Starting off our news round-up with art, Japanese and British
artists have been working together to offer their skills to help communities in
Tohoku. These programs, coordinated by British curator Kevin Whittle, include
innovative architectural designs that utilize new high-tech materials and
tsunami debris, and art exhibitions that offer both moral and financial
support. Artists such as Kate Thomson, Kaori Homma, Ichiro Endo, and others
from the London-based Japan Foundation have been offering their help to schools
and community centers. This has encouraged interest in the planned 'Temporary
Autonomous Zones' - communities who design their own cities, and distance
themselves from central government in Tokyo.
Japan's manga artists have also been lending a
hand. The "Heroes Comeback" project consists of renowned manga
artists releasing new stories in various magazines, and donating their
loyalties to 3/11-related charities. Names include Rumiko Takahashi (creator of
Inu Yasha and Ranma 1/2), Masami Yuki, Sensha Yoshida, and the whole concept
has been organized by Fujihiko Hosono.
Now - for SCIENCE!!! On Wednesday 17th
October, researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory in the USA announced
they had developed a method to locate molten nuclear fuel in the crippled Fukushima
Dai-ichi reactors: cosmic rays. Placing a pair of muon particle detectors in
front of and behind the containment vessels would provide detailed images of
the interiors, they said.
(They did not mention whether hats made out of
tinfoil would be provided.)
The day after, in Tsukuba city, Japanese
industrial manufacturer Cyberdyne Inc. revealed a robotic suit (see picture) developed
to help workers wearing heavy protective gear at nuclear accident sites,
specifically Fukushima. The HAL suit weighs 70 kg, is made out of secret
metallic material, and contains servomotors, radiation monitors, thermometer,
heartbeat monitor, cooling system and air filters.
(The press conference was briefly interrupted
by an unnamed 'doctor', who claimed that Cyberdyne Inc. was engaged in secret
projects that could endanger the public. Cyberdyne Inc. declined to comment.)
No comments:
Post a Comment