#tokyo university of science

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Energy storage is an essential part of many rapidly growing sustainable technologies, including electric cars and renewable energy generation. Although lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) dominate the current market, lithium is a relatively scarce and expensive element, creating both economic and supply stability challenges. Accordingly, researchers all over the world are experimenting with new types of batteries made from more abundant materials. Sodium-ion (Na-ion) batteries which use sodium ions as energy carriers present a promising alternative to LIBs owing to the abundance of sodium, their higher safety, and potentially lower cost. In particular, sodium-containing transition-metal layered oxides (NaMeO2) are powerful materials for the positive electrode of Na-ion batteries, offering exceptional energy density and capacity. However, for multi-element layered oxides composed of several transition metals, the sheer number of possible combinations makes finding the optimal composition both complex and time-consuming. Even minor changes in the selection and proportion of transition metals can bring about marked changes in crystal morphology and affect battery performance.

Read more.

[kiichilog]

2023.7.16 日光植物園

アキアカネと夏の花 キレンゲショウマ、クサアジサイ、ヒヨドリバナ、ウマノミツバ

[falseandrealultravival]

Enoden and Me: Memories of wandering and sand in my blue age (prose poetry)

In 1978, the year I entered the University of Tokyo Science 1, I lost my enthusiasm for science very quickly, and went on a sketch trip around the Kanto region with a sketchbook in hand. In that sense, the Miura Peninsula area is full of good subjects for painting, so I boycotted my attendance at the final exam and went to paint. At that time, I had no doubts that German was a second foreign language, and I did not even think about studying French during the spring break of university and transferring to the Department of French Literature in the Faculty of Letters. It was around that time.

Speaking of Kamakura and Enoshima, it was the destination of school excursions for elementary school students in the northern Kanto region, and it was the second time I visited this place. However, to put it bluntly, for me, who was suffering from "the troubles of youth", the way I see things is somewhat different from when I was in elementary school, and I have a desire to find the realities hidden in the depths of things. was holding What I learned from that experience was that I thought that there would be things I couldn't get in the "boring" science field.

My BGM around this time was Machiko Watanabe's album "Fog Lamp", the singer-songwriter of "Mayoi-Michi", which had been a big hit since 1977. Among them, the song "Black Angel" was the best. I don't know the gender of that, but I care about my friend's "black angel" who lives a self-indulgent life, and it is a song that reproaches me that I can't continue such a life. At the time, I compared myself to this "Black Angel".

The representative means of transportation in this area is, of course, the Enoden. As for what kind of train it is, if you quote from the wiki

＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠

Although it is a short distance of less than an hour from Tokyo, you can enjoy the atmosphere of a local line on a single track (operating every 12 minutes during the daytime, so it is reasonably convenient), and the areas along the line are "Youthful and bright images of Shonan and Enoshima". And it is a famous sightseeing spot in the metropolitan area since ancient times, called ``Kamakura, the ancient capital where the shogunate once existed.'' As a result, there are abundant tourism resources, scenic spots, and historic sites along the railway lines.

In addition, the Enoden itself is characteristic and easy to be a subject, so it is very often used for taking pictures of TV dramas and gravure photographs (see the section ``Works based on the Enoden''), such as "SLAM DUNK". Occasionally appearing in cartoons, its recognition is not only in Japan, but it is a railway line that is known all over the world. Especially in recent years, the number of tourists taking pictures at the railroad crossing at Kamakurakokomae Station has increased, and security measures have been strengthened, such as placing security guards near the railroad crossing.

There are few cases where it is called by the official company name 'Enoshima Electric Railway', and it is generally called 'Enoden', and even the company actively calls it 'Enoden' on its goods and other items, and even writes 'Enoden' in hiragana.

＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠

This slow feeling is good, isn't it? I also got off at Enoshima and did a crayon drawing featuring the Enoshima Lighthouse. When I look at this painting now, I can tell that he was in a state of high spirits, or rather, that his nerves were tense. It's like slamming yourself into a sketchbook with a rough touch.

During this short trip, I bought a collection of essays about the Enoden called "Enoden Calendar Day" (authored by Umihiko Ito), and thoroughly enjoyed the moist and lovely description of the Enoden. I don't have it with me now, but it was a good collection of essays. I remember a story that said, ``I tried to imagine the person who dropped the 'sand,' which was a remnant of summer, on the car of the Enoden in the summer.''

Today's word: I wrote above that I boycotted the final exam, but this subject is "absolutely necessary for admission", and if I fail it, I will have to repeat the grade, so I submitted a "petition" to the professor in charge.  I took a supplementary exam and managed to advance. It was an uncool episode (sweat).

　（２０１８．０５．１３）

[takmiblog]

「希望学」始めます

　社会の問題を考えようとするとき、これまで希望は前提でした。希望、それはすなわち欲望や目的となり、その欲望や目的を所与として、消費、進学、就業、結婚、出産などが実行されると、社会科学では考えてきました。しかし現在、その前提自体が揺らいでいます。

　進歩、発展、成長、近代化。そんな言葉を信じられる時代がありました。個人が何を欲し、何を目的として生き、社会がどこに向かっているかについて、はっきりと先行きが見えているかに思える、そんな時代でした。そのころ、学問を含む様々な社会的言説もまた、「希望はいつでも存在する」ことを暗に想定していました。しかし、今や、そのような想定が失われつつあるのです。

（中略）人はどのようにして希望を持ち、そして失うのか。希望は社会とどのような関わりを持つのか。希望学は、社会のなかでの希望の意味とありかについて、一人ひとりが探求するための科学的プロジェクトです。私たちは社会科学者として、事実の積み重ねを通じて、希望について考えていきます。

東京大学社会科学研究所 希望学プロジェクトチーム

(https://project.iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp/hope-archive/outline.html)

[wildtokyo-jp]

この秋から都内の国立大学で初めての非常勤講師を担当しています。講義の準備は想像以上のタスクですが、毎回鋭くなっていく学生たちのコメントに必死で答える時間は、大きな充実感があります。今週でちょうど半分、「科学コミュニケーション」の最前線の一つとして、私自身学びを得る機会としたいものです。

今回は動物学の様々なトピックを扱う講義ですが、結局そこに通底する ◯進化は集団内の遺伝子頻度の変化 ◯進化は目的も方向性もなく「進歩」ではない ◯個体は種のために生きているのではない ◯生物の理屈と人間の理屈を安易に同一視すべきでない ということを、手をかえ品をかえ話し続けている気がします。

[mindblowingscience]

A sealed rock fracture almost 50 feet below ground has remained home to microbes for the last 2 billion years—the oldest life ever discovered in such conditions. The nearly 1-foot sample, excavated beneath South Africa’s Bushveld Igneous Complex, predates the previous microbial record-holders by as much as 1.9 billion years. The finding could help researchers better understand the earliest stages of evolutionary life not just on Earth, but on Mars, as well. The findings, published October 2 in the journal Microbial Ecology, come from a team at the University of Tokyo’s Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, who confirmed the previous oldest known lifeforms in 2020. “We didn’t know if 2-billion-year-old rocks were habitable… so this is a very exciting discovery,” Yohey Suzuki, study lead author and an associate professor in the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Science, said in a statement on Thursday.

Continue Reading.

[onlyjaeyun]

𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒 — 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐒

⤥ 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐱 𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

⤥ 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬!𝐀𝐔

⤥ 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: 𝐀 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞, 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬. 𝐀 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲'𝐬 𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤.

|| 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 — 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 →

𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐌𝐔𝐑𝐀 𝐘𝐍: 23 year old economics major, lives with her younger half brother, former prof. ice skater, works as a barista at her best friend's café, born in Japan but moved to SK at the age of 4 after her mother's death, barely any contact to her father, also works little jobs like dog-/baby sitting and tutoring to save the money (faceclaim: @/yooxseo on IG!!!)

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐍: 23 year old marketing major, also a former prof. ice skater, works as an intern at a company's PR department, coaches the university's hockey team, no contact with his father, shares an apt. with jaeyun and lives in the same building as the nishimuras and heejay

𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐌𝐔𝐑𝐀 𝐑𝐈𝐊𝐈: 18 year old computer science major, in his freshman year, the hockey team's youngest player, got an athletic scholarship but doesn't plan on going pro, was born in Japan but moved to SK when he was less than a year old, however went to boarding school in JPN, works as an intern in a company's IT department

𝐅𝐔𝐊𝐔𝐓𝐎𝐌𝐈 𝐓𝐒𝐔𝐊𝐈: 23 year old owner of the café 'little tokyo', born and raised in japan until she moved to SK bc of her mother's new BF when she was 12, y/n's best friend since elementary school, cat mom

𝐍𝐀 𝐉𝐀𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍: 25 year old application analyst, former hockey captain, lives alone, y/n's boyfriend of two years, lowkey a douchebag, hates all of her friends, mad toxic

𝐒𝐈𝐌 𝐉𝐀𝐄𝐘𝐔𝐍: 23 year old computer science major in his senior year, one of the hockey team's defensemen, hoonie's roomie and bestest friend, used to live next door to the nishimuras, works with riki

𝐋𝐄𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐔𝐍𝐆: 24 year old international business major, jay's roomie, 1/3 of hoonie's childhood besties, the hockey team's center, works at the same company as hoonie but in a diff department

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐉𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐒𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐆: 23 year old business major, seungie's roomie, 2/3 of hoonie's childhood bffs, one of the hockey team's defensemen, y/n's study buddy, also works at the same company as hoonie

𝐊𝐈𝐌 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐎𝐎: 21 year old education major, wonie's roomie, one of riki's closest (childhood) friends, hoonie's cousin, lowk y/n's adoptive child, the hockey team's left wing, works at 'little tokyo'

𝐘𝐀𝐍𝐆 𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐖𝐎𝐍: 20 year old education major, sunoo's roomie, riki's other closest (childhood) best friend, also works at 'little tokyo', the hockey team's goalie and captain, y/n's other adoptive child

𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐉𝐀𝐊𝐘𝐔𝐍𝐆: 23 year old communications major, hoon's FWB, used to be friends with y/n and tsuki, lowk annoying af

(A/N: LISTEN TO ME FIRST NO DONT SCOLD ME HEAR ME OUT OR I'LL CRY 🙏🏼🥺 i am posting the profiles now bc they take the most time and this is lit the last day where i'll have this much time to do anything so pls believe me when i say im gonna take my break starting today i SWEAR 🤕 anyway, thank you guys SO much for all the love and support. can't wait for this journey with you all. feedback is always appreciated!!!🧸🫧)

TAGLIST CLOSED: @soonigiri @en-happiness @lhsvibez @dammit-jjk @heerinnie @primroselover @jungwon-xo @szkstay @lostwonderwall @hoonieluv @certifiedmoa @doodlelibrary @ikeuizm @kpoprhia @sleeping-demons @jongszn @imtoanonymousforyou @lalalovejay @ineedsomezzz @xrr-s4sha @ariadores @viagumi @electrobutterfly @mimikittysblog @blurryriki @heelcvr @wonkifangirl @joonzseoulmate @kwiwin @hoondiors @seuomo @zerasari @love-you-twice @aloverga @marz-mars @velvtcherie @niniissus @abrazosolorcereza @ddazed-lhs @acphengene @sunasbl6nts @skz-streamer @kshoshi @tya0 @yizhoutv @jebetwo @myheelody @seokgyuu @blockbusterhee @l0vee-l3tters @luvkpopp

[gooner-media]

Goo.ner Media: "Real Lives, Real Stories"

The Incident: A Bold Stand Against NMCA Legislation

In an audacious and highly organized effort, five young women aged 20 to 22 from Tokyo University not only staged a mass protest against the NMCA legislation but also engaged in acts of civil disobedience that captured national attention. Their actions, while driven by a desire for change, led to severe repercussions that turned them into a public spectacle.

As a result of their conspiracy, these women now face harsh punishments. They are prohibited from wearing any tops and must adhere to the NMCA dress code, which mandates that no more than half their diapers can be covered. For the remainder of their time at university, they are permitted to wear only their diapers, backpacks, socks, and shoes. Additionally, they endure a daily public bare-bottom spanking in the center of campus for the rest of the semester.

Meet the Protesters

1. Yui Tanaka, Age 22 Yui, a sociology student, is known for her outspoken views on human rights. She led the group in not only protesting but also staging a sit-in that blocked access to a government building, demanding the repeal of the NMCA.

2. Haruka Nakamura, Age 21 Haruka, an art major, created provocative art installations that were displayed in public spaces without permission. Her works criticized the NMCA and the government's overreach, sparking significant media attention.

3. Aki Yamamoto, Age 20 Aki, a political science student, orchestrated a hacking operation that temporarily took over a government website, displaying messages against the NMCA legislation. This act of cyber protest was pivotal in their severe punishment.

4. Emi Sato, Age 22 Emi, a literature student, wrote and distributed an underground pamphlet that criticized the NMCA and called for nationwide civil disobedience. Her writings were considered seditious and led to her being heavily penalized.

5. Mei Suzuki, Age 21 Mei, a psychology major, organized unauthorized public demonstrations and utilized social media to coordinate simultaneous protests across multiple campuses, defying government orders and regulations.

Consequences

The punishment imposed on these brave women is severe and serves as a deterrent to others who might consider challenging the NMCA legislation. Their daily public spankings and strict dress code enforcement are stark reminders of the government's zero-tolerance policy towards dissent.

[daily-hyosatsu]

No kanji today, but something fun: a mimic script! This time, it's English cosplaying as Thai. The serifs(?) are so lovely. It says "Thai style mixed rice / Gakugeidaigaku Melancholy."

学芸大学 Gakugeidagaku is neighborhood named after a university, specifically, 東京学芸大学 Tokyo Gakugei University.

学芸 【がくげい】 liberal arts; arts and sciences 大学 【だいがく】 university; college

学 is new to this blog. It's read まな.ぶ or ガク. It means study or learning. It's also used as a suffix meaning science or study of ~, read ガク.

芸 is also new. It's read う.える, のり, わざ, ゲイ, or ウン. It means technique, art, craft, performance, acting, trick, or stunt.

大 is read おお, ダイ, or タイ. It means big or large.

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Accelerating the discovery of single-molecule magnets with deep learning

Synthesizing or studying certain materials in a laboratory setting often poses challenges due to safety concerns, impractical experimental conditions, or cost constraints. In response, scientists are increasingly turning to deep learning methods that involve developing and training machine learning models to recognize patterns and relationships in data that include information about material properties, compositions, and behaviors. Using deep learning, scientists can quickly make predictions about material properties based on the material's composition, structure, and other relevant features, identify potential candidates for further investigation, and optimize synthesis conditions. Now, in a study appearing in International Union of Crystallography Journal (IUCrJ), Professor Takashiro Akitsu, Assistant Professor Daisuke Nakane and Mr. Yuji Takiguchi from Tokyo University of Science (TUS) have used deep learning to predict single-molecule magnets (SMMs) from a pool of 20,000 metal complexes. This innovative strategy streamlines the material discovery process by minimizing the need for lengthy experiments.

Read more.

[ywpd-translations]

Ride 778: “Hakogaku's sprinter”

Pag 1

1: Izumida-san!!

2: I'll use it

“Hurakan”!!

Pag 4

1: This year's May

2: Ibaraki Prefecture

West Tsukuba

3: Tsukushiba University, located at the foot of the sacred eastern mountain, Mount Tsukuba, at 887m above the sea level

4: In front of the second dormitory building on the campus

5: Basically, Doubashi

You mean you want to race me in a serious sprint battle...

Pag 5

1: Yes, please

This might be a weird way to say it, but

2: In Hakone Academy... among our team, there's no one who can be my opponent!!

3: Alright, then I'll gladly accept!!

4: I, Izumida Touichirou of Tsukushiba University racing club!!

First year at Tsukushiba University, department of science and engineering, former Hakone Academy captain

Pag 6

1: Former Hakone Academy ace sprinter

2: The area around the university is a town, but if you go out of it it's really easy to ride, Izumida-san

3: There's both flats and mountains, it's a good place for biking

4: Did it take long to come to Ibaraki?

5: Coming here from Kanagawa, you have to cross Tokyo, so... yeah

Honestly, I had to change so many trains...!!

Pag 7

1: Is Manami doing alright?

Yeah, he's so carefree, but sometimes he says something serious too!!... I guess?

Sounds like Manami

2: Ngh....!!

3: Dammit.... this is so fun!!

What's this!! We're just riding our bikes and talking, but I've missed this feeling!!

4: When I was a second year and Izumida-san was a third years, we practiced like this every day!!

5: Sometimes Izumida-san was the one who attacked, sometimes it was me, and we pushed each other to our limits

7: It's not the time to smile about this!! I've come here to become stronger!!

Pag 8

1: Sorry, Izumida-san!!

I got too relaxed for a moment!!

3: It's good to relax

That's important, too

5: There's as many roads to ride as we want!!

So, which one is better? You can choose

For today's menu!!

6: An easy course with a 100km run along the roads of Ibaraki and a sprint at the end

Pag 9

1: Or the hard course, cut into section, with a final sprint when we're giving our all!!

4: Of course!! The hard one!!

6: Since it's you

Pag 10

1: I knew it would come to this!!

Abs, read?

2: Go!!

Pag 11

1: Abs, abs, abs, abs, abs!!

Buoooorah!!

Pag 12

1: Buah!!

2: Doubashi!!

You've really gotten stronger!!

3: If it were you from last year, you wouldn't have been able of getting ahead on a short climb like that before!!

4: Izumida-san, you're the one who has powered up!!

I seriously think I'm gonna be torn apart right now!!

5: But this is what I wanted

Pag 13

1: An opponent to race against in a fierce and close battle!!

During that you become stronger, and move to the next stage!!

2: Abs, Doubashi!!

Rise!! With that body!!

3: More....

4: Give me more, Izumida-san!!

6: Alright, I'll show you a sprint that will make you regret those words!!

Pag 14

1: Abs!!

Come!! Masakiyo!!

2: Buooorah!!

Izumida-saaan!!

4: Today was fun

Pag 15

1: Thank you

Well, I'm beat, Izumida-san

2: In the end, I lost at the final sprint

You rode well, you drove me in a corner until then!!

3: Did you see it? Your next stage

Yeah... well, little by little, but...

4: But I'm just a little closer, I feel like I can grasp something, but I can't

5: That's because you're too serious

6: And you're an hardworker

7: You know, there are two types of “right”

Huh

Pag 16

1: There's what's socially right

And what's right for yourself

3: Rules and norms, things that must be observed when living together, are what's socially right

The other

4: are the feelings in your heart you won't give up

6: Actually, both of these are “right”

Pag 17

1: But, sometimes these two go into conflict

2: Feelings....!!

“Feelings are strength”.... Izumida-san said that before

3: When something wrong happens, you end up resorting to violence, you reflexively curse at people

However, what should be restrained is the “action”

4: Not the feelings themselves

5: If you don't like something, you can get angry

6: No but, Izumida-san, if I just blindly do that.....

7: And when you're happy

Pag 18

1: you can honestly smile

2: I got too relaxed for a moment!!

4: There's no need to deny it

Those obvious “feelings” that are boiling inside you!! You can smile because you've missed something

5: The feelings that came out amidst of your own study and research and suffering

Where is the mistakes in that?

6: Even if you took a detour, there's no lie in your hard work!!

8: Release yourself more

Lead the path of your own heart

Pag 19

1: Polish what's right for you!!

2: What's “right”.... for me....!!

3: I understood it riding together with you today

You're already good enough for the next stage

You

Pag 20

1: will become much stronger!!

Buoooo!! Smash through!! “Hurakan”!!

[reasonsforhope]

Is it true some parts will be under water in 2025? I'm kinda of worried cause someone told me about it bc it was on the news

Eh, not really. Like, technically, but that's a very dramatic way to put it.

What that person told you about was probably this prediction, which says that some roads on some of the Florida Keys might be underwater by 2025.

Does that suck? Yes. But it's also pretty limited in scope.

(And by the way, that's probably not "underwater all the time." There will probably be a number of years of "the roads will be underwater at high tide specifically." I can't currently find a source on this, but that's how tides work, and the Florida Keys article does specifically mention them as a main problem.)

The areas in danger first are pretty universally small, very low islands. Actually, a dozen or so small islands have already gone underwater in the Pacific Ocean, but very importantly, none of those islands were inhabited.

They were mostly small reef islands (that is, the entire island is exposed coral reef detritus) and other uninhabited shoals. Mostly, they were so small scientists had to check old satellite images to even figure out that they disappeared. Literally, we're talking about chunks of land that are just 100 square meters/300 square feet. Again, not great, but still very limited in scope.

As this Live Science article thankfully explains, it's pretty unlikely that any countries at all will disappear before 2100.

Also, just because land is below sea level doesn't mean it will be underwater, and there are very real steps we can take to defend a lot of endangered cities/islands.

For example:

Much of the Netherlands is already below sea level, but the country isn't disappearing, because the Dutch have put a lot of work into building and maintaining coastal defenses.

Multiple surveys (including the one that found the missing islands in Micronesia) also found that not all low-lying islands are vulnerable to erosion and flooding. This is because many islands are protected by mangrove forests, lagoons, or both

Mangrove reforestation in particular is genuinely a super effective anti-flooding strategy that is being deployed pretty widely, and is expected to increase a lot in the coming years. Mangroves are effective at not only preventing short-term flooding, but also mitigating sea-level increases (in part by preventing erosion)

Some islands, esp Pacific Islands, have actually grown during the past couple decades, not shrunk. It really depends on what the island is made up of. Not all land is automatically doomed

You can read more about how sinking countries are fighting back here, and the lessons we can learn from them:

-via Time, June 13, 2019

And finally, and this is good news for reasons I'll explain in a second:

Some of the largest and wealthiest cities in the world are at the top of the danger list. (Note: the predictions at that link are based on some fairly severe warming predictions. They do NOT necessarily reflect what's going to happen or when.)

The cities that are going to be in danger the soonest (still away btw) include New York, London, San Francisco, Tokyo, and Dubai. Lots of very rich people in those cities! Who would really like to not have to move (any of their ten different homes lol)

So, flooding aside, we're going to (by necessity) get a lot better at figuring out the quickest, cheapest, most scalable, and most effective types of coastal defenses real fast.

Are rich countries going to be way more able to get strong coastal defense systems up quickly? Yes. Does that suck? Sure fucking does!! But these solutions don't all require a lot of money or tech to implement, even at a large scale, especially when it's local communities driving the effort.

And, importantly, when rich countries pour a ton of money into figuring this out, that will hugely expand our understanding of what techniques work best, why, and how best to deploy them in different situations. Unlike physical structures, that's valuable knowledge that can be shared very, very widely.

And any technology that comes out of this is going to work like solar panels and other green energy: as more people use it, it will get cheaper and cheaper. Probably really quickly.

So, all told, no one's going to be swallowed up in the next few years. We have time to work on this and a lot of people are already doing so.

Mostly, experts predict that the first wave of large-scale issues will be happening around 2050.

Three decades doesn't sound like enough time, in the face of something like this. But you know what? Responses to climate change are speeding up exponentially, and different types of responses are multiplying and magnifying each other.

We went from inventing flight to landing on the moon in just 66 years.

I wouldn't count us out of the climate change fight yet.

(...I wouldn't count on retiring to Florida either, though)

[falseandrealultravival]

Japanese Central Government Agency(4) Ministry of the Environment

Coordinating agency of other ministries. There are many jobs to protect endangered species, but what's the point of giving sympathy to creatures that humans have caused extinction?

Also, many graduates of the environmental science course at the University of Tokyo Faculty of Engineering,Department of Urban Engineering, which I graduated from, find employment at the Ministry of the Environment, but they have not properly learned about their specialty, "water problems." Therefore, we accept the fraudulent act of SDGs advocated by the United Nations as correct. (Among the 17 SDGs, acceptance of the wrong technology of flushing toilets.)

Rei Morishita

日本の中央官庁（４）環境省

他の省庁の利害調整官庁。絶滅危惧種の保護の仕事が多いが、人間が絶滅を仕向けた生物に、今更情けをかけて何になる。

また、環境省には、私の出身である東京大学工学部都市工学科環境科学コースの卒業者が多く就職するが、専門の「水問題」を正しく学んでい��い。それで国連の提唱するSDGｓという詐欺行為を、正しいものだと受け入れる。（SDGs17項目のうち、水洗トイレという誤った技術の受容。）

[yuzurujenn]

[2024.08.05] AERA x Yuzuru Hanyu: 24.8.12-19 No. 37

person in focus

"After all, it's frustrating when I can't perform well."

A session with photographer Mika Ninagawa for the first time in a year. In a long interview exclusive to this magazine, he talks about the ideals he pursues.

Writer: Takaomi Matsubara

Professional skater Yuzuru Hanyu

Born December 7, 1994 in Sendai. 2009 Won the Junior Grand Prix Final at age 14. 2010 Became the youngest Japanese male to win the World Junior Championships. 2011 While practicing at a rink in Sendai, the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred, and he had to live in an evacuation shelter. The rink where he was training was temporarily closed. 2012 First participated in the World Championships, coming in third. 2013 Graduated from Tohoku High School. Enrolled in a correspondence course at the Faculty of Human Sciences at Waseda University, studying human informatics and cognitive sciences. Won his first Grand Prix Final. Won four consecutive titles thereafter. 2014 First Asian gold medal in men's figure skating at the Sochi Olympics. First World Championship win. 2017 Second World Championship win. 2018 Second gold medal in men's figure skating at the Pyeongchang Olympics. 2020 Won his first Four Continents Championship, becoming the first man to win all major international junior and senior competitions. 2022 Participated in the Beijing Olympics. In July, announced his professional career. The ice show "Prologue" was held in Yokohama in November and in Hachinohe in December. 2023 In February, the ice show "GIFT" was held at Tokyo Dome. In March, the ice show "notte stellata" was held in Miyagi Prefecture. In March and April, he appeared in the ice show "Stars on Ice" (Osaka, Iwate, Yokohama). In May and June, he appeared in the ice show "Fantasy on Ice" (Makuhari, Miyagi, Niigata, Kobe). In November, the ice show "RE_PRAY" tour began at Saitama Super Arena. The following year, it was held at SAGA Arena in Saga in January, Pia Arena MM in Yokohama in February, and Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Miyagi in April. 2024 In March, the ice show "notte stellata" was held in Miyagi Prefecture. In May and June, he appeared in the ice show "Fantasy on Ice" (Makuhari, Aichi). On September 15th, he will be performing in the "Noto Peninsula Reconstruction Support Charity Performance Challenge" in Ishikawa Prefecture.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

It has been two years since he made a new start as a professional figure skater in the summer of 2022. In 2024, he led three successful ice shows: "RE_PRAY" (Saga, Yokohama, Miyagi performances), "notte stellata" and "Fantasy on Ice".

The shoot with Mika Ninagawa for the first time in a year began with a cheerful greeting from each other, "Thank you for your continued support this year," and "Thank you." When she said to him, "You're still as young as ever!", Hanyu replied with a smile, a little embarrassed, "I'm almost 30."

"Move freely."

With those words, he made expressions and gestures as he pleased.

Various scenes were set up in the vast studio. Hanyu, who changed costumes and was photographed in each scene, moved and made expressions freely, sometimes under instructions and sometimes as if he was imagining (creating) a story himself. The people watching repeatedly let out gasps of amazement as the images were displayed one after another on the computer monitor. It was nothing short of amazing how he instantly exuded various moods - from boyish with a hint of innocence to cool and seductive.

His creativity was not limited to the way he behaved as a subject. When the BGM was played during the shoot, his body naturally responded to the music, and he also requested songs himself when he saw the costumes. There was also a moment when he saw a prop that had been set up and asked, "Do you have one more of these?" This revealed his high level of creative awareness.

The shooting has completed.

"Thank you very much," he said, and there was something light-hearted and cheerful about it. After a year, what he showed in the studio was a more mature and expressive side to him.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exclusive interview with this magazine

[In pursuit of a distant ideal]

He is now in his third year as a professional figure skater. Reflecting on his days of taking on unprecedented challenges, he spoke about what he has gained from them and what the future holds.

Photo: Mika Ninagawa    Writer: Takaomi Matsubara

Yuzuru Hanyu, the journey continues

hair & make up: Noboru Tomizawa  styling: Masataka Hattori costume: NEEDLES    BED j.w. FORD    YUKI HASHIMOTO  prop styling: Ayumi Endo

Yuzuru Hanyu started out as a professional figure skater in 2022. In his first professional ice show, "Prologue," he performed the first solo ice show in history. He skated for nearly two hours, with a structure that richly conveyed his skating career. Following "Prologue," he then performed a solo show at the Tokyo Dome for the first time in history, "GIFT." The ice show filled the gigantic venue, which had never been seen before.  After "Prologue" and "GIFT," he held the performance "notte stellata" in March 2023, which was filled with thoughts and prayers for March 11. It has been a year since our interview last summer, following those three performances.

Changes in the "depth" of thinking

"When I was interviewed a year ago, it had just been a year since I turned professional. I had a desire to grow and learn more specialized things. In the year since then, I think that my technique, expression, and many other aspects have changed. Among them, I feel that I have had many more opportunities to think about expression. I have been thinking about expression even in my daily life. I think that the way I think about my show, the way I think about each program, the depth of those things has clearly changed." He talks about what triggered the change in the past year. "First of all, I had to spend more time thinking about writing a new ice story after GIFT and also about my own performance.” The new ice story was "RE_PRAY", under the title "ICE STORY 2nd".  It opened on November 4, 2023 at Saitama Super Arena. It was performed in Saitama for two days, on that day and the following day, and in the new year it was performed in Saga on January 12th and 14th, and in Yokohama on February 17th and 19th, for a total of six performances in three cities. After the premiere in Saitama on November 4th, Hanyu said the following. "First of all, I myself have learned from games, manga, novels, and various other sources, about what life is all about, how precious life is, and other similar things that everyone else roughly feels.

In games, the concept of life is really light in a sense, and you can repeat it, so you can use characters to do all sorts of things and push forward with curiosity. If you apply that to the real world, you might be a person who has the drive to grab hold of dreams, or conversely, from a different perspective, you might be a very terrifying person. But if you could do it all over again, I'm sure people would try it."

24 hours a day, always skating

In this story with a game motif, the question of "choice" is often depicted. We make choices in our lives, even if we are not aware of it. What if you choose a different option than the one you originally chose? Or would you choose the same option? This story asks the audience, which serves as an opportunity to reexamine their way of life. Of course, just like "Prologue" and "GIFT," the fact that this story was completed and received with overwhelming acclaim was due to the performance of Hanyu, who was the sole performer. And even after six performances, he did not try to stay in the same place. He continued to evolve. There were many evidences of this growth at the final performance of the Yokohama show, for example. The movements in the performance of "Chicken, Snake and Pig" where he moved forward as if resisting the shackles. The performance of "Megalovania", following a silent performance without music with only the sound of his edges resonating, was more integrated with the music than in previous performances. Not only in the production aspects, but also in the details of Hanyu's performance itself, there were traces of refinement here and there. After the Saga performance, Hanyu spent his days preparing more rigorously for the Yokohama performance.  "Of course, I trained and restricted my diet. Well, how should I say it, there are 24 hours in a day, but I spent the entire time on nothing else but skating. In other words, skating was always present, 24 hours a day.” "That's right. To put it simply, it felt like I was spending every day just working on 'RE_PRAY'." The reason he spent all his time facing skating was because he had regrets about the Saga performance. "After all, it's frustrating when I can't perform well." However, the standards of frustration have changed from when he was a competing athlete.

Still not enough

"Gradually, the focus is shifting from scores to an evaluation. If something technical that I had planned didn't go well, then my evaluation vector changes and my perspective shifts. I couldn't accomplish what I wanted to accomplish in Saga, so I was simply disappointed." After spending 24 hours focused on skating, the Yokohama performance came. After the final performance, he said, "I feel a sense of accomplishment like winning the Olympics." While he felt a sense of fulfillment, he wasn't completely satisfied. He also felt that his ability had not yet caught up with what he wanted to do. "So I feel like there are still things I need to study more. Of course, I think I'm evolving. I think I'm getting better. But I still feel like it's not enough. As I keep digging deeper and deeper, my ideals become higher, and the things I want to express are becoming more and more specific. The more my ideals become more concrete, the more I feel like I'm not catching up." He is aware that he still has areas where he needs to improve, especially in the finer details. This is something he realises now, which he didn't feel this way when he was competing in the sport. "It's impossible to realise this when you're a competitive athlete. After all, if you can jump, you win. To be honest, if you couldn’t jump, there was no point in talking about it, as the outcome of the competition was pretty much decided by how many types of quadruple jumps there are and where you put them in the program. For example, what memories do you have of this song, the background of this song, what is the story you want to express, how will the story and the song fit together, or what meaning is in the choreography, to be honest, there’s not much room to think about them. You have to complete all your technical elements in one go in the four minutes of a competition (free skate), so that's all you can focus on."

A world not in first place

Win the match. In a competition, that is set as a goal. "Since I had already achieved that, there was no way I could go any higher. If you think about it in the world of competition, I won first place, so even if I tried harder, I couldn't get any higher than first place. In other words, I just tried to see how long I could maintain that first place position.

But in the world I'm in right now, even if I think I'm in first place, it may not be. It’s a place where I can think, "I'm still at the bottom". When I look at the various works of art or technically excellent things from around the world, I feel that there are still many things I can't do, so I think that I still have a long way to go." When he moved from the world of competition, which was fixed in a sense, to a new world, it was no longer a confined space. However, whether one knows its vastness or not, whether one feels that there is an endlessly wide world out there, is up to the individual. So even though the world is infinite, some people only notice a limited space. Or, there are those who limit the space themselves.

Right now, Hanyu thinks, "I still have a long way to go." He feels like he's at the bottom. This is because he knows that the world is endlessly vast. The reason he feels this way is because he has the ambition to move forward without being content with the present. So instead of seeing the place he has arrived at as the end point, he knows that there is still space to go beyond that.

Ideals evolve

"I may have surpassed the ideal I had a year ago. But the sense of distance between me and my ideal is probably the same as it was a year ago. For example, if the distance between me and my ideal a year ago was 10 meters, it may be 10 meters, no, 11 meters now. That's how I feel. I'm living and experiencing life, I see information every day, and in the midst of that, my ideal evolves. My ideal gets further and further away. But at the same time, through what I have seen and experienced, I'm sure I’m also one step closer to my ideal." Then, after a short pause, he continued with a smile. "As long as I want to, I think I can continue for the rest of my life." The skater is still on his journey, striving towards the ideals he has built with his own will. 

Source: AERA issue 24.8.12-19 No.37, pg 9-15 Info: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0D89L6LS2

[talesofedo]

Maybe I should make a "handsome samurai of the week" column? 🤔

Here we have Obata Tokujiro, on the left, and Matsuyama Toan, on the right, photographed in the late Edo period.

Obata Tokujiro was a teacher of both English and science at Kaiseijo, a school of Western learning in Edo, which was one of the forerunners of what is now Tokyo University. During the Meiji period he traveled both Europe and the United States before returning to Japan, and he later became head of Keio University.

Matsuyama Toan was a doctor, head of Keio University School of Medicine, founder of Tokyo Jikei University School of Medicine, and translator of the first English-language medical book published in Japan, among other things.

[wheresmycontent]

Bouquet [BNHA]

Pro Hero!Bakugo Katsuki x Scientist!Reader [Female]

C|TW: alternate universe, apocalyptic,

It was unbelievable how quiet the city was. Of all the years the hero has been living in Japan, he’s never known Tokyo to be a quiet area. He could hear how each step he took was punctuated by the debris crunching under the weight of his boots. The vacant buildings carried a low sound similar to a howl when the wind passed through. Scattered chirps from the lively birds that settled along the ledges couldn’t be missed.

Katsuki’s hearing has always been great but on a normal day he would’ve easily missed the soft pants of his golden companion, Kewpie. They were walking through Shibuya yet Katsuki could hear the dog’s panting clearly. There weren’t any shuffling citizens or humming cars to be heard, it was deserted. Though he’s seen a lot as a pro hero, Katsuki was still disturbed by the drastic change.

As soothing as the natural ambiance was, or at least supposed to be, it was impossible to ignore the graphic events that created this new atmosphere. The traumatic memories that filled his mind the moment it fell silent.

The day that hundreds of thousands of people dropped dead in the blink of an eye was the catalysis to this bleak future. There wasn’t a villain in sight or a natural disaster that could be blamed for the sudden devastation.

It was ignorance.

—

Truth be told, that comes off harsher than it should. Ignorance was to blame in the sense that mankind was out of its depth. It wasn’t because of hubris or the lack of trying that caused the world to suffer. It was the fact that up until then, humans didn’t know of life outside of earth.

It’s been a year since seven pulsing lights settled in the atmosphere. They rested in the sky, never straying from their spots, creating an eerie glow that could be seen in broad daylight. You studied physics as an astronomer but didn’t need the degree to know that something was off about the balls of light pulsing over earth. Things would break apart while falling through the earth’s atmosphere unless they’re large enough to impact the surface. But these balls of light remained in place, pulsing over the continents.

Before panic could sweep the globe, hundreds of heroes released statements. All reassuring the public that should imminent danger arise, they’d be there to protect them. That was all it took for citizens to carry on as if everything was fine. You couldn’t find it in you to blame them. From a young age everyone was taught that quirks were the answer to every problem in some way, shape, or form. Of course the general public decided to leave it to the professionals, more specifically the heroes.

Meanwhile it was up to you and scientists around the world to figure out what the hell was happening before they sent out heroes or bombs to fix it. It wasn’t all bad though, the science world was ecstatic. This was something that never happened in physics or space! The study could bring new concepts and understanding to science that would take mankind to new heights or just give scientists something to talk about for the next decade.

It was an experience.

—

Within the first month of their arrival the seven pulsing lights dimmed and you could see their form. They were these massive bulbs shaped similar to an onion before it’s been peeled. You came to the conclusion that they were, without a doubt, organisms. Not asteroids, gas, or a ball of energy, but organisms! Part of space exploration comes with the hopes of finding life outside of earth or a place that could possibly sustain it and after years of searching, seven beings of the same origin, presumably, have found their way to earth.

This was strange and brought more questions concerning intentions but it was fascinating. More so when the bulbs pulsed on while cracks formed along the surface. Though the world had carried on after the heroes’ proclamation, you could feel the anticipation. Everyone waited on the edge of their seats for extraterrestrial beings to emerge from the cracks. Waiting for the moment mankind would have to face off against seven beings possibly the size of the Eiffel Tower.

It wasn’t until the cracks covered the surface of the bulbs entirely, that the layers withered away and out came the organisms. In an eerily familiar form of one of earth’s own.

On the thirty-second day of hovering in the atmosphere, pulsing endlessly and emitting a strange glow, daffodils sat in the sky. Yes, daffodils. They were daffodils! After weeks of anxiety inducing suspension the “aliens” turned out to be space daffodils! Their breathtaking iridescent white petals and trumpet like center, lined with a soft golden glow, were hard to look away from. They were mesmerizing!

The public erupted with relief, quick to create a positive buzz around the phenomenon, making light hearted trends and videos about the beautiful sight. The sky now held seven large iridescent daffodils and here they thought they’d be in grave danger.

As the public celebrated Bakugo watched as your avidity was replaced with unease. You didn’t light up with wonder or have that same eagerness when researching the “flowers”. You were worried. So much so that you stopped looking at the sky, wanting to avoid the sight of a “daffodil” looming over the earth, unmoving. You, his wife. The same woman that studied the stars and loved all things concerning space was unable to face the sky.

He didn’t need years of experience to know this wasn’t going to end well.

—

In the third month of their arrival, the daffodils started to rotate as if they were being spun by an imaginary stem. The public wasn’t alarmed or bothered by the sudden movement, only in awe of their motions. It was hard to believe there’d be danger when all they saw were cosmic daffodils. Yet, it was enough for Katsuki to start hounding you.

You had no answers but he would take anything. What the hell were they and when would they leave? It was annoying but you knew he didn’t mean any harm. You’ve been married enough to know that when Katsuki became annoying, he was worried. He’d always be fearful when it came to your wellbeing and until someone can assure him that there’s no problem, he won’t shut up.

The public wasn’t pleased to learn of Katsuki’s distaste for their beloved daffodils. He refused to say anything positive about them when asked about his stance. The TikTok videos and cute little myths the public created weren’t enough to appease the hero. Until scientists stated that they suspect no danger, he wouldn’t let his guard down.

Sure, Katsuki was an esteemed hero but he reminded the public of their dread, that unsettling feeling they held in their stomachs before the cosmic daffodils bloomed. He sounded like the voice in the corner of their minds telling them that something wasn’t right. The voice they tried to ignore now that the danger had lacked an intimidating form. Katsuki had no intention of persuading the public to share his sentiments but he was undeniably pissed at their audacity to compare him to conspiracy theorists.

—

During that same month, Katsuki and those who shared his skepticism were unfortunately vindicated. Thick yellow plumes of smoke, or at least it looked like smoke, scattered across the continents. Coating everything in its path, leaving a somewhat pleasant scent as it spread. The substance was coming from the iridescent daffodils that continued to sway in the atmosphere.

Once again, before panic could spread the government officials around the world had their heroes, minus Katsuki and those that shared his opinion, reassure the public that should imminent danger arise, they’d be there to protect them. Sadly enough that was all it took for citizens to ignore the signs and pretend that everything was fine.

However, this time around they couldn’t quite turn a blind eye when the plumes of smoke left a luminous yellow dust that clung to the surface of buildings, streets, and fields. It was on everything. People couldn’t ignore its presence even if they tried. As if that wasn’t bad enough the smoke started to show signs of having an adverse effect on people, some more than others.

People around the world started to drop like flies, the culprit being the yellow substance that had coated nearly every surface. It came out that many citizens that passed didn’t have a history of chronic illness or show signs of being unhealthy prior to being infected. Yet they still passed after coming into contact with the substance. Therefore everyone was at risk of dying.

It was that moment when people were scared, but by then it was too late.