Exploring human existence in the universe through astronomy
Itsuki Sakon
（ Associate Professor, Institute of Astronomy (IoA)／Department of Astronomy)
Quits PhD program at the Graduate School of Science and becomes an assistant professor in 2007 Receives PhD from the Graduate School of Science in 2008 Associate professor at the Graduate School of Science since 2022
Q. What was your favorite subject as a child?
A. Arithmetic.
I liked how we had to think using various approaches and refine our methods by trial and error.
Q. What were you interested in when you were in middle and high school?
A. English oratorical contests
My English teacher happened to invite me to participate in a speech contest in my first year of junior high school. Thinking about how to improve my pronunciation made practice enjoyable. I also have fond memories of participating in the Prince Takamatsu Trophy (currently the Prince Takamado Trophy) and staying up all night talking with friends at Homeikan, where the participants stayed, located within walking distance from the Hongo Campus.
Q. What is your motto?
A. Listen to Nature
Humans, with their will, interact with others for better or worse, but nature transcends humans, and humans can be genuinely objective towards nature.
Q. What do you like about the School of Science at the University of Tokyo?
A. Diversity is encouraged through freedom and responsibility
The environment here makes it possible for each person to put effort into work they find meaningful. I feel free to try various methods and tackle various challenges.
Q. What are your hobbies?
A. Listening to classical music, playing the piano.
I used to be a member of the University of Tokyo Piano Society. Listening to and playing music has helped me through the highs and lows of doing research.
Q. Do you consider yourself lucky?
A. Yes, I do.
I have received support from many people, including my family, mentors, and colleagues. I am grateful to have been blessed with an environment in which I can face multiple challenges vigorously, and I hope to be able to return the favor.
Q. Do you think there is extraterrestrial life?
A. I think there is.
The history of Homo sapiens (400,000 years) is ~ 0.01% of the history of the solar system (4.6 billion years). Modern civilizations have been around for, let us assume, about 5,000 years, or 0.0001% of the history of the solar system. There is no doubt that humanity is lucky to be at such a precious moment in time now. However, the solar system does not seem to have a special location in the Milky Way. Considering that the Milky Way galaxy has 200 billion stars and that there are quite a few galaxies in the trillion-plus galaxies that have a chemically rich environment like the Milky Way, I see no reason why an advanced civilization should not exist somewhere at this very moment.
Q. If you could reincarnate, travel in time, or be reborn as an animal, which would you choose?
A. Reincarnation
Since I was a child, I have been interested in the origin of life in the universe and the emergence and significance of “consciousness” in humans and animals. If I could reincarnate, I would like to watch over the era of my children and grandchildren to see if they live in peaceful times.
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