Wednesday 28 August 2024

Japanese WWII battleship "Shinano"

What do you imagine when you are asked name of battle ships you know at WWII? I think many people answer Yamato. However, the largest battleship was Shinano at that time it was built.

Shinano, which had displacing nearly 72,000 tons at full load, was built as sister battleships of Yamato. Since a main aircraft carrier of United States Pacific Fleet at that time was 24,000 tons, you can see how Shinano was huge. It had overwhelming military power and thick/sturdy armor for defensive, that was gathered well-technologies of Japan. Although it was not perfect, the construction was initially completed on November 19, 1944. In order to avoid damage from air attack, it was decided to move the battleship from the port of Kanagawa to Hiroshima. However, U.S. Navy found Shinano and they torpedoed it too easily on November 29, 1944. It was just ten days from completion of construction.

Japan’s military power was already exhausted. In addition, at a time when there was no longer dependent on a huge battleship, Shinano sank in the sea without showing good performance. Therefore, the large battleship was not remembered by people.


Tuesday 27 August 2024

Wildlife in Japan

 Japanese Serow

They eat plant leaves, tree barks, and fruits etc. They can be seen in mountains in early spring and late autumn. They are protected as a special natural animal by Japan and are also the prefectural animal of Nagano. Climate change causes animals in mountain that they are unable to secure enough food, and recently deer sometimes enter in area where Japanese Serow lived to find foods. It is likely to drop the population in the future again.

Japanese monkey (Macaca fuscata)

They can be found in not only countryside but also urban area because they operate in groups and not afraid of people. They are active during the day, and eat tree buds, fruits, and vegetables as well as small animals. At night, they sleep in safe places such as trees.

Japanese squirrels

They are active in the mornings and evenings, and can move swiftly even in the trees. Their summer fur is reddish brown, while their winter fur is gray-brown. They eat acorns, insects, and small bird eggs. They store nuts etc underground before winter starts, and dig them to eat during winter because they are non-hibernating.

Cuculus canorus

We can hear their chirp “Ka-kko” in Summer in Japan. Their body is approx. 35 cm and have head, back and upper feathers in gray, and belly in white.

It is famous for a summer bird in Japan and can be found everywhere in Japan. You can easily find them in central and northern Honshu. In Europe, it is famous for a bird that heralds spring. They spend winter in Africa and Southern Asia. By eating mainly caterpillars that other birds won't eat, they have an advantage to secure foods more than other birds.

Bush Warbler (Horornis diphone)

Bird called “Uguisu” is famous for a bird that heralds spring. We can hear their chirp “Ho-hokekyo” everywhere in Japan but have less opportunity. Even if we hear their chirp, it is difficult to find the bird because they keep watch for natural enemy. In the summer, they mainly eat small insects, larvae, and spiders, and in the winter, they eat seeds and nuts.

Ptarmigan (Lagopusu Muta)

Lagopusu means “Long-haired rabbit’s foot”. They live most of year in alpine belt and are the strongest bird in cold atmosphere. Their feathers turn whole white in winter to be a part of snow mountain. In spring, the upper part of male feathers is blackish brown and the one of female is mottled with light and dark brown. In autumn, their upper part of feathers turns gray-brown. Their inside feathers are white in all seasons.



Sunday 25 August 2024

Important scientific discoveries - DNA: The Blueprint of Life

Deoxyribonucleic Acid ("DNA") is the main unit of genes. However, until the 1950s, proteins were thought to work as genes. Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase revealed that DNA was in fact genetic material, using E.coli. 

DNA is made up of phosphate, sugar and a base - of which there are four types...A:Adenine, G:Guonine, T:Thymine and C:Cytosine. A group of three bases, called Codon, specify one amino acid. Then, amino acids create proteins, which compose tissues, and tissues compose organs. That is why DNA is called the "Blueprint of Life".

Today, genetics are contributing to our life in areas of health care, viology, agriculture and so on. In the past, when DAN was unknown/undiscovered, people mated plants from good harvests or with strong resistance against rough climates and diseases, in order to make future harvests stable. These days, scientists are able to produce genetically modified food, like they did in the past, but not how they did in the past.

Today's scientists use restriction enzymese like CSISPR-Cos9 to recombine genes directly. Using this method, we can produce desirable plants quickly and accurately. This technology is very useful for our society against global warming, rapidly increasing population and food shortages.

On the other hand, research on the positive or negative effects of genetically modified food on the human body is still ongoing. Some countires even ban such food; in Japan, products with genetically modified ingredients must be clearly labelled.

The discovery of DNA changed our notion of life, and made new technological pathways which are still not fully understood.. People need to understand DNA correctly, and make use of genetics safely and ethically.

Posted for Yuto, after listening to a BBC Patented podcast (about submarines!)...clearly, a medical student in the making!

Friday 23 August 2024

Believing in the power of sport - Nelson Mandela

The Nobel Peace Prize winner I most admire is Nelson Mandela. He was born in 1918 in South Africa. Even after the apartheid system ended, discrimination and conflict remained. He thought that supporting the rugby team, the Springboks, would bring the country together. In 1995, the Rugby World Cup was held in South Africa. In the final match against New Zealand, the Springboks won the championship with everyone in the stadium, black and white, cheering for the Springboks. This victory meant a lot to the people and was a moment when the nation felt united. This is one of the many achievements of Nelson Mandela.

Posted for Moeka