🧑‍🚀 Have you ever wondered how to achieve your dream of becoming an astronaut? 🤔 Well, our special guest is one of the two latest astronaut candidates from JAXA (the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Dr. Makoto Suwa. After his undergrad at UTokyo, he obtained a Ph.D. in Geosciences from Princeton University. He was working at the World Bank before joining JAXA in July 2023.

In this episode:

🌑Do you have what it takes to be an astronaut? 🛰️ 🔭What kind of training does one need? 💡 Discover the steps involved in becoming an astronaut, what skills are necessary, and more as Dr. Suwa sheds light on becoming an astronaut. 🌍 So, whether you're a curious mind or simply fascinated by the wonders of space, this episode is for you.

Guest: Dr. Makoto Suwa (https://www.linkedin.com/in/makoto-suwa-657b542a/)

Host: Dr. Ravindra Palavalli-Nettimi (⁠⁠https://rvndrpn.wixsite.com/ravindra⁠⁠)

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#space #JAXA #astronaut #research #scicomm #UniversityofTokyo #UTokyo #SchoolofScience

Music: Incompetech.com

What can dust tell us about the origin of life?

Guest: Dr. Sakon Itsuki (https://www.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/people/sakon_itsuki/⁠)

Host: Dr. Ravindra Palavalli-Nettimi (⁠https://rvndrpn.wixsite.com/ravindra⁠)

Follow us on FB: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/UTokyo.sci⁠⁠

Music:Incompetech.com

Ever wondered if AI and robots could replace scientists? What if humans and machines can collaborate to inspire each other. Would that allow us to design next generation solid state batteries that can charge in minutes or seconds?

Guest: Dr. Taro Hitosugi (https://solid-state-chemistry.jp/english/)

Host: Dr. Ravindra Palavalli-Nettimi (https://rvndrpn.wixsite.com/ravindra)

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Music:Incompetech.com

Ever wondered how scientists measure the speed of expansion of the universe? Gravitational lensing where the gravitational force of a celestial body bends light could play a role in our efforts to estimate. Find out how.

Guest: Dr. Kenneth Wong, Assistant Professor (https://kcwong.github.io/)

Host: Dr. Ravindra Palavalli-Nettimi (https://rvndrpn.wixsite.com/ravindra)

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#bigbang #universe #JamesWebbSpaceTelescope #JSWT

#UniversityofTokyo #UTokyo #SchoolofScience

Music: Incompetech.com

Sound effects: Zapsplat.com

If all types of gold have the same gold atoms, what gives them different colors? How can gold help see deformations in plastics and illuminate our houses? Find out in this episode.

Guest: Dr. Leonardo Hayato Takeshige, Postdoc, School of Science

Host: Dr. Ravindra Palavalli Nettimi, Project Specialist, School of Science

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#gold #UniversityofTokyo #UTokyo #SchoolofScience

Music: Incompetech.com

Have you ever wondered what a mathematician does in a day-to-day life? What jobs can you do after a degree in mathematics? I spoke to Prof. Sakai Hidetaka of the School of Science to find out.

Guest: Prof. Hidetaka Sakai. https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/focus/en/people/people003341.html

Host: Dr. Ravindra Palavalli Nettimi

Suggested book: Gödel, Escher, Bach by  Douglas Hofstadter.

Feature article supplementing this podcast: https://www.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/rigakuru/research/4iKwsGUP/

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Music: Incompetech

#mathematics #finance #STEM #careers

How does one find metals in the Milky Way galaxy? And how would that help us? Find out in this episode.

Press release: https://www.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/press/10003/

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Guest: Dr. Noriyuki Matsunaga

Host: Dr. Ravindra Palavalli-Nettimi

Music: Incompetech. Sound effects: Zapsplat

#Milkyway #galaxy #space #metals #astronomy #UTokyo

Dr. Yu Hayashi and his team study sleep in nematode worms and mice.  Their aim is to understand why we sleep and what is sleepiness. They hope to uncover the role of REM (rapid eye movement) and non-REM sleep, and potentially contribute to treating sleep disorders and other human diseases.

In this interview, Dr. Hayashi explains:

Why study sleep in worms and mice?

What are REM and non-REM sleep?

How they use technology to understand sleep.

Why do you feel sleepy after a workout?

How to improve memory according to sleep science?

And the biggest sleep mysteries.

Guest: Dr. Yu Hayashi (https://hayashi-sleep-lab.net/en/home-2/)

Host:Dr. Ravindra Palavalli-Nettimi (https://rvndrpn.wixsite.com/ravindra)

Accompanying feature article: https://www.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/rigakuru/research/uu4jELQj/

Follow us on FB: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/UTokyo.sci⁠

#sleep #slumber #mice #worms #dreams #memory #UniversityofTokyo #UTokyo #SchoolofScience

Music: Incompetech.com

What are slow earthquakes and can they help scientists understand and forecast devastating earthquakes?

Press release: https://www.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/info/8576/

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2222102120

Follow us on FB: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/UTokyo.sci⁠⁠

Host: Dr. Ravindra Palavalli-Nettimi

Music: Incompetech. Sound effects: Zapsplat

What can frightened flies tell us about phobias and anxiety disorders? Find out how scientists scare flies and study fear at a molecular and neural levels.

Press release: https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/focus/en/press/z0508_00297.html

Follow us on FB: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/UTokyo.sci⁠⁠

Host: Dr. Ravindra Palavalli-Nettimi

Guest: Dr. Masato Tsuji. https://www.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/people/tsuji_masato/

Music: Incompetech. Sound effects: Zapsplat