harada, Professor, Kyushu University: “Practical education using global innovation”
Shingo Igarashi, Deputy Director General and Associate Professor, Robert T Huang Entrepreneurship Center, Kyushu University: “Merging education for innovation, and student’s independence
Gerhard Fasol, CEO Eurotechnology Japan KK, Board Director GMO Cloud KK, Guest-Professor Kyushu University: “Future engineering education and industrial cooperation – European and UK views”
Future engineering education and industrial cooperation – European and UK views (outline of the talk)
Gerhard Fasol, CEO Eurotechnology Japan KK, Board Director GMO Cloud KK, Guest-Professor Kyushu University
Outline:
Self introduction – as relevant for engineering education
Kyushu’s economic growth in comparison, and engineering education’s responsibility
Kyushu’s economic growth stopped around the year 2000, while most other comparable economies in advanced countries have continued to grow. e.g. Holland’s and Kyushu’s economic size were about the same in the year 2000, while today Netherlands’ economy is about two times the size of Kyushu.
Many studies have shown the contributions of universities to economic growth, and for example MIT has determined in detail the contributions of MIT to economic growth.
Although we should not read too much into University’s ranking tables, there is a drastic difference in the ranking of Kyushu’s Universities and Netherlands’ or Singapore’s Universities.
I think there are strong arguments, that improvements of Kyushu’s Universities including engineering education are necessary to enable a restart of Kyushu’s economy.
Thus the need for restarting Kyushu’s economic growth provides a strong motivation to improve engineering education in Kyushu.
How to improve engineering education: Escaping Flatland
“Inbreeding” is well recognized as Japan’s Universities’ top problem to overcome. People must circulate to circulate ideas.
Example: in Germany we have “Hausberufungsverbot”, not only in Universities, but also in many other organizations, and we have “Lehr- und Wanderjahre” with 100s of years of history.
Japan also has a long tradition of welcoming and adopting philosophy, religion and technology from many countries including India, Europe, USA, Korea and many other areas.
“Flatland – a romance of many dimensions” by A. Square (Edwin A Abbott) has been written both as a mathematics teaching tool to visualize dimensions, by introducing a society confined to live in two dimensions = FlatLand.
Flatland is both a geometrical teaching tool, as well as a psychological / sociological study.
The three key elements in a successful ecosystem for innovation
Professor Ian Walmsley, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation of Oxford University, recently explained that there are three key elements in a successful ecosystem for innovation:
Critical mass: sufficient capacity for generating and identifying good and fruitful ideas
Cross-fertilization of concepts: the collision of different ways of thinking, both cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural
Competitive tensioning: ideas must be compared with the best of the world
How to improve engineering education: Traditional lectures vs Active learning
Pioneering education research by Ibrahim Abou Halloun and David Hastens (American Journal of Physics) shows the physics (and engineering) students mostly enter university with “Common Sense” (CS) views of physics. CS is basically pre-Newton and related to Aristoteles works (384-322 BC).
Aristoteles work was the basis for physics understanding and teaching for about 2000 years, until Newton revolutionized our understanding of physics, based on mathematical analysis and modeling of experimental observations.
Education research shows that a large fraction of students enter University with Common Sense (CS) views on physics, and too few students are “converted” to Newton’s views of physics, and traditional lectures are not very effective at achieving this “conversion”.
R W Revans (1907-2003) introduced the concept of “active learning”.
Comparative studies (Scott Freeman, Sarah Eddy, Miles McDonough, Michelle Smith, Nnadozie Okoroafor, Hannah Jordt, May Pat Wenderoth, PNAS) show that active learning achieved 21.8% examination failure rate, while traditional lecture based teaching resulted in 33.8% failure rates (55% higher than active learning).
Thus we need to develop active learning to supplement or replace traditional lecture based teaching, and bring active techniques to students, and let students do curiosity based research as early as possible.
In Cambridge University and Oxford University “supervisions” are another alternative to classical lectures.
Future engineering education – a European view. Gerhard Fasol for the Kyushu Society for Engineering EducationFuture engineering education – a European view. Gerhard Fasol for the Kyushu Society for Engineering EducationFuture engineering education – a European view. Gerhard Fasol for the Kyushu Society for Engineering EducationFuture engineering education – a European view. Gerhard Fasol for the Kyushu Society for Engineering EducationFuture engineering education – a European view. Gerhard Fasol for the Kyushu Society for Engineering EducationFuture engineering education – a European view. Gerhard Fasol for the Kyushu Society for Engineering EducationyFuture engineering education – a European view. Gerhard Fasol for the Kyushu Society for Engineering EducationFuture engineering education – a European view. Gerhard Fasol for the Kyushu Society for Engineering EducationFuture engineering education – a European view. Gerhard Fasol for the Kyushu Society for Engineering EducationFuture engineering education – a European view. Gerhard Fasol for the Kyushu Society for Engineering EducationFuture engineering education – a European view. Gerhard Fasol for the Kyushu Society for Engineering EducationFuture engineering education – a European view. Gerhard Fasol for the Kyushu Society for Engineering EducationFuture engineering education – a European view. Gerhard Fasol for the Kyushu Society for Engineering EducationFuture engineering education – a European view. Gerhard Fasol for the Kyushu Society for Engineering EducationFuture engineering education – a European view. Gerhard Fasol for the Kyushu Society for Engineering EducationKyushu Institute of Technology
Copyright (c) 2017 by Gerhard Fasol. All Rights Reserved.
Professor Frank Kelly speaks about the future of Cambridge University and of Christ’s College
Frank Kelly, Professor Francis Patrick Kelly FRS, Master of Christ’s College, Cambridge, and Professor of the Mathematics of Systems, gave us his view of Cambridge today at the Cambridge Oxford Society of Japan in Tokyo.
Professor Frank Kelly spoke in Tokyo about Christ’s College, Cambridge. In the past Cambridge competed only with Oxford, today competition is global
Professor Frank Kelly: In Cambridge the Colleges provide the personal connection, while the University provides the scale
In the past Cambridge competed with Oxford, and Oxford’s saw Cambridge as the only competitor. Today this picture has changed dramatically, both Cambridge and Oxford compete globally, and especially more and more now with Asia, such as China, Korea and Japan. In order to keep ahead in this global competition, Cambridge needs more headroom for research.
Professor Frank Kelly: The North West Cambridge Development
Professor Frank Kelly: Cambridge University’s first bond
To the financing contributed a 350 million pound bond, which was awarded AAA rating (which according to Professor Frank Kelly is a better bond rating than the Government of the United Kingdom currently achieves).
Professor Frank Kelly: the role of “benefactors”
We have the annual Benefactors’ Dinners at Cambridge and Oxford Colleges. “Benefactors” used to be the people, who founded the Cambridge and Oxford Colleges 100s of years ago, and who we have as oil paintings on the walls. However, this picture has changed in the last 20-30 years. Today, our benefactors are also living people, our alumni, who are living benefactors, role models and inspirations in their professions for our undergraduates.
Professor Frank Kelly: about alumni
Colleges today have several stake holders: undergraduates, graduates, Fellows and alumni, and alumni are by far the largest group by numbers.
We have a good business model, where the cost of each student to the College and the University is partly paid by fees, and part from elsewhere. However, this business model is difficult to scale to larger numbers. So our size in terms of student numbers is likely to remain as today.
Wednesday, 20th February 2013, Embassy of Austria, Tokyo
14:00 Welcome by Dr. Bernhard Zimburg, Ambassador of Austria to Japan
14:10 Gerhard Fasol, “today’s agenda”
14:20 – 14:40 Robert Geller
Professor of Geophysics University of Tokyo, seismologist. First ever tenured non-Japanese faculty member at the University of Tokyo
“A seismologist looks at nuclear power plant safety issues”
14:40 – 15:20 Gerhard Fasol
Physicist. CEO of Eurotechnology Japan KK, served as Assoc Professor at Tokyo University and Lecturer at Cambridge University and Manager of Hitachi Cambridge R&D lab
“Ludwig Boltzmann – the disrespectful revolutionary”
15:40 – 16:20 Kiyoshi Kurokawa
Academic Fellow of GRIPS and former Chairman of Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission by National Diet of Japan
“Creativity, Crazy Ones and Power of Pull”
16:40 – 17:20 Shuji Nakamura
Professor, University of California, Santa Barbara. Inventor of GaN LEDs and lasers, which are the basis for the global LED lighting revolution.
“The global lighting revolution and the changes I want for Japan”
17:20 – 17:30 Gerhard Fasol “Summary”
Followed by reception (private, invitation only)
Registration: latest 10 February 2013 (by invitation only)
Further information: Gerhard Fasol Peter Storer, Minister for Cultural Affairs, Embassy of Austria
Summary
Robert Geller: “A seismologist looks at nuclear power plant safety issues”
Robert Geller gave an overview of large scale earthquakes and tsunamis in different regions of earth, and in history, and explained that large “Tohoku-2011” scale earth quakes and tsunamis do have a finite probability of striking Japan, and need to be taken in to account in the construction of structures such as nuclear power plants. Robert Geller in particular explained and emphasized the risks on the northern coast of Japan, facing the Sea of Japan.
Gerhard Fasol: “Ludwig Boltzmann – the disrespectful revolutionary”
Gerhard Fasol reviewed Ludwig Boltzmann’s life and work, and particular Boltzmann’s efforts to promote open discussion and to destroy dogmatic views, most importantly the rejection of atoms by Oswald’s school of “energetics” and Mach. Ludwig Boltzmann’s work is fundamental in many areas of today’s physics, technology, IT, energy and in many other fields. As a demonstration of Ludwig Boltzmann’s work linking the macrosopic face of Entropy with the statistical properties of atoms and molecules, Gerhard Fasol explained today’s state of development of electrical power production from the entry of mixing of water with different concentrations of salts, from salinity gradients. “Osmotic powerplants”, which are directly based on Boltzmann’s work on the Entropy of mixing, have the potential to be developed into a very important contribution to our future renewable energy mix, although much research still remains to be done, especially in the area of semipermeable membranes.
Kiyoshi Kurokawa: “Creativity, Crazy Ones and Power of Pull – Uncertain Times: Changing Principles”
Kiyoshi Kurokawa laid out the rapid and dramatic changes we are currently facing in our world: the development of the global information revolution, revolutions towards democracy in the arab world, the Sept-11 terror attacks, and the triple disaster in Tohoku in March 2011. As short summary of the information revolution, linked with other major developments of global impact:
web 1.0: 1991-2000 – end of cold war, world wide web, globalization and financial crises: 1990, 1992, 1997
web 2.0: 2001-2010 – 9.11, digital age, wireless, touch panel, growth of emerging economies, BRICs, global financial crisis 2007, and President Barak Obama
web 3.0: 2011- – Arab Spring, and March-11 Tohoku disaster
Paradigm shift of The Principles (Joi Ito, MIT Media Lab, and Kiyoshi Kurokawa, GRIPS):
The principles 1:
RESILIENCE instead of strength
RISK instead of safety
SYTEMS instead of objects
The principles 2:
COMPASSES instead of maps
PULL instead of push
PRACTICE instead of theory
The principles 3:
DISOBEDIENCE instead of compliance
CROWDS instead of experts
LEARNING instead of education
For his work as former Chairman of Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission by National Diet of Japan, Kiyoshi Kurokawa was recently awarded the “Scientific Freedom and Responsibility Award” by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Kiyoshi Kurokawa paid particular attention for the deliberations and fact finding by the Independent Investigation Commission was open and transparent, and published globally in Japanese and in English in many different forms. The report itself can be downloaded here: http://warp.da.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/3856371/naiic.go.jp/index.html
Kiyoshi Kurokawa emphasised the contribution of “Regulatory Capture” to the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Important work on “Regulatory Capture” was done by US economist George Stigler, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1982. Kiyoshi Kurokawa emphasized that Regulatory Capture is not specific to Japan, there are many examples throughout the world.
Shuji Nakamura: “The global lighting revolution and the changes I want for Japan”
Shuji Nakamura briefly outlined his inventions of a long series of GaN based devices, GaN LEDs and lasers, which are the basis for the global lighting revolution, and for bluray storage technology. Shuji Nakamura gave us a passionate personal view of his work as a researcher, how he created and experienced the breakthroughs, and some consequences on his personal life. Shuji Nakamura explained how he was accused in a US court by his former employer, and how as a consequence in order to defend himself and his family, he saw himself forced to countersue his former employer in Japanese courts. Shuji Nakamura compared his situation as a researcher in Japan, and now in Santa Barbara, and made some suggestions for change for the position of researchers.
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14:00 Welcome by Thomas Loidl, Chargé d’affaires ad interim of the Austrian Embassy
14:10 Gerhard Fasol: today’s agenda”
14:20 – 14:40 Tatsuo Masuda
Professor at Nagoya University of Commerce and Business, served as Director of Oil Markets and Emergency Preparedness of IEA
“New energy architecture for Japan”
14:40 – 15:20 Kiyoshi Kurokawa (schedule permitting)
Chairman of Japan’s Parliamentary Commission on the Fukushima Disaster, served as Special Cabinet Advisor on Science, Technology and Innovation
“Fukushima crisis fueling the third opening of Japan”
15:50 – 16:10 Hideaki Watanabe
Corporate Vice-President, Nissan Motor Company, in charge of Electric Vehicles and Zero Emission Business
“The new energy management supported by Electric Vehicles”
16:10 – 16:30 Robert Geller
Professor of Geophysics University of Tokyo, seismologist. First ever tenured non-Japanese faculty member at the University of Tokyo
“Understanding earthquakes: let’s put the physics back into geophysics!”
16:50 – 17:30 Gerhard Fasol
Physicist. CEO of Eurotechnology Japan KK, served as Assoc Professor at Tokyo University and Lecturer at Cambridge University and Manager of Hitachi Cambridge R&D lab
“Ludwig Boltzmann and the laws governing energy”
17:30 – 17:50 Jonathan M Dorfan
Particle physicist
President, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, OIST. Served as Director of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
“New Solutions for Energy – OIST’s R&am;D Program”
Followed by reception (private, invitation only)
Registration: latest 15 February 2011 Further information: Gerhard Fasol Peter Storer, Minister for Cultural Affairs, Embassy of Austria
Summary
Tatsuo Masuda: “New energy architecture for Japan”
Tatsuo Masuda described how Japan’s energy strategy and policy was until recently determined more or less behind closed doors by a group of about 100 insiders, of which Tatsuo Masuda has been one. This situation could continue as long as nothing went wrong.
Atomic energy was introduced to Japan via the USA, and instead of growing nuclear technology over an extended period of time within Japan, policians decided on a very short time schedule, which made it impossible to develop nuclear technology within Japan, and left purchase of ready-made nuclear power-plants and adoption of nuclear power technology from the USA as the only option.
Tatsuo Masuda predicts the “democratization” of electrical power generation in Japan. While at present almost all electrical power in Japan is produced by regional monopoly companies, in the future a development is likely, where many organizations, corporations, and private citizens will take part, or even may take over the main task or producing electrical energy in Japan.
Hideaki Watanabe: “The new energy management supported by Electric Vehicles”
Hideki Watanabe explained Nissan’s Leaf electrical vehicle program, and the associated energy technologies and businesses. During the coffee break, participants studied a Lead car, and an animated discussion took place about advantages and disadvantages of electrical cars, and in particular the Lead with respect to cold weather performance and other extreme conditions
Mr Watanabe explained that the Leaf electric car is the center of an energy management system, where the battery of Leaf electric car is an integral part of the energy management of the owner’s household.
Robert Geller: “Understanding earthquakes: let’s put the physics back into geophysics!”
Robert Geller calls for an return to the principles of physics in understanding earth quakes and in preparing for future disasters, instead of following positions based on political or funding priorities.
Robert Geller for a long time has been arguing for the view, that the timing, location and strength of earthquakes cannot be predicted due to fundamental principles of physics, and the nature of the earth. Robert demonstrated his arguments by bending a pencil in front of us (see photos below). While the stress distribution and other details can be calculated with precision, it is not possible to predict the time and the way the pencil breaks with accuracy. Robert argues that in a similar way, earth quakes can also not be predicted, because earth quakes are essentially in the mathematical sense chaotic phenomena.
Robert explained how a group of earth scientists years ago promised that they could predict earth quakes with the purpose of obtaining politically motivated funding for their research. They were successful in obtaining continuous research funding with the explicit purpose of developing methods to predict earthquakes. Once this funding started flowing for many years now, it is very difficult for scientists obtaining this funding to put the possibility of earthquake prediction in question.
Robert also discussed official earth quake risk maps, and explained that many of the strongest earth quakes occur in areas which are officially designated as low risk areas.
Robert called for a reassessment of earth quake policies and preparations for future disasters, using the most up-to-date results of earth-science, and to review outdated positions, and abandon those positions, which have been shown to be invalid using established methods of physics.
Gerhard Fasol: “Ludwig Boltzmann and the laws governing energy”
Gerhard Fasol reviewed Ludwig Boltzmann’s life and work, and particular his life-long work on the fundamental laws of physics governing energy.
Jonathan M Dorfan: “New Solutions for Energy – OIST’s R&D Program”
Jonathan Dorfan introduced OIST, The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, which has just recently been accredited as a Graduate University by the Japanese Ministry of Education, and introduced several research programs in the field of energy generation.
Jonathan explained the history of OIST, and OIST’s pioneering position as an English speaking international Graduate University in Japan. In particular, OIST has no Departments which would create barriers between research groups, instead the emphasis is on cross-disciplinary cooperation supported by the latest instrumentats and research tools. According to Jonathan, OIST succeeds in attracting most outstanding staff and students – surprisingly current market conditions seem to make it easier to attract outstanding research staff than students – the market for attracting outstanding students seems to be more competitive than for research staff. OIST offers scholarships for students, many or all of which are graduates from top ranking undergraduate schools.
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on Thursday, 17th February 2011, Embassy of Austria, Tokyo.
14:00 Welcome by Michael Haider, Cultural Counsellor of the Austrian Embassy
14:10 – 14:40 Gerhard Fasol,
“Ludwig Boltzmann: Pioneer of understanding Space and Energy”
15:00 – 15:45 Tetsuhiko Ikegami, PhD
Chairman, Space Activities Commission, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
“Japan’s space activities and international space cooperation
16:00 – 16:30 Kevin Yu
Director of Asia Pacific, Tesla Motors Japan
“The Tesla Motors Electric Car”
16:30-17:00 Tatsuo Masuda
Professor, Nagoya University of Commerce and Business, Advisor JAPEX, and Board Member SOC Corporation
“Economics and Geopolitics of Climate Change
Followed by reception (private, invitation only)
Registration: latest 15 February Further information: Gerhard Fasol Georg Poestinger, Counsellor, Austrian Embassy, Tel 03-3451-8281
Summary
Gerhard Fasol: “Ludwig Boltzmann: Pioneer of understanding Space and Energy”
Gerhard Fasol reviewed Ludwig Boltzmann’s pioneering work on space and energy, starting with and overview of Ludwig Boltzmann’s personal live. Boltzmann’s first scientific publication was “Über die Bewegung der Elektrizität in krummen Flächen” (propagation of electricity on curved surfaces) in 1865 at the age of 21 years. This work followed the publication of the Maxwell’s equations by James Clerk Maxwell, in 1861-1862, which of course were a very hot scientific event at that time. All together about 1/5th of Boltzmann’s work was about electro-magnetism.
Ludwig Boltzmann became Full Professor at the age of 25 years at the University of Graz, and at the age of 43 years, became Rektor (= President) of the University of Graz. He travelled extensively, including three trips to the United States of America. Without doubt his frequent travel also encouraged
Boltzmann’s interest in aviation. In Boltzmann’s days, it was not clear yet, which way aviation would be successful, or if it would be successful at all. There were three options: (1) baloons, (2) aerodynamic wings and airscrew, and (3) bird-like flapping wings. Boltzmann clearly prefered and supporte research for flight experiments with aerodynamic wings and airscrews – propellers.
Ludwig Boltzmann worked on the fundamentals of space science, he gave much thought on the irreversibility of time, and on whether space is Euclidic or curved.
Concluding his talk, Gerhard Fasol, reviewed what we can learn here in Japan from Ludwig Boltzmann. It is clear that Japan currently is in a very difficult situation with many challenges. Ludwig Boltzmann’s work clearly points to solutions for some of the challenges facing Japan now, and also indicates some paths to be taken.
Tetsuhiko Ikegami: “Japan’s space activities and international space cooperation”
Dr. Ikegami reminded us of the miracle, that our planet earth holds an only 50 km thin
atmosphere for about 4.5 billion years, and most people on earth are not even conscientously
aware of this miracle.
The Hayabusa space probe was on its way between 2003 – 2010 for more than 7 years, and landed in Australia on 13 June 2010, awaited with great expectation and sympathy. The Minister of MEXT praised JAXA, the Universities and small and medium entreprises, he explained that a Minister of MEXT had never before praised small and medium enterprises before, because in Japan’s silo ministry system, small and medium enterprises are the responsibility of the Economics and Industry Ministry, METI.
The interplanetary kite-craft IKAROS probe consists of a 14 meter x 14 meter sail, and was driven by light pressure from the sun – the light force corresponds to 0.1 gG. A thin-film solar battery and liquid crystals control the light reflection for steering.
In the Japanese population the space program finds great interest and sympathy. Hayabusa’s return encouraged people in an uncertain society. Several books about space and space exploration became best-sellers and were rewarded with prestigious book awards.
In the Japanese population the space program finds great interest and sympathy. Hayabusa’s return encouraged people in an uncertain society. Several books about space and space exploration became best-sellers and were rewarded with prestigious book awards.
Japan is an active participant in the international space station, contributing the Kibo module.
Japan did an exceptionally good job in space, with relatively small budgets compared to US and EU space budgets.
Dr. Ikegami concluded with an outlook on future programs, and on the key issues facing space exploration and space development
Kevin Yu: “The Tesla Motors Electric Car”
Tesla Motors wants to change the global car industry. Why did Tesla start by building an electric sports car, while the world does not really need another sports car? Tesla wanted to make electric cars exciting! After the Tesla Roadster, Tesla will introduce a family saloon, the Tesla S, at about 1/2 the price of the Roadster, and with three battery options to choose from for a driving range of 160, 200 and 300 miles.
Governments cannot pay people enough to bring a breakthrough for electric cars – instead consumers must want to buy electric cars without Government subsidies. To achieve such consumer demand, electric cars must be more exciting, better, higher performance and cheaper than traditional gasoline driven cars.
Tesla uses the same batteries as are used for laptop computers. Therefore advances in battery technology will happen independent of Tesla’s battery procurement. What matters instead is how Tesla uses and manages the energy. Therefore Tesla’s key intellectual property is in energy management and usage, not in battery technology itself.
Tetsuo Masuda: “Economics and Geopolitics of Climate Change”
Climate change originates from the beginning of industrialization in the 18th century. A key issue in order to achieve change in positive directions is political leadership. Since political leadership is usually focussed on short term issues in order to achieve victory at elections, it is necessary to impress the importance of climate change issues on political leaders. Natural disasters, food shortages, huge movements of refugees are events which impact political leaders to take action in the right direction. Developed and developing countries have different interests, and discussions are necessary in order resolve these differences of interest.
Photos
Dr. Ikegami, Chairman of Japan’s Space Commission, explains Japan’s space exploration program
Kevin Yu, Head of Asia-Pac for Tesla Motors, demonstrates a Tesla Roadster
Dr. Ikegami, Head of Japan’s Space Commission, test drives a Tesla Roadster
Kevin Yu, Head of Asia-Pac for Tesla Motors, explains Tesla Roadster’s battery and motor system
Michael Haider, Cultural Attache of the Austrian Embassy test drives a Tesla Roadster
Kevin Yu, Head of Asia-Pac for Tesla Motors, explains Tesla Motor’s strategy, while Dr. Ikegami, Head of Japan’s Space Commission listens
Tatsuo Masuda explains geopolitics of global warming
Reception
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14:00 Welcome by HE the Ambassador of Austria to Japan
14:10 – 14:40 Gerhard Fasol,
“Ludwig Boltzmann as a local and global leader”
15:00 – 15:20 Atsuko Heshiki, MD and PhD
President of Medical Woman’s International Association (MWIA) and Professor Emeritus at Saitama Medical School
“Leadership in Professionalism”
15:20 – 15:40 Robert J Geller
Professor of Geophysics, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo
“Faculty appointments and promotions in the age of bibliometrics”
15:40 – 16:00 Podium discussion
“Leadership and diversity”
16:15-17:15 Kiyoshi Kurokawa,
Professor, National Graduate Institute for Policy Science, Tokyo, Science and Technology, Former President of the Science Council of Japan, and
Special Advisor to the Cabinet
“Leadership and Diversity”
Followed by reception (private, invitation only)
Registration: latest 16 February 2010 Further information: Gerhard Fasol Georg Poestinger, Counsellor, Austrian Embassy, Tel 03-3451-8281
Summary
As every year this year’s high-light was Professor Kurokawa’s presentation – Professor Kurokawa gave a passionate plea for change on all fronts – most surprising was his suggestion to select a Muslim Malaisian woman as the next President of Tokyo University, in order to achieve urgently needed changes in Japan’s society and Japan’s Universities.
Professor Heshiki explained about ethics and professionalism focusing on medical sciences and the work of medical professionals.
Professor Robert Geller explained how today’s bibliometrics revolution allows much better than in the past to measure the impact of scientific work. Robert suggested how to use bibliometric data to make the selection, appointments and promotions of researchers and academics more efficient.
Gerhard Fasol focused on Ludwig Boltzmann’s leadership qualities and his global impact. Ludwig Boltzmann travelled three times to the United States of America, and he travelled, and had impact all over Europe. He also worked in several different Universities in Austria and Germany.
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The total solar eclipse could be seen clearly today around 11:13am in Tokyo – however in Tokyo the coverage was not total. Here is a picture taken with a standard Canon digital camera:
Ludwig Boltzmann was one of the most important physicists and philosophers: it is almost impossible for any engineer, chemist or physicist to do a day’s work without using Boltzmann’s tools and results every day. Ludwig Boltzmann is this author’s and Eurotechnology Japan KK’s founder’s great grandfather – and his excellence is our company’s guiding light.
Ludwig Boltzmann was born 165 years ago on February 20, 1844, and last Friday, February 20, 2009 we celebrated by inviting several of Japan’s science and technology leaders to the First Ludwig Boltzmann Forum with kind cooperation and hospitality by the Ambassador of Austria and the Austrian Embassy:
First speaker was Professor Hisashi Kobayashi, Founder of the IBM Tokyo Laboratory, former Dean of Engineering of Princeton University. He showed how Entropy and noise in communications is linked to Boltzmann’s generalized Entropy and the H-Theorem. Coming from Princeton, Hisashi also showed us elegantly how strongly Einstein’s work is linked to Boltzmann’s.
Professor Kiyoshi Kurokawa, former Dean of Medicine of Tokai University, former President of Japan’s Science Council and Advisor to two Japanese Prime Ministers and now Professor at Japan’s new Political Science University, gave an intense and passionate speech about which changes are necessary to live in our future which will be hot (as in global warming), flat (as in global communications and internet) and crowded (due do population growth). Kiyoshi also made a passionate appeal to Japanese organisations (including the S&T leaders participating at our Symposium) to change, open up and compete globally.
Kazu Ishikawa of Exa Japan gave a fantastic demonstration how Boltzmann’s equations are used to simulate airflow for the construction of cars, airplanes, jet engines … Boltzmann’s equations replace the macroscopic Navier-Stokes equations as numerical wind tunnels. Boltzmann’s equations are particularly needed for the simulation of transients.
Finally, Gerhard Fasol, Ludwig Boltzmann’s Great-Grandson, gave two talks: one talk about Ludwig Boltzmann’s scientific achievements, his search for understanding the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics with mechanics, the effects of collisions and the generalization to non-equilibrium – leading the H-Theorem, and the generalization of Entropy and Boltzmann’s philosophical work. The second talk introduced the human side of Ludwig Boltzmann: his life and his passions.
Photo: Hisashi Kobayashi shows why Boltzmann’s work is important for telecommunications, and how Einstein’s work is linked to Boltzmann’s. Her Excellency, the Austrian Ambassador follows closely:
Hisashi Kobayashi at the Ludwig Boltzmann Symposium – the Ambassador of Austria listens
Photo: Hot, flat and crowded. In a passionate speech, former science and tech advisor of two Japanese Prime-Ministers, Kiyoshi Kurokawa talks about the future, and how to be prepared to compete:
Kiyoshi Kurokawa: Hot, flat and crowded
Photo: The Austrian Ambassador invited the participants of the Ludwig Boltzmann Symposium to the Austrian Residence:
Since Shuji Nakamura’s first commercialization of GaN LEDs (read the Blue Laser Diode Book) LEDs are progressing rapidly to make the US$ 400 Billion global lighting industry more environmentally friendly, reducing CO2 output and reducing electricity bills for lighting dramatically. Recently rail stations in Japan have begun to test plug-compatible replacement of fluorescent tubes by LED based solid state lighting.
This year our company advised a number of investment fund managers on technology, business models, financial models and trends of the solid state lighting industry. Please find a detailed Solid State Lighting report here – we continuously update this report.
Christmas lighting with blue LEDs in Tokyo Midtown. Tokyo Tower can be seen in the back, lighted using traditional lamps, though. Merry Christmas!
Blue GaN LEDs in Tokyo/Midtown for Christmas illumination
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