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All roads lead to… the School of Science?
Shiori Inada and Minami Masuda are 2nd-year master’s students in the Department of Earth and Planetary Science. However, the stories that led them here are almost complete opposites.
Shiori Inada
I first got interested in science in elementary school, although, at the time, I was more interested in biology. My first experience with science was my fascination with sea cucumbers. They seemed so strange to me as a child, and I did not understand why they were the way they were. Then, my interests shifted towards chemistry and physics in natural systems, as I felt that the more fundamental questions were the ones that piqued my curiosity about “why the world was the way it was.” So, I chose basic research instead of engineering or applied sciences when it was time to declare a major. From there, entering graduate school was a natural progression for me.
Minami Masuda
As a high school student, I was not particularly fond of physics, chemistry, or biology. So, I did not enter college knowing what I would major in. However, around the time I had to declare a major, I became interested in the environment and environmental issues such as climate change. Also, I liked looking at encyclopedias about space and minerals as a child, so I decided to follow my original interests and chose my current major.
Memories of the early solar system kept in “pieces”
Unfortunately, we cannot travel back in time to witness the beginning of the solar system. However, we can look at the clues left behind and piece together the string of events, from chemical processes to asteroid collisions, that made astronomical objects the way they are now.
Shiori Inada
Currently, I research chemical reactions in space, especially those involved in forming stars and planetary systems, including the solar system. This interest originates from my curiosity about “why the world is the way it is.” Understanding the formation of planetary systems and the behaviors of atoms and molecules during reactions are ways to answer different aspects of the same question. However, these aspects are inevitably connected because our physical (visible and tangible) world is made of materials that have undergone chemical processes governed by the principles of atoms and molecules during the (pre)history of the solar system. The specific topic I study, the evaporation of planetary materials, such as rocks and dust, is an example of this connection. As the various elements differ in volatility, that is, how easily they evaporate, materials in the solar system have characteristic proportions of elements resulting from the evaporation. With the knowledge of the chemical reactions that induced the evaporation, we can investigate what happened to these materials in the evolving solar system. Conversely, studies motivated by planetary science sometimes give unexpected hints for discoveries in the fundamental science of chemical reactions. The discoveries about fundamental chemistry in turn advance our understanding of the chemistry of planetary system formation.
Minami Masuda
I also research the early solar system, though in a different way. My most recent project was to analyze the mineral composition of the sample returned from the asteroid Ryugu. Although basic research is not my forte, working with actual pieces from an asteroid seemed cool, so I picked this topic. Moreover, not many people at the university work in this subfield, so doing something different from the mainstream was also appealing. The asteroid Ryugu is special because it was born in the early solar system. So, by analyzing intact samples, we can reveal memories of a time long gone. One unexplored area is reactions with water. Due to its inner heat, the ice on Ryugu’s surface melts. As a result, the elements that make up the asteroid react with it, turning into new elements. So, looking at the proportions of minerals now, we could infer what kind of “life events” the asteroid has gone through and what it was composed of at the start.
A day in the life of a master’s student: experiments and analyses
Shiori Inada
I am approaching my research theoretically and experimentally because both are needed to produce reliable results. On one hand, we need experiments because certain aspects of natural systems are so complex that we cannot possibly predict their behaviors. On the other hand, without a solid theory, interpreting the experimental data becomes difficult. For my most recent research, I used a magnesium silicate mineral that I heated in a vacuum chamber to measure how fast it evaporated under various conditions. Since lighter isotopes are generally easier to evaporate than heavier ones, we can observe solids become isotopically heavier after evaporation. Using such information, we can potentially infer how much material has evaporated and how long the evaporation has taken. It helps us better understand how the same processes happened and contributed to the chemical evolution in the early solar system.
Minami Masuda
I analyze data rather than doing experiments. First, we observe a sample under an electron microscope, which projects electron beams instead of light. The pictures we get as a result are of a much higher resolution and can be used to measure element composition. Then, the microscope’s software gives a rough baseline of the kinds of elements the sample is composed of. It can differentiate between parts rich in magnesium or iron but cannot tell the difference between specific minerals that contain magnesium or iron in the area. This detail is crucial because it can help us infer what happened to Ryugu during its lifetime. So, I use a common picture editing software to look at those patches and differentiate between the various minerals. These details help to compare samples from Ryugu with samples from other carbonaceous chondrites, a group of asteroids Ryugu is a member of.
Adventures in America
Inada and Masuda’s different life stories coincidentally brought them to the School of Science… and took them to the United States.
Shiori Inada
As an undergraduate student, I had the opportunity to participate in an international exchange program (UGRASP). Fortunately, my supervisor knew Gary Huss, a famous professor in the field of isotopic analysis at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa. So, I got to spend three weeks there and use their machine to measure my experimental samples. It was exciting as it was the first time I had to do research in an unfamiliar environment with people I had just met. I also had to communicate in English, so it was a great opportunity to hone my skills. This experience now encourages me to be more proactive at international conferences. Although research methods differed from what I was used to, cultural differences in science did not stand out. Life in Hawaii was also interesting. It was impressive that a professor in the group gave me tropical fruits I had never seen before that he had grown in his garden.
Minami Masuda
As a senior, I also had the opportunity to spend a month in Houston, Texas. My supervisor knew a researcher at NASA, and he also provided me with a recommendation. The equipment and procedures were very similar to what I was used to. However, the number of samples they had stored, especially considering samples had to be protected from air exposure, was amazing. Although most researchers were American, it was an international environment, and I made friends with a couple of Turkish educational researchers. The multicultural city of Houston made it possible to experience many cultures. The trip was memorable on a personal level as well. I saw the film “Apollo 13” as an elementary student and loved the scenes at the mission control center. I went on a tour at NASA. It included an exhibition of the equipment actually used in the mission control room of the Apollo era, making it an impactful experience.
Following your path
Scientists, just like science itself, are diverse, walking unique paths. So, Inada and Masuda encourage young science enthusiasts to follow their own paths.
Shiori Inada
The most concise advice I can give anyone wishing to study science in college and beyond is to pursue what interests you and what excites you. At least, that is what I try to do. When doing research in the natural sciences, I have found it important to not only think and work but also pay attention to what I find interesting and exciting. I plan to continue my studies as a doctoral student and return to UH Manoa for a couple of months. This time, I will work with another researcher I approached and got acquainted with at a conference.
Last year, I joined the Forefront Physics and Mathematics Program to Drive Transformation (FoPM). Thanks to this program, I have had opportunities to communicate with students and researchers from physics, mathematics, chemistry, and astronomy and share the interests and excitements of our research.
Minami Masuda
Although I was quite indecisive, choosing a path I knew I would not regret later helped me. I follow what interests me, which might make me seem a little impulsive. However, I believe that following my interests will help me overcome the bumps on the road. I am in the minority of people who plan to start working without pursuing a doctorate. Basic research is very technical. So, at first, I did not know how to showcase my strengths. However, the meticulousness and curiosity that basic research requires are a solid foundation for contributing to society in many ways.
※Year of Interview:2024
Photography:KAIZUKA Junichi
Text:Belta Emese
The interview was edited for brevity and clarity.
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