Science View

Carbon is an element found all around us that humans have utilized since long ago. Now, application is underway of "nano-carbon materials" in which carbon atoms are arranged neatly on a 1-nanometer level. One such material is graphite sheet, which is used for high performance heat radiating sheets found in smartphones and other devices. Graphite sheet is made by layering sheets of "graphene", which is comprised of a tightly packed layer of carbon atoms bonded together in a hexagonal lattice. Graphene can also help make lead acid batteries more compact. A "fullerene" in which carbon atoms are arranged into a cage-like structure is also attracting attention in the world of medical care. In this program, we'll look at research that seeks to find new applications of nano-carbon materials.

Competition for development of advanced materials known as "ionic liquids" is now beginning all over the world. Ionic liquids are being called "the third liquid" as they are completely different from aqueous solutions or organic solvents, and yet are notable for having the same properties as solvents in not evaporating easily and conducting electricity. They are garnering attention for having functionality that is simply not possible with other liquids.

For example, using an ionic liquid for the electrolyte in a lithium-ion rechargeable battery improves safety and durability. Such a battery was even installed on a satellite, and succeeded in charging and discharging in space. Also, using ionic liquids to make biomass energy for renewable energy can reduce both time and cost compared to conventional methods. In the field of medical care, research is underway to reduce the burden on patients by using the properties of ionic liquids so that medicine can be absorbed through the skin. Ionic liquids have the potential to change our lives significantly.

From flashes of lightning to the moment of a bullet's impact, ultrafast events that are invisible to the human eye are being made visible with high-speed cameras. Now, a new revolution is taking place. A research team at the University of Tokyo has developed a camera capable of 1 trillion frames per second. What sort of camera is it, and what is it used for? Join us on Science View as we zoom in on Japan's high-speed camera technology!

Ultrafine bubbles are just one-billionth of a meter in diameter yet their applications are gaining huge attention. They have the ability to extend the freshness of raw fish, and promote crop growth. In the medical field, research is being held on their ability to destroy bacteria and viruses. We'll take a look at the innovative technology that was born in Japan, its applications, and the latest studies on it.

In today's special program, reporter Michelle Yamamoto visits a site on the World Heritage list to take a look back at the history of Japan's iron manufacturing, including past J-Innovators segments featuring innovators that have developed new iron products. She's joined by Dr. Yoshihiko Takano from the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), an expert on iron-based superconductors, and together they explore the past and future of iron technologies in Japan.

The United Nations designated 2015 as the International Year of Soils and announced that more and more farmland is suffering from poor soil quality, warning that the world's food production is confronting a significant crisis. One of the factors in degrading soil quality is salt accumulation, caused by over-irrigation of farmland. The development of salt-tolerant crops that can grow even in soil with high salinity has been gaining attention recently as a possible countermeasure. This program looks at the forefront of Japan's research on salt-tolerant crops.

Sleep is said to be the greatest mystery in neuroscience. However, scientists are coming to gradually understand the mystery of sleep thanks to the discovery of a substance called orexin. Next generation sleeping medications are being developed using that mechanism. Dr. Masashi Yanagisawa of the University of Tsukuba, the researcher who discovered orexin, sought out mice with abnormal sleep patterns and is now searching for a genetic cause. We'll look at the latest research concerning sleep.

Sparse modeling is being used widely in scientific circles. It involves an equation that works like a detective to uncover the most important information from a limited amount of data. In the medical field, sparse modeling has shortened MRI scanning times, while in space research it can deduce the shape of black holes from limited observation data. Join us as we take a look at what sparse modeling is and what it can do!

Lake Akan in Hokkaido is home to approximately 200,000 marimo. It's also the only place in the world with marimo colonies. Registered as Special Natural Monuments, marimo can grow to become 30 centimeters in diameter. How do they form such large spheres? Join us as we learn new and interesting facts about marimo!

Initiatives to produce electricity using hot spring water are now beginning in Japan's hot spring regions. Technology called "binary cycle generation" is what makes this possible. In this process, a working fluid with a lower boiling point than water moves the turbines of a power generator. Thanks to its ability to use geothermal energy and even sea water, binary cycle generation is attracting attention as a method of generating electricity that is friendly to the environment. We'll look at the latest developments in this promising method of power generation.

Silkworms have long been used by humans to create silk. Thanks to advancements in scientific technology, they are now being used to produce a variety of revolutionary substances including medicine and cosmetics. The key to this development is the silkworm's outstanding capability for protein synthesis. One initiative which uses this capability is called an "insect factory" and is changing the nature of the sericulture industry.

Virtual reality is technology which simulates a user's presence in a virtual world. Revolutionary new technologies in this field are being developed one after another, with one such advancement being the commercialization of head-mounted displays. Wearing such a headset instantly takes the user to a different place where they can see 360 degrees all around them. One can visit foreign countries, walk around imaginary buildings, and become immersed in a virtual world all from the comfort of home. We'll look at the latest in virtual reality technology in this episode.

The ancient Jomon people lived in Japan roughly 10 thousand years ago. For the first time ever Japanese researchers have successfully extracted nuclear DNA from their remains. It contains a treasure trove of information. Where did Japanese people come from, and what traits did they inherit? The latest science shines a light on Japanese ancestry.

A special 2-part series from Aichi Prefecture, known as "The Land of Japanese Craftsmanship". The first program is a visit to an automobile museum where they feature cars from all over the world. Discover the history and the latest technologies behind the development of Japanese automobiles. The backbone of Japan's environmental solutions is built on innovative technologies in engines and catalytic converters, and the advancement of cars continues with the advent of electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles. The evolution of cars is driven by yet another groundbreaking safety technology that can prevent automobile accidents.

In this second program of 2 special episodes from Aichi Prefecture, we look at high-speed trains in Japan. First we visit a railway museum to explore the history and some recent innovations. Then we visit actual test facilities for new Shinkansen technologies. We also learn about a Nobel Prize winning discovery and how it relates to energy savings on the Tokyo subway. And of course, the exciting new super-conducting magnetic levitation train!

Euglena are creatures just 0.05 millimeters long that inhabit ponds. They are very unusual organisms that acquired attributes of both animals and plants over the course of their evolution. Research is currently underway on making use of those attributes to use euglena as food, as a means of reducing carbon dioxide emissions and even for energy. In this program we'll feature the latest research on euglena.

Research in paleontology has been making remarkable developments in the recent years. The research on ichthyosaurs, the creature that dominated the sea during the dinosaur era, is especially making rapid progress. Ichthyosaurs are reptiles that moved their habitats into the sea 248 million years ago and evolved into fish-like creatures. At the forefront of its research is Dr. Ryosuke Motani from the University of California, Davis. He has joined up with the Peking University to form an ichthyosaur excavation team, bringing results from the newly found fossils in China. This episode is based on an up close interview with the paleobiologist Dr. Ryosuke Motani to learn about his methods of solving the mysteries behind the evolution of ichthyosaurs.

Memory serves as the foundation for the functions of knowledge, awareness and thinking in humans. Yet where are memories stored and how are they recalled? The latest research has captured the physical phenomenon of memory occurring in the neurons of the brain. Scientists have learned that when we remember a new place, for example, neurons in a part of the brain called the hippocampus recognize information regarding place and "replay" information about the path taken and the destination over and over to establish the memory. Additionally, it may become possible to manipulate memory such as by artificially creating memories or separating them. From the simple question of "How can we improve our memory?" to the latest scientific research, we'll examine the science of memory which has entered a new stage!

Artificial Intelligence is leaping forward, defeating humans at highly complex games like Go. Behind this progress is Deep Learning, which mimics the neural networks of human brains. Deep Learning identifies and extracts distinctive features, making it possible for the AI to acquire its own ideas. It's used in image recognition to quickly find a specific person in a group of people. It's also learning to associate audio inputs with visual inputs. We explore the latest research on Deep Learning.

The myriad life forms inhabiting the waters that comprise over 70% of our planet's surface have proven exceedingly difficult to number. Until now! A startling new approach analyzes the DNA animals leave behind in their natural habitats, telling us which species are living where, how many there are, and what habitats they prefer. Just a scoop of water reveals all! Standout environmental DNA studies in Japan have detected previously unsighted aquatic animals, with more expected in the future.

On November 30, 2016, the Japanese scientists who had discovered element 113 on the Periodic Table officially named it Nihonium, making this a first for Japan. A group of scientists at RIKEN led by Dr. Kosuke Morita of Kyushu University discovered the new element. Synthesizing it was theoretically simple as they just needed to collide the respective nuclei of a zinc atom (atomic number of 30) and a bismuth atom (with an atomic number of 83) and cause nuclear fusion. However, the nuclei are incredibly small at about one-trillionth of a centimeter in size, and even when collided, the probability of creating the new element is extremely small at one in 100 trillion. That is why the researchers continued to bombard bismuth with a large amount of zinc ions.
Dr. Kosuke Morita and his colleagues confirmed their first synthesis of a new element in 2004. However, proving creation of the new element involved confirmation that it changed into a known nuclide after it decayed. So the researchers spent an additional 8 years to synthesize and verify 3 more atoms of element 113. We'll take an in-depth look at how they succeeded in creating the new element.

Along with a recent increase in pet ownership, research on cats among the fields of ethology and cognitive science has been progressing. Do cats actually recognize their owner's voice? After conducting an experiment in which both a cat owner and strangers called out the cat's name, the cat demonstrated a clearly different response to their owner's voice. Furthermore, when a person pets a cat the amount of oxygenated hemoglobin in their brain increases. This is one indication of activity in the brain, and researchers surmise that petting cats helps stimulate the brain. We'll look at the front lines of this sort of research on cats.

In August 2016, the news spread about the possibility of Japan becoming a resource-rich country. Lumps of minerals containing manganese (manganese nodules) and mud with high concentrations of rare earth metals had been found in massive amounts. These minerals are indispensable for the production of automobiles, smartphones and batteries. Researchers boarded a manned submersible, "Shinkai 6500" and discovered the rare resources on the ocean floor 5,500 meters deep around Japan's easternmost island of Minami Torishima. Find out why these precious resources exist on the ocean floor and the actual amount they found as we get the full scope of their 3-week long survey.

Stronger yet lighter than steel. Cellulose Nanofiber (CNF) is a promising new material that is expected to bring about a revolution in materials in the 21st century. CNF is a natural material made from nanosized fibrils (one billionth of a meter) extracted from plants. When processed, it has a property of becoming unbelievably stronger, leading to applied research for automobile bodies. With many other unique properties, development is underway for a wide range of products from writing instruments to cosmetics. Find out the remarkable properties of this dream material estimated to amount to a multibillion-dollar industry by 2030.