RIKENKobe and Osaka

Jump intoSummer of Science!

~Live streaming of
the cutting-edge science of
living things and supercomputers〜

2021
7
/
22
[Thurs. / National holiday]
Over the past year, many things that we once took for granted have changed.
This can also happen in science.
For example, the dinosaurs depicted in current illustrated books look different
from those seen in books in the past.
One hundred years after a famous gene was first found,
a completely new function of the gene was discovered.
A method developed for simulations of aerodynamics for cars and other vehicles is
now applied to the much-talked-about simulation of droplets.
What kind of research was taking place when the science as it was known changes?
This summer, why don’t you join us and make it a summer for science?
RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR)
RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR)
The BDR aims to understand the development, maturation, and aging of humans and other organisms from birth to death as a dynamic system of molecules, cells, and organs, and to apply the finding of basic research to contribute to the development of regenerative medicine and diagnostic technologies, as well as to the extension of healthy lifespans. In addition to Kobe and Osaka, the BDR also has research bases in Yokohama and Hiroshima.
RIKEN Center for Computational Science (R-CCS)
RIKEN Center for Computational Science (R-CCS)
The R-CCS operates the supercomputer “Fugaku”, which was jointly developed by RIKEN and Fujitsu Ltd. The supercomputer was completed and started full-scale operations in March 2021. The main research base of R-CCS is in Kobe, but there are also research teams in Tokyo and Yokohama.

Live Streaming

Thanks to everyone who tuned in to watch the event live!
You can re-watch the archived stream of ”Jump into Summer of Science” below.
Note: Program is in Japanese

Moderators

moderator profile photo
Professor Black Love
Professor Black Love is a university professor/comedian of Yoshimoto Kogyo, a certified science communicator at the National Museum of Nature and Science, a visiting researcher at the University of Tokyo, and a faculty member at a certain university.
He conveys university-level science and topics on SDGs, science and technology in an easy-to-understand way by incorporating comedy.
He has appeared in over 1,000 events nationwide, including live comedy science shows, lectures, TV, and radio.
moderator profile photo
Kazuki Kawata
Radio DJ, TV news anchor/reporter, and event MC
Born in 1990, graduated from Kwansei Gakuin University School of Law and Politics.
Winner of the Grand Prix at the Kiss FM KOBE Sound Crew Audition. He is in charge of weekday afternoon talk shows and music programs, and can also be seen on TV as an anchor for evening information programs and fishing programs.
He has also published a book as “Sakana no Oniisan” and is involved in activities to communicate the ecology of fish to parents and children in an easy-to-understand manner.

Details of Live Programs

Dinosaur Bones

Shiro Egawa (BDR Special Postdoctoral Researcher)

The reconstruction images of dinosaurs in the past are different in some ways from the ones you see in illustrated dinosaur books today. Researchers and artists have always adopted new ideas to create reconstruction images. A researcher who studies dinosaurs from the perspective of development and growth will talk about dinosaur research and reconstruction images.
Prepare your own chicken or crocodile femur (thigh bone) and watch the program for more fun! In Japanese only.
There will be a separate Q&A session where you can ask questions directly to the researchers held via Zoom (no advance registration required).

mutant strains of fruit fly

Sa Kan Yoo (BDR Team Leader)

The fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) is an amazing model organism, and research using the fly has led to the elucidation of different mechanisms taking place in humans and other animals, which has been recognized five times with the Nobel Prize. An up-and-coming researcher will talk about Drosophila research, which has a history of over 100 years. In fact, he has just recently figured out the true function of a gene that was discovered over 100 years ago!
If you would like to receive sample specimens, you must sign-up in advance (limited quantities, participant must reside in Japan). (The Drosophila specimens are ones that have been raised on artificial feed for research purposes.)
Anyone can watch the live stream via YouTube. In Japanese only.
There will also be a separate Q&A session where you can ask questions directly to the researchers via Zoom (no advance registration required).

stingray

Yo Tanaka (BDR Team Leader)

Electricity is indispensable for our daily lives. We have been generating electricity by burning coal and oil until now, but the resulting emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are causing problems related to global warming. Did you know that some animals can generate electricity inside their bodies? The stingray is one of them. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could extract and use the electricity from living things? Let’s try an experiment to extract electricity from a stingray! In Japanese only.
After the experiment, there will be a separate Q&A session where you can ask questions directly to the researchers via Zoom (no advance registration required).

coloring contest poster

Ikimon means “living organisms” in the Japanese Kansai dialect.

The bodies of living organisms are very complex, and at the same time, very beautiful.
This is why we decided to make coloring pages featuring living organisms!
Explore the wonder of living organisms as you color the pictures!
The theme of this year’s contest is “The Retina”.
Our eyes are at work when reading text in books, writing calculations in your notebook, or even when throwing or kicking a ball. What does the inside of the eye look like? At the back of the eye, there is a tissue called the retina, which is lined with many types of cells that receive the light entering the eye and convert it into signals to be sent to the brain.
Imagine the drama taking place inside your eyes as you color the cells that make up the retina!

panelists at Q&A session with researchers

Balazs Gerofi (R-CCS Senior Scientist), Daichi Mukunoki (R-CCS Research Scientist), Yui Uchida (BDR Special Postdoctoral Researcher), Hiroshi Mizuma (BDR Research Scientist), Prof. Black Love (Moderator)

This popular program is back again this year powered up from last year! What kind of people work at the BDR and R-CCS? Based on the results of the survey “This is who we ‘R’: Get to know BDR and R-CCS researchers!”, we invited computational science researchers (commonly known as “dry” researchers) and biology researchers (commonly known as “wet” researchers) to gather together and discuss the differences in their “science culture” and their preferences! In Japanese only.

speaker’s photo

Makoto Tsubokura (R-CCS Team Leader)

Recently, we have seen lots of coverage of simulations of droplets on TV programs and newspapers. Dr. Tsubokura, who conducted this simulation, is not an expert in droplets, but actually specializes in fluid simulations, looking at the flow of air generated by cars, buildings, and sports activities. This lecture will introduce what kind of research his team usually carries out using “Fugaku” and how fluid simulation is being applied to droplets. In Japanese only.
After the talk, there will be a separate Q&A session where you can ask questions directly to the researcher via Zoom (no advance registration required).

Supercomputer glowing in the dark

Makoto Taiji (BDR Team Leader)

Proteins play a major role in how cells work. Being able to visualize the function of proteins is important for understanding living organisms and developing drugs. At RIKEN, we have developed special purpose supercomputers for simulating the movement and shape changes of proteins. We will give a demonstration of the simulation and also provide a full explanation of how it works! In Japanese only.
After the demonstration, there will be a separate Q&A session where you can ask questions directly to the researchers via Zoom (no advance registration required).

Speaker’s photo

Takumi Honda (R-CCS Special Postdoctoral Researcher)

Daily weather forecasting is based on a vast amount of numerical simulations using supercomputers. This lecture will introduce the future of weather forecasting that will be possible with developments in computational science. In Japanese only.
After the lecture, there will be a separate Q&A session where you can ask questions directly to the researcher via Zoom (no advance registration required).

quiz

From laboratory facts to the latest research topics, there are lots of quiz questions that you will want to share with others. In Japanese only.

Learn more about RIKEN!

BDR Ikimon Channel
Virtual tours of BDR labs and explanatory videos about living systems and computers are available to watch anytime.
View BDR Ikimon Channel
R-CCS Video Gallery
Videos on the development of the supercomputer “Fugaku”, research results, and lectures about the supercomputer are available to watch anytime.
View R-CCS Video Gallery
graphs and numbers
This is who we ‘R’: Get to know BDR and R-CCS researchers!
Get to know the people who work at RIKEN - the real researchers and staff who make all this possible!
View Survey Results
Contact us
RIKEN Kobe Campus
2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
Email
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