Former JSPS Fellow Gives Lecture to Japanese High School Studies

Dr. Thomas giving lecture

On 8 September, a former JSPS fellow, Dr. Neil Thomas, gave a lecture on molecular motors at Shizuoka Prefectural Iwata Minami High School. He did this under a program titled "Science in the Classroom" conducted by the British Council.
(See http://www.britishcouncil.org/japan-science-high-school-science)

The program is designed to provide Japanese high school students with the latest information on a variety of current topics being addressed by UK researchers. Showcasing UK's research initiatives, the program seeks to stimulate the Japanese students' enthusiasm for science, while raising their awareness of and interest in the United Kingdom.

Former JSPS fellows are among those who have participated in this program. In this case, Dr. Thomas of The University of Birmingham gave the students a vivid picture of why molecular motors are an exciting and important topic of study. Their school, Iwata Minami High School, also participates in the Super Science High School Program conducted by Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).

Dr. Thomas using a diagram to answer   student questions

Dr. Thomas began his lecture with a brief introduction of The University of Birmingham and the city of Birmingham. Starting with the pioneering achievements of James Watt in inventing the steam engine, he went on to demonstrate the mechanics of molecular motors using as examples a variety of movements in living systems from cells to animal muscles. He showed how molecular motors and steam engines are cyclic machines, both governed by laws of thermodynamics.

Dr. Thomas's lecture materials

Although the content of his lecture was somewhat advanced for the high school students to completely comprehend, Dr. Thomas's lively presentation and imaginative materials, including plenty of photos and graphic images, excited the students' interest while exposing them to firsthand information on the state-of-the-art research activities.

Asked the reason why he decided to participate in the program, Dr. Thomas replied: "It's also good for students to see that there are important unsolved problems in science, which they may be able to tackle as the future generation of scientists. My research field of molecular motors is well suited for this. It's an exciting topic, where physics meets biology. Science students cover basic physics and cell biology as quite separate subjects in their school work. To understand molecular motors, we cross the traditional boundary between the two sciences and use physics to study fundamental problems in biology. It's also a field where both Japanese and British scientists have made important contributions.... So, I hoped to stimulate young minds and to promote Anglo-Japanese cooperation."

Judging from their animated expressions and active participation in the Q&A session, the students certainly did derive intellectual stimulus from Dr. Thomas's lecture. Dr. Thomas's excellent contribution to Japanese education was greatly appreciated both by the students, school, and JSPS.

Sharing Dr. Thomas's view that it is an excellent idea for high school students to be able to hear from a variety of front-running scientists, JSPS is now in the process of launching a new program under which JSPS fellows will be provided opportunities to participate in educational activities at Japanese high schools located within the vicinity of their host institutions.

JSPS hopes that this program will not only serve to inspire and motivate Japanese students in their studies, but will also allow JSPS fellows to deepen their involvement in the community while strengthen their Japanese ties by playing a hands-on role in Japanese education and conversing with students who will go on to shoulder Japan's future.

(In our interview with him, Dr. Thomas related many of his experiences while giving seminars to Japanese students. For the full story, please visit JSPS's alumni website: http://www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-fellow/alumni/alumni_e.html)