TEIKYO SDGs reportTips for Achieving the SDGs from a Nuclear Physicist
――A network of wisdom that challenges world issues ――
Ayano Makinaga, Senior Assistant Professor Department of Radiological Technology Faculty of Fukuoka Medical Technology
After working at the Dresden-Rossendorf Institute (Germany), Konan University, Hokkaido University, etc., he has been Senior Assistant Professor at the Department Department of Radiological Technology Faculty of Fukuoka Medical Technology Teikyo University since April 2018. He specializes in nuclear physics and has achieved results in research specializing in applications to the medical field. He is also actively involved in promoting science both domestically and internationally.
To summarize this report ...
Nuclear physics is one of the fields in which we are constantly trying to solve advanced themes in order to solve various problems in society.
At the request of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the authority on nuclear engineering, Senior Assistant Professor Makinaga gives lectures and seminars around the world. He is also actively involved in educational activities in Japan and has a rich network of prominent researchers.
Even one research requires the equipment of a huge research institute, and it is often the case that teams are formed with multiple researchers. The researcher network is extremely important.
This network of researchers, which can be called a network of wisdom, has spread to researchers in various physical systems around the world, and can access a huge amount of information.
Human wisdom is indispensable for the essential solution of the SDGs. It is in the research culture of utilizing the global research network that leads to results, we can see the origin of the network necessary for solving the SDGs.
Radiation that polishes society
My field of study is nuclear physics, especially medical physics. To put it simply, medical physics is a research field for diagnosing diseases by irradiating radiation and performing treatments to reduce cancer cells. Radiation includes α (alpha) rays, β (beta) rays, γ (gamma) rays, X (X) rays, neutron rays, etc., and although they are invisible to the eye, their ability to pass through objects is different. For example, X-rays, which are famous for X-rays, do not transmit lead or thick iron plates, but if you prepare an X-ray film on one side of your body and irradiate it, you can shoot a transmitted image inside your body.
Especially in recent years, the application in the field of architecture has increased. In the area called non-invasive, non-destructive inspection, the atomic nucleus of the material is irradiated with radiation to check the aging and strength of the building, and the strength and durability are inspected. In addition, the field of space development is attracting more attention. Technology is being developed to secure a heat source in space and to utilize nuclear power to power spacecraft, and it is also applied to shielding technology for living spaces in space that is full of radiation and has no atmosphere or moisture. Many people may have a scary impression when they hear "nuclear power," "nuclear power," and "radiation," but we take pride in the fact that our research results have steadily evolved modern society, making it safer and more secure. there is.
World structure in the field of nuclear physics
The field of nuclear physics is networked worldwide. Professor Hideki Yukawa, who won the Nobel Prize, is one of the starting points for nuclear research in Japan, and his disciples, seniors, have led the field. Japan is the only country where the atomic bomb was dropped, and it is an important base in the world for atomic bomb research.
Currently, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is the global center for nuclear engineering research and coordination, with the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) serving as its center in Japan. Although it's not widely known, the IAEA is actively involved in providing information to people around the world. When participating in IAEA activities, I meet many people who come to study here from countries and regions with few power plants and no hospitals equipped with radiation therapy facilities. Since 2010, I have been visiting these countries at the request of the IAEA to give lectures on Radiology. About five years after I began giving these lectures, I have increasingly received reports that my lecture participants have become key people in their local communities, building groundbreaking facilities and developing new equipment. The audiences I give lectures to are sometimes experts, but sometimes high school students and other general participants. It's truly wonderful to feel a real sense of commitment to social change in these countries.
India was particularly impressive. It all started when I received a request from an Indian-born person who had retired from the IAEA to give a lecture at a local university in India. The poor there live in unimaginable conditions. The poor are hungry, and young people in particular have an incredible desire not only for their own future but also for social change. I was deeply inspired. Similar educational activities are also being carried out in Japan. The initiative is led by the Kyoto-based NPO Intellectual Human Resources Network (Ainshutain). The participating researchers include a distinguished group, including Professor emeritus from Kyoto University. Their primary focus is on spreading science to people of all ages, from elementary school students to the elderly. Following the Great East Japan Earthquake, they visited Fukushima and held a seminar to promote accurate knowledge about radiation. Both the IAEA and Ainshutain offer venues for lectures and seminars, allowing participants to interact with experts from a variety of fields and backgrounds. Important information is often shared, and these social contribution activities themselves serve as a forum for experts to share information.
Physics network
Experiment at Kyushu University
Our research process begins with basic research. Irradiate various materials, from living organisms to inorganic substances, and investigate the reaction. There are few research facilities in general universities, and specialized research institutes are used. After collecting the data, we will publish it as a dissertation, and if the results are recognized, we will register it with the IAEA. The data accumulated in this way will be created into a database for use by experts in each country and field, and will be applied to new equipment and devices. In the medical world, it takes about 10 to 20 years from basic research to installation as a hospital inspection device. Of course, at this very moment, so much research has been done and patents have been obtained, so it is certain that a breakthrough treatment device will be born in 10 to 20 years.
However, not each of us researchers does the equipment development. In a big sense, we belong to the area of "physics". As I specialize in nuclear physics in this, there are innumerable subdivided fields in the world of physics, each with its own specialist. Since physics covers all areas of society, including semiconductors and medical care, its network is really wide. While accessing the physics network that covers the entire world, we ingest information and utilize the network of people for research. Therefore, it is important who has what kind of research history. You are well educated to always check and move on how you are committed to the flow of science and the evolution of society, how you are improving people's lives, and what kind of influence they have. It may be a feature of the physical system.
The connection of wisdom that covers the world
IAEA International Conference on Nuclear Data
It can be said that researchers in the field of physics not only devote themselves to research, but also spend a lot of time doing something outward to have contact with society and exchange information. Research work also requires diverse communication because people from various organizations in Japan and overseas participate in specialized research facilities. For example, why don't you join me in new projects often? Will be notified. Participate if the team has the same area of expertise as you. This is what happens on a daily basis on a global scale. Physics is a historically old discipline with the theme of understanding the mechanism of things. It can be said to be one of the original liberal arts. The time axis that the global network has accumulated is enormous. Belonging to a community gives you access to the wisdom of the world. Every time I give a lecture to a developing country, I realize that this power is extremely effective in solving complex problems in various regions. The network of academic wisdom itself certainly has the power and value to contribute to the resolution of the SDGs.
Teikyo University is both an outlet and an entrance to this wisdom. In November 2019, a student I supervised at the time won the Excellence Award at the international conference "Symposium on Nuclear Data 2019," held at Kyushu University's Chikushi Campus (Kasuga City, Fukuoka Prefecture). While many of the awards have been given to Graduate School and young researchers, this was the only undergraduate student to receive this award. Thus, another piece of wisdom was added to the network via Teikyo University. Networks are invisible, like radiation. However, the very act of connecting with others and determining what research will lead to is similar to the research methodology of nuclear physics, which focuses on determining what happens when you do something to a certain material. How can we network sources of wisdom and utilize them to unlock new possibilities for human society? Nuclear physics research can contribute to the realization of a sustainable society not only by providing practical solutions to social issues through research results, but also by providing value through the network of wisdom.
