Disclaimer: machine translated by DeepL which may contain errors.
Eggs of Science
“Make the Path You’ve Chosen Your Way”
Shutaro Takada (1st-year Master’s student, Department of Biological Sciences)
Hometown: Gifu Prefecture
High School: Gifu Prefectural Gifu High School
Undergraduate Program: Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Tokyo
Q. What was your favorite subject when you were a child?
A. History
I enjoyed letting my imagination wander to eras I knew nothing about. Especially during the era of rival warlords in medieval Japan and Europe, I felt as though the history—where enemies became allies and motives intertwined—was just like a drama.
Q. What books or textbooks would you recommend to high school students? Or, what is your favorite book?
A. *Between Life and Non-Life* by Shinichi Fukuoka
This book sparked my fascination with biology when I was a freshman in high school. It gently guides readers to consider the big question, “What is life?” from the perspective of molecular biology.
Q. Do you have a personal motto or a mentor who inspires you?
A. “Make your own choices the right ones through your own efforts ”
I believe it’s difficult to make the perfect choice from the very beginning in any situation. That’s exactly why, once I decide to do something, I give it my all and strive to make that choice the right one through my own actions.
Q. What’s great about the Faculty of Science at the University of Tokyo?
A. An environment where you feel, “I’m sure I can do something, too!”
Surrounded by professors who passionately share the joy and fascination of research, as well as friends with broad knowledge even outside their own fields of expertise, I feel this is an environment where I can truly believe, “I’m sure I can do something, too !”
Q. If you were to pursue research different from what you’re doing now, what kind of research would you be interested in?
A. Law and Political Science
I believe that what makes us human is reflected not only in scientific thinking but also in the complex structures of society. I’d like to delve deeper into the laws and politics that underpin that society.
Q. What are your hobbies?
A. Cooking
Cooking transforms the act of eating—an essential part of life—into a time when I can enjoy the entire process, from preparation to cleanup, with all five senses. It also turns the time spent with those I eat with into a small “special” moment in everyday life.
Q. Do you consider yourself lucky?
A. I’m lucky enough to run into the people I want to meet at life’s turning points
Looking back, at every turning point in my life, my mentors and friends have always reached out to me. I believe I’ve been able to get this far because the people around me showed me the right path—one I couldn’t have found on my own.
Q. Do you think aliens exist?
A. I don’t think I’ll meet any in my lifetime, but I’m sure they exist.
I used to think they didn’t exist, but recently I read a science fiction novel called *Project Hail Mary** and changed my mind. With so many galaxies out there, I don’t think it would be surprising to find environments and life forms like those on Earth.*(Original title: *Project Hail Mary*, by Andy Weir)
Q. What do you do on your days off?
A. Volleyball
I serve as a student coach for a volleyball team. Not only does it allow me to get some exercise and refresh my mind, but coaching and managing the team requires me to use my brain in ways different from research, so I’m learning a lot from the experience.
Q. Are you a morning person or a night owl?
A. A night owl who keeps longing to be a morning person
I usually schedule experiments and work for the morning and try to live a morning-oriented lifestyle. However, at night my mind often becomes sharp, or I get completely absorbed in my work, and before I know it, I’ve slipped back into a night-owl routine.
A summary I wrote of textbook content in preparation for graduate school entrance exams. I spent over three months poring over a thick textbook of more than 1,000 pages and condensed it into about 50 loose-leaf pages.
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