To introduce some of the

exciting research that is taking

place at Tokyo Tech, the

Institute is holding a series of

lectures called the Tokyo Tech

Inspiring Lecture Series. The

first event of this series was

held on July 16, 2014 under

the title “Origins: Earth and

Life - Science at ELSI,” casting

a spotlight on Tokyo Tech’s

Earth-Life Science Institute

(ELSI). ELSI aims to become an

international hub for research

in bioplanetology. Four

world-renowned scientists

connected to ELSI, including

the 2009 Nobel laureate in

Physiology or Medicine and

ELSI’s principal investigator, Professor Jack W. Szostak, and ELSI’s

director, Professor Kei Hirose, spoke about their latest research

on the origin and evolution of the Earth and life.

Over 340 people pre-registered for the event, more than the

seating capacity of Kuramae Hall at Tokyo Tech Front, and many

more registered at the door on the day of the event. The diverse

audience ranged from high school students to working adults.

Lectures were given in English with simultaneous interpretation

in Japanese.

Researchers in the fields of earth and planetary science and life

sciences have come together at ELSI to investigate the origin

and evolution of the Earth. The researchers aim to understand

the processes by which initial life emerged in the early Earth

environment.

Four researchers representing their fields gave lectures at the

first event of the Tokyo Tech Inspiring Lecture Series.

The lectures were followed by a lively question-and-answer

session where members of the audience asked many questions

such as “What is the definition of life?” and “What are the

necessary conditions for the emergence of life?” There were

students who asked questions in English and high school

students who directly asked questions to the lecturers after the

event.

Report on the Tokyo Tech Inspiring Lecture Series, "Origins: Earth and Life" Science at ELSI

InternationalWINTER 2014VOL. 19

Tokyo Institute of Technology Newsletter

Tokyo Tech

01 NewsReport on the Tokyo Tech Inspiring Lecture Series, "Origins: Earth and Life" Science at ELSI

Tokyo Tech Students Meet President Obama

TSUBAME-KFC supercomputer ranked No.1 in the world in two consecutive editions of the energy efficiency "Green500 List"

2014 IEEE Computer Society Sidney Fernbach Award honors Professor Satoshi Matsuoka

02 Recent ResearchGeological conditions and geotechnical characteristics of Phnom Penh subsoils in Cambodia

Visions of the future: Links between science, technology and social issues

Liquid-liquid phase transition for water + hydrocarbon mixtures at high temperatures and pressures

03 Through Students' EyesFrom Brazil to Japan - Beginning Studies and Making Friends at Tokyo Tech

Experiencing one year of research overseas (University of Washington)

04 TopicsFinancial systems: Molecular fluid markets

C O N T E N T S

News01

Lecture by Professor Jack W. Szostak, 2009 Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine

1. The origin of cellular life

2. Other Earth and the search for life beyond the solar system

3. Origin of water on the Earth

4. Mars vs. Earth - planetary constraints on the origins of life

Jack W. SzostakProfessor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and Principal Investigator at ELSI

Dimitar SasselovDirector, Origins of Life Initiative, Harvard University (ELSI’s satellite center)

Kei HiroseProfessor and Director of ELSI

Joseph L. KirschvinkNico and Marilyn Van Wingen Professor of Geobiology, California Institute of Technology, and Principal Investigator at ELSI

US President Barack Obama took part in a dialogue on science and

technology with young people at the National Museum of Emerging

Science and Innovation (Miraikan) on April 24. Two Tokyo Tech 4th-

year undergraduate students and five students from the Tokyo Tech

High School of Science and Technology participated in the event. The

followings are the students' reports on their experiences.

Runa Koizumi

4th-year, Department of Physics, School of Science

President Obama entered the venue with Dr. Mamoru Mohri. We,

the students, introduced ourselves to the president and together we

watched a live video message from Dr. Koichi Wakata, a commander at

the International Space Station (ISS). In the video, Dr. Wakata and two

other astronauts greeted the president and reported on ISS activities to

him.

Then we moved to the Geo-Cosmos exhibition, a 3D global organic

LED panel exhibit with the image of the Earth as viewed from outer

space projected on the panels. Astronaut Soichi Noguchi gave an

explanation of the Geo-Cosmo exhibit. The president, another student

and I operated the Geo-Cosmos to turn the globe. President Obama

asked us, “Which way shall we turn the globe?” and “Are you interested

in the universe?” As we operated the Geo-Cosmos, I felt myself relaxing

and I could enjoy the conversation with him. He then asked us about

our fields of research and our future dreams.

After viewing the Miraikan exhibits, President Obama gave a speech

to the students. He expressed his hope that more Japanese students

would come to the US. I felt that the president regarded and received

us as independent members of society.

Through this encounter with the president, I strongly felt that the world

is expecting us to pursue science and technology in a way that our

studies and research can be applied to society.

Nao Yamamoto4th-year, Department of Biotechnology, School of

Bioscience and Biotechnology

On his visit to Japan, President Obama expressed

a strong desire to meet with students. This gave

Japanese students the opportunity to talk with the

US president at the Miraikan. Twenty high school

students and ten university students participated

in the event.

The president visited four sections of the Miraikan,

and I was in the second section where a humanoid

robot, ASIMO, was introduced. I was one of only

two university students and was lucky enough to

speak with the president.

President Obama is a very friendly person. When

I asked, “Would you like to kick the ball back to

ASIMO?” He answered, “Sure!” and he enjoyed

playing soccer with ASIMO. When he moved to the

next section, the president said, “I haven't taken

the time to speak with the students yet." He came back to the ASIMO

section to talk to us. He asked question after question such as “What

are you studying?" “How would you make use of what you study now?”

“What would you like to do in the future?” and “Do you want to study

abroad?" He encouraged me by saying, “Make sure to continue studying

hard because your specialty is a very significant field which relates to

people's health and lives.” I am studying biological information. I was

very touched by the thoughtfulness that the U.S. president showed in

taking time to speak with and encourage students. It was also a great

experience for me to see and feel firsthand the behavior of a person

in the position to lead the world. I would like to express my heartfelt

gratitude for this wonderful opportunity. I will further develop my life

thanks to this experience.

Tokyo Tech Students Meet President Obama

News01

In front of the Geo-Cosmos exhibition; Ms Koizumi, third from right

President Obama and ASIMO; Ms Yamamoto, far left

2 Tokyo Tech International WINTER 2014 VOL.19

The IEEE Computer Society announced that, Satoshi Matsuoka, a

professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology, has been named recipient of

the 2014 IEEE Computer Society Sidney Fernbach Award. Matsuoka was

recognized "for his work on software systems for high-performance

computing on advanced infrastructural platforms, large-scale

supercomputers, and heterogenous GPU/CPU supercomputers."

The Sydney Fernbach Award is the most prestigious award given in

high-performance computing, and this is the first time a Japanese

researcher has been named to receive the award.

2014 IEEE Computer Society Sidney Fernbach Award honors Professor Satoshi Matsuoka

Tokyo Tech's TSUBAME-KFC supercomputer, which employs oil-

immersion cooling as well as other advanced power-saving

features, was ranked No.1 in the world in the June 2014 edition

of the energy-efficiency supercomputer ranking Green500

List, successfully retaining the top position for two consecutive

editions.

The TSUBAME-KFC supercomputer was developed by the Global

Scientific Information and Computing Center (GSIC), Tokyo Institute

of Technology, as a prototype for its next-generation TSUBAME 3.0

supercomputer, and commenced operation in October 2013. The

project is being conducted in collaboration with world-renowned

domestic and overseas supercomputing vendors such as NEC and

NVIDIA. In November 2013, TSUBAME-KFC was recognized as the

world's most energy-efficient supercomputer on the Green500 List,

which ranks the world's top supercomputers according to their energy

efficiency in computing.

On June 30 it was announced that TSUBAME-KFC had once again

become No.1 in the world according to the June 2014 release of the

Green500, having achieved 4,389.82 MFLOPS per watt. Being No.1 for

two consecutive editions demonstrates the project's technological

leadership for future supercomputers, whose performance will be

predominantly limited by electrical power requirements as we strive

towards a low-carbon society. TSUBAME-KFC was also ranked sixth in

the Big Data category of the Green Graph 500 List , which was started

last year to rank the power efficiency of supercomputers in big data

processing.

In addition, the current production supercomputer TSUBAME 2.5 that

was upgraded in September last year from TSUBAME 2.0 achieved

2,951.95 MFLOPS per watt and was ranked eighth on the Green500

List. TSUBAME 2.5 was thirteenth in the world on the TOP500 List , and

was again the second fastest supercomputer in Japan after the "K"

supercomputer.

TSUBAME-KFC supercomputer ranked No.1 in the world in two consecutive editions of the energy efficiency "Green500 List"

TSUBAME2.5

TSUBAME-KFC

Professor Satoshi Matsuoka

3Tokyo Tech International WINTER 2014 VOL.19

Fig. 1: (a) 3D geological model of Phnom Penh subsoils in oblique view and (b) multiple cross-sections in oblique view.

Made groundVery soft to Soft clayStiff to very stiff clayDense to very dense sandHard siltSoft siltOrganic soilMedium dense sandMedium stiff clayVery loose to loose sand

Z

Y

X(a) (b)

Fig. 2: (a) Typical subsoil profile of Phnom Penh city in downtown area and (b) empirical correlations of the undrained shear strength to the SPT N-value of Phnom Penh fine-grained soils.

(a) (b)

Recent Research02

strength and effective internal friction angle) of Phnom Penh subsoils

were investigated. Lastly, the empirical correlation of the undrained

shear strength to the SPT-N value was examined.

Here, the first 3D geological and geotechnical database of Phnom

Penh subsoils was successfully produced which will be an important

contribution to land development of Phnom Penh city.

Reference:· Authors: Samphors Touch1), Suched Likitlersuang2), and Thirapong Pipatpongsa3)

· Title of original paper: 3D geological modelling and geotechnical characteristics of Phnom Penh subsoils in Cambodia· Journal, volume, pages and year: Engineering Geology, 178, 58-69 (2014)· DOI: 10.1016/j.enggeo.2014.06.010· Affiliations: 1) Department of International Development Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japanhttp://www.ide.titech.ac.jp/en/2) Department of Civil Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Thailandhttp://www.eng.chula.ac.th/en3) Global Scientific Information and Computing Center, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japanhttp://www.gsic.titech.ac.jp/en

Better understanding about subsoil characterization can help to

improve the quality of the construction industry. Recently, several

works on the subsoil in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, were conducted

separately, site by site, because of developments in the Cambodian

society.

However, no comprehensive study has been conducted to centralize

these subsoil investigations.

Now, an international team of researchers from Tokyo Institute of

Technology and Chulalongkorn University has been successfully

visualized 3D geological structures and investigated geotechnical

characteristics of Phnom Penh subsoils.

Geological and geotechnical data were collected from 1,200 boreholes

reports covering Phnom Penh city to build the 3D geological structures

and provide detailed information about the engineering properties of

subsoils in Phnom Penh.

The typical subsoil profile of Phnom Penh city was successfully

categorized according to the multiple geological cross-sections over

Phnom Penh city. The physical (grain size distribution and Atterberg

limits) and engineering properties (compressibility, undrained shear

Geological conditions and geotechnical characteristics of Phnom Penh subsoils in Cambodia

4 Tokyo Tech International WINTER 2014 VOL.19

Fig. Linkage diagram between social issue (aging society) and technology (robotics).

hydrocarbon mixtures at high temperatures and pressure are important

knowledge for the optimization of the operation conditions for the

upgrading process of oil sand and bitumen using supercritical water.

Reference:· Authors: Masaki Togo, Yoshiki Inamori, Yusuke Shimoyama.· Title of original paper: Phase transitions on (liquid + liquid) equilibria for (water + 1-methylnaphthalene + light aromatic hydrocarbon) ternary systems at T = (563, 573, and 583) K.· Journal, volume, pages and year: The Journal of Chemical Thermodynamics 55, 1-6 (2012).· DOI: 10.1016/j.jct.2012.06.008· Affiliations: Department of Chemical Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology.· Laboratory website: Shimoyama Research Group

Water + hydrocarbon mixtures exhibit complex phase behavior at

high temperatures and pressures. An in depth knowledge of the phase

behavior for water + hydrocarbon mixtures is important for the design

of the process of oil sand and bitumen upgrading using supercritical

water.

However, there is very little experimental data of the phase equibria for

water + hydrocarbon mixtures at high temperatuers and pressures.

Now, Yusuke Shimoyama and colleagures at Tokyo Tech discovered a

liquid - liquid phase transition for water + light hydrocarbon + heavy

hydrocarbon mixture at a constant temperature.

The phase transition pressures for water + light hydrocarbon +

1-methylnapthalene (heavy hydrocarbon) systems were measured

from 290 to 310 °C and 8.6 to 25.0 MPa and determined as the pressure

at which the water rich phase was at the center

of a high pressure cell.

The phase transition pressures for water + light

hydrocarbon + 1-methylnapthalene systems

resulted from drastic concentration changes of

the light hydrocarbon in water rich phase by

changing pressures.

The liquid - liquid phase transitions for water +

Liquid-liquid phase transition for water + hydrocarbon mixtures at high temperatures and pressures

Link mining was used to construct a general picture of specific

technologies and social issues. Text mining was used to explore

a pathway between technology and social issue. The researchers

analyzed robotics and aging society as technology and a social issue,

respectively.

The results shown in the diagram, explicitly show the potential

contribution of robotics to resolve issues related to an aging society,

and were utilized to design an R&D project.

The methodology developed by the Tokyo Tech team can be utilized

to explore a variety of otherwise hidden links between science,

technology, and social issues.

Reference:· Authors: Vitavin Ittipanuvat, Katsuhide Fujita, Ichiro Sakata, and Yuya Kajikawa· Title of original paper: Finding linkage between technology and social issue: a literature based discovery approach· Journal: Journal of Engineering & Technology Management, in press.· DOI: 10.1016/j.jengtecman.2013.05.006· Affiliations: Graduate School of Innovation Management, Tokyo Institute of Technology

Science and technology is the vital driving force for economic and

social development.

However, the fundamental links between science, technology,

and society are unclear because of their complexity and hidden

relationships.

Now, Yuya Kajikawa and colleagues at Tokyo Institute of Technology

have developed methodology to explore the roles of technology for

resolving social issues.

Visions of the future: Links between science, technology and social issues

Liquid - liquid phase transition for water + hydrocarbon mixtures

5Tokyo Tech International WINTER 2014 VOL.19

Experiencing drilling with the drilling machine

From Brazil to Japan - Beginning Studies and Making Friends at Tokyo TechEric Tada from Brazil has just started his Undergraduate studies at Tokyo

Tech.

Why did you decide to come to Japan for study abroad?

When I was in Brazil, I had various opportunities to find out about Japan’s

outstanding technologies such as the “Shinkansen” (bullet train) and

various robots. Japanese companies are also highly respected around the

world. I was sure that I’d have to go to Japan to study the most-advanced

technology.

Before coming to Japan, I’d been studying Japanese for 3 years. I had a

choice to go on to University in Brazil, but rather than studying in Brazil

in Portuguese, I wanted to benefit from wider experience and improve

my Japanese further. That’s when I came to know about the Japanese

Government Scholarship by MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,

Science and Technology).

Why did you choose Tokyo Tech?

My high school in Brazil had an associated University and a professor there

recommended me to study at Tokyo Tech.

I came to Japan as a Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship student

and joined a one year Preparatory Educational Program in Osaka. There

I studied Japanese and other necessary subjects to prepare for entering

University. I studied hard so that I could enter my 1st choice, Tokyo Tech.

Four months has passed since entering Tokyo Tech. How is your school

life?

My school life at Tokyo Tech has started smoothly. At first, it was difficult to

understand the registration system of classes, but I was able to get some

advice from my tutor*. I also have many opportunities to communicate

with other exchange students so I don’t have any problem of not being

able to consult with anyone.

I have classes from Monday to Friday, starting from the first period, and

after classes I spend most of my time to review and prepare.

Are you able to manage with your classes conducted in Japanese?

Through the Preparatory Educational Program, I got used to classes held

in Japanese, and also classes such as math and physics do not require so

much language ability so I don’t feel so much difficulty in these classes.

Sometimes I find it difficult to understand some of the humanities classes

which have unfamiliar Japanese expressions. However, there are classes

that accept reports in English, which is very helpful for exchange students.

What classes do you attend?

I attend fundamental classes such as math and physics, humanities classes

such as Japanese language, Japanese Culture and Society, Chinese and

Politics, and special subject classes such as Descriptive Geometry and

Graphic Science, Engineering Mechanics. We have practical training in

these classes where we learn how to use various machines. Recently I

learned how to use the turning machine, milling machine and the drilling

machine. I had already operated these machines in Brazil, but now I

am deepening my knowledge by building pieces with a higher level of

precision.

Your study at Tokyo Tech has just started. How would you like to spend

your campus life here?

To absorb everything I study in my classes, I would like to truly commit

to each of them. And apart from my studies, I have lots of great friends

including other Japanese Government Scholarship students, and also

members of the Tokyo Institute of Technology International Student

Association (TISA). On weekends I have time to spend with friends, and to

enjoy my life at Tokyo. I hope I can do some part-time jobs eventually.

I think Tokyo is the most attractive city in the world. You can do whatever

you want and despite the fact that it’s a huge city, it’s very safe. Earning

this wonderful opportunity to live in Tokyo and learn at Tokyo Tech, I

would like to make the most of this chance.

After graduating from Tokyo Tech, I’d like to go on to graduate school.

I haven’t decided my further plans yet, but I might wish to become a

researcher in Japan or I might go back to Brazil and work there. Right now

I would like to deal with my study and daily life to the best of my ability.

*After entering Tokyo Tech, each international student will have a tutor (usually a

Japanese student) for about 6 months, to support activities at Tokyo Tech and also

daily life.

Name: Eric TadaPeriod: From April 2014Affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering and Science

03ThroughStudents' Eyes

Tokyo Tech International WINTER 2014 VOL.196

Experiencing one year of research overseas (University of Washington)

Why did you choose to study at the University of Washington?

There are several renowned professors in my research field, vision science,

in the University of Washington, and advanced research is going on

there. Thus, the main reason that I chose the University of Washington

is that I thought this would be the optimal place for me to brush up my

knowledge and skills through research activity. Actually, after I came back

to Japan, I realized that it was best choice for me. It was also important

that Seattle is a relatively safe place to live compared with other large

cities in U.S.

What did you study and research at the University of Washington?

I chose a program that allowed me to do research activity without taking

any classes. Under the supervision of Professor Buck, I conducted research

using psychophysical techniques to reveal the mechanism of our visual

system, especially color vision. This is actually a similar theme to one that

I am currently tackling in Tokyo Tech. Fortunately, because we could find

some interesting facts, I got an opportunity to present it at an American

conference: the Optical Society of America fall vision meeting. Actually,

though I was not allowed to get credits, I took some classes related to my

field as an auditor.

What are the similarities and differences you found between Tokyo Tech

and the University of Washington?

In my opinion, the common point is that students study and conduct

research with sincerity and enthusiasm. Research was an impressively high

level even though done by students, and through discussion with them I

realized they have deep knowledge.

In contrast, one of the different points is that students and postdoctoral

fellows gathered from all over the world there. Actually, I had a cohort

from The Netherlands, and other labs were international as well. I guess

this is a kind of rare situation for Japanese labs.

How will you apply your experience at the University of Washington to

your future activities?

I think that knowledge of research that I obtained though study abroad

continues to directly assist me even after I came back to Japan. Also, an

improvement of English skill is very helpful to read research papers quickly

and effectively. Of course, I am sure that the expansion of my sense of

value through living abroad is useful whichever way I will choose in the

future. Besides, I am considering applying for graduate school in U.S. to

take a Ph.D., which never occurred to me before I left Japan (I am planning

to extend period of attendance at Tokyo Tech by an extra year).

Name: Takuma MorimotoYear: 2nd-year master's degree student (At time of interview)Affiliation: Uchikawa Lab, Department of Information Processing, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and EngineeringAffiliation in University of Washington: Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, Buck Lab, University of WashingtonPeriod: September 2013 to August 2014Program: International Research Opportunities Program (TiROP)

Working space in the laboratory of the University of Washington

Morimoto (left) with roommates at the Olympic National Park

Gas Works Park

Suzzallo Library, the central library of the University of Washington The Reading Room in the Suzzallo Library

ThroughStudents' Eyes

7Tokyo Tech International WINTER 2014 VOL.19

Inquiries about this publicationCenter for Public Affairs and CommunicationsE-mail: pr@jim.titech.ac.jp

Admissions informationhttp://www.titech.ac.jp/english/graduate_school/international/index.html

Tokyo Tech official facebook pagehttp://www.facebook.com/tokyotech.en

PublisherKiyoshi Otani, Director, Center for Public Affairs and Communications

Editorial committeeChairperson: Tom Hope, University Management CenterKayoko Nohara, International Student Center

Technical supportMiwako Kato, Sayuri Sato, Satoshi Nishida, Yuya Takao, Yukiko TokidaCenter for Public Affairs and Communications

Topics04

"Tokyo Tech International" is an official publication of Tokyo Institute of Technology published by the university’s Center for Public Affairs and Communications2-12-1, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan. Tel: +81-3-5734-2975 Fax: +81-3-5734-3661

©2014 Tokyo Institute of Technology

Misako Takayasu

sell orders are of equal value, the transaction completes and the pair

disappears from the order book - rather like the annihilation that occurs

when particles meet their antiparticles.

“The database shows the creation and annihilation of detailed orders

- a vast amount of information,” explains Takayasu. “With layers of data

to deal with, imagining the order-book as molecules of data moving

randomly, similar to particles in fluid following the laws of Brownian

motion, helped us to make sense of the data.”

The researchers introduced a concept based on an imaginary colloid

particle suspended in a fluid, at a location wherein the particle centre

represents the mid-price of transactions (see image). The spread

of possible prices for transactions are, in turn, represented by the

surrounding fluid molecules. Whenever new orders are placed, the

molecules change configuration and the main colloid particle shifts

position.

The team completed their molecular analogy by implementing the

laws that govern Brownian motion to observe and describe fluctuations

in the market.

"Molecular fluid dynamics also helped us to characterize the stability

of market, which has never been discussed in economics before,"

describes Takayasu. "We used drag coefficients to determine the

'viscosity' of the market, and the so-called Knudsen number to describe

the market continuity. The smaller the drag coefficient the less stable

the market is, and the larger the Knudsen number, the more likely the

market price could behave erratically, as in the case of a crash."

Further development of this approach could help market analysts to

describe how and why major incidents such as market crashes occur.

Reference:· Authors: Yoshihiro Yura, Hideki Takayasu, Didier Sornette, and Misako Takayasu· Title of original paper: Financial Brownian particle in the layered order-book fluid and fluctuation-dissipation relations.· Journal, volume, pages and year: Physical Review Letters 112 098703 (2014)· DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.112.098703

A new model to aid the analysis of financial markets uses the laws of

molecular fluid dynamics to describe order-book transactions

The laws of mathematics and physics are often used to describe

areas of complex statistics, such as the transactions in global financial

markets. In particular, fractals - self-similar patterns that replicate

the same detailed structures at many scales - can be used to help

describe fluctuations in many different scenarios, including business

transactions between millions of companies and the dynamics of

internet traffic.

Misako Takayasu, associate professor at the Tokyo Institute of

Technology, has dedicated her career to modelling such complex

systems. Now, Takayasu and her colleagues in Japan and Switzerland

have developed a novel way of describing the dynamics of the order

books of financial markets, by linking the transaction patterns to the

random motion of particles in a fluid.

“We were asked to analyze the order book data of foreign exchange

markets, specifically the US dollar-Japanese yen market,” explains

Takayasu. “To help understand such a massively complex data set we

turned to fluid dynamics.”

The order book of a financial market describes all orders, buying and

selling, and includes all shifts in prices and volumes. Market prices

are determined through these interactions. When a pair of buy and

Financial systems: Molecular fluid markets

Fig. Misako Takayasu and colleagues have created a new model describing the fluctuations in an order-book for financial markets, using the laws of Brownian motion exhibited by particles in a fluid. The centre colloid particle (green and yellow) rests at the mid-price of a set of transactions. The range of price fluctuation is described by surrounding molecules (red and blue) which knock the mid-price up or down.© From cited paper, 2014