Category: Uncategorized

The reason : The disruptor of information technology and further

I don’t know how much Son is known in the U.S. But, I believe he is one of most important person in the information technology like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. He is a CEO of the Softbank (TSE:9984). As you might know, the Softbank bought sprint last year. And the sprint was looking to buy T-mobile, however they were not allowed to buy. If that happened, the Sprint (NYSE) and T-Mobile (NYSE) could be the third competitive party on the mobile market the U.S. against Verizon (NYSE) and AT&T (NYSE).  You think Japanese are good at only car, don’t you? Japanese is coming also on the mobile market in the U.S.!! However, what I learned from him is not only about the recent mobile market.  He always reminds me I should not look around with my level where I am now. I should aim high wherever I am now, I can find always harder way and higher way to be great.

Japan is the biggest robotic market in the world in 2012. Japan especially is good at industry robot. However, in 21th century, Japan is going to go no industry robot. The Softbank was basically company for information technology, but it is going to get into the robotics. As shown in the video, the Softbank started to sell this walking and talking robot which is supposed to be used in house. It will be sold in 2015 just for around $2000 like buying a laptop computer. It will be constantly upgraded to improve the A.I. technology because it is wired with Wifi technology. I am suspicious for A.I. technology now because Dr. Howkins is against it, but still, this should be very interesting innovation. Since the population of Japan is decreasing and also aging, Japanese are trying to rise up their productivity per person by introducing robots. Once almost all people in Japan have robot at home and that might happen within 5 years, the robotics in Japan will have disruptive innovation for robotics, education, services and information technology in Japan. Japanese and Softbank will help the other aging countries all over the world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwMJCAZUyGc

And also you might know that recent biggest IPO in the NYSE by Alibaba group. The Son has 34.4 percent holding in Alibaba valued at more than $50 billion after the initial public offering. Jack Ma was invested around 2000, Ma said to Son “Just, $1 million or $2million is fine for startup” but Son said that “Take $20 million, you won’t regret by how much you have money” So, it turned out $50 billion in 2014. Some says that he is like Warren Buffet in Asia. But the different is that he does know technology, so more like between Bill Gate and Warren Buffet.

The Softbank recorded ¥1.09 trillion (= $10 billion) operating profit 2013/2014 fiscal year, up 36 percent from previous fiscal year. There are only 3 companies (Toyota Motor Corp (TSE:7203) and NTT DoCoMo (TSE:9437)) earn more than ¥1 trillion of operating profits in that term. But, he is aiming at world No.1 in the future base on market capitalization. When the Softbank won Toyota and then becomes No.1 in Japan, something might happen. Yes, there is possibility for that. Son started the Softbank as a distributor of packaged software in 1981. Not like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, or Warren Buffet, he is still active and working hardest at company with great ambition.

The reason: He is the prototype of disruptive innovator in 21th century

I believe he is one of the most brilliant guys on the earth. Elon Musk is the Co-founder of Paypal. And he is currently working on Tesla motor and SpaceX as CEO. He is a disruptor car industry, new wind for space industry. He recently even mentioned he will send people on Mars [1]. How can someone possibly make an internet company to the space rocket company? I have no idea. I don’t know why there aren’t so many books that analyze his talent? I did not know him so much, so I researched a lot of publications from self-publishing e-book, and articles and interviews (including TED) yesterday to write this post. I need to do more though, here I guess what I learned from him.

• Keep taking risk like crazy

He has been taking huge risks every project he has done. He gave up Ph.D at Stanford to start his company. I surely could not. He was born in South Africa and went to Canada, and then the U.S., started his companies and has had several issues for his projects and money, but still he is running in every direction. I have lived the foreign country. So, I know how hard someone succeeds in the foreign country. He started everything from scratch and now he is competed with giant company or government institute. It seems that the adversities he had has been trained him a lot. He even worries that his sons don’t have enough adversity like him.

• Read books and talk to people

On his interview [2], he said “Read books and talk to people, it’s kind of how I have learned anything”. This is very simple suggestion though, it is very profound. Even making rockets, there is someone specialist and great books out there. Why not asking or reading how I can make them. I love to read book, some of them is too hard to read for me but I now knew someone like me (must be human beings, not alien from another planet) wrote that book. Why not sticking to read it until I understand it well? If I can’t, even how hard I tried, why not asking about the problem to the author?

• Only authentic people can tell who is authentic.

On this interview [2], he also explained how to tell the person who are really involved in and have solved the problem. I think what is said is very true. But I know, as a scientist, who is the person who solved the problem. If he were me, I can explain how I could solve the problem with multiple levels because I struggled a lot to solve the problem. We can tell who the one is because the person is he who struggled a lot the problem and never forgets how he solved the problem.

• Study physics, boys and girls, and gentlemen and ladies!!

As a physicist, I am kind of feeling ashamed when I learned about him. He said that the frame work of physics is very strong. It seems he is learning everything by using the framework of physics. I knew physics framework is very important though, I was not challenging enough to take advantage from it. I know physics, I am professional. The physics is the comprehensive study to solve the problem by keeping asking “Why is this happening?” He reminds me that I have to use physics a lot more.

• Honesty

He says honestly sometimes “I don’t know” during interviews when he was asked question that he doesn’t know or cannot answer. It seems it is easy to say so, I don’t think so. He can say “I don’t know” because he knows something clearly and confidently, but also he knows he doesn’t know or can’t say exactly. I don’t think this is easy.

• Living in the 21th century

When I saw and read about him, I realized that we are living in the 21th century. Since even we are living 21th century we are using many of ideas from 20^th century. And they are great. Also they are improving gradually, but the concepts of them don’t change so much. Many people might say that we have everything to live already, say “Why should we innovate something to the future?” This question might be the biggest disruptor of our motivation to innovate.

People might have cheap electric car, live sustainably with self-produced electricity (with Solar power maybe?), travel with hyperloop, talk to artificial intelligent, and even live on Mars in near future. Let’s struggle to our future human beings!! We are living the 21th century!!

References

[1] CNBC’s number 1 disruptor, Elon Musk: http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000285676#.

[2] How Elon Musk Can Tell If Job Applicants Are Lying About Their Experience http://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-job-interview-rule-2013-12

So, unfortunately, I have not reached Australia yet. I was told and I have been thinking that American are very competent on paper job, however, it seems this is not the case for FBI. I have waiting more than 3 moths from the original request for my record. I will make a phone call them tonight to know the current situation.

This is of course unfortunate though, I am also having good time to prepare to the future. Looking back my life, maybe, I have never read such a lot of paper for my research. I could have developed my reading skill as a scientist and also I could have finished (and will finish) several papers and proposals. This is good chance to learn. And I might have several more weeks. So I will take advantage of this.

This week, an interesting thing happened to me. Since I am not that smart enough to compete many of top level scientist (They are insanely smart), so naturally, I need to find the niche market in physics to survive, in especially the study of magnets. So I have been focusing on some material which I was thinking I knew the best in the world. However, that was just my hope I wanted to cling.

I found that there is a material whose magnetic structure might be wrong. This material has been studying for 50 years something. Although just reading the papers though, I was excited to know this. So I planned the experiment and read a lot of papers very carefully. And then I happened to find the paper which is written by Chinese guy (I didn’t know at that time) at Beijing. So, I emailed to him (I can get email address from the paper) to let him know my idea for his paper. I came up with the idea to keep his study going. He thanked me and told me surprising news, which was published this week. And he said he is already collaborating with Univ. of Tokyo. Oh, I am sorry I was in America.

I was surprised to hear that. And then, I researched around this area. There were several works have done this material very recently. Some of them are close to my recent findings which I haven’t published. As for science, this thing sometimes happens. People work independently, separately, and competitively but the innovation happens almost the same time. So, I have to be in hurry to publish my paper before they can reach my idea.

Challenge? Accepted!!

http://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-job-interview-rule-2013-12

I attached the best video I watched this week. One of the most brilliant guys I know on the earth talks about job applicants. This talk is really short but he talked everything to tell who the talented one is. And this is very true. You can tell whether or not he is good at solving problems by the way of his understanding the problems. His words should be very strong, simple, sincere, and profound because he struggled with the problem by himself. This 90 second interview is worth 10 books. You can even know how to build a rocket from scratch＼(＾▽＾)／

The audible publishes audiobooks. Since I love to read but don’t have much time to read, listening to audio books is great help. I am using audio book for reviewing the book because listening is kind of passive action. Sometimes, I am thinking different things when I am listening and happen to skip some words and sentences. So, I don’t listen to the book I don’t know. I just listen to the book I already know the story. I will review here on this blog what I listened to audible shorter than what I write about the real book.

• Talk like TED.

This book is about TED talk. The author summarized what successful TED talkers have in common. “Passion” is most important. How can I be passionate about something? I believe that people already ruled out how people can succeed. This book is written in the beginning of 21th century though, the rules should have been same. I love this sentence in this book “Ideas are currency in 21th century”

• The Grouped

I read this book sometime in 2012. This book was surprising because I believe this idea is one of the first examples of big data analysis, trying to explain how people connect on the web and how people relate each other. This is the summary of these phenomena at the time of writing though, the author explains very well. And this book is very simple small book though, it is very well organized. I think most of Japanese can’t do this. I am impressed every time I read this book.

• Norwegian woods

When I am tired of listening to English, usually I listen to this book. I don’t know how many times I have read and listened to. This story is kind of sad because the person died in the story who the main character Toru loved much. She committed suicide. How hard Toru tried and was patient, she chose to die. I am always thinking by reading this book, sometimes how hard I loved someone, and she might leave me. So, why not just loving, just doing what I think that is right things to do?

• Think and Grow Rich

By listening TED talk, Richard St, John summarized by interviewing 500 people. On this book, Napoleon hill did that like him. I am thinking there is formula which lead people succeeded already. Even though time has changed, the words are different, what authors are trying say sounds same. I reviewed this book almost 5 years since I have read last time. I believe what he said is true, only problem is how to apply them to our life.

I am listening to Audible at the speed x3. But, when I measured actual speed, it turned out x2 times faster than normal speed. The speed x2 which app shows actually is x1.5. So, please be aware when you are listening to them at limited time. I reviewed 4 books here and I will write here again what I am reading. The review I am going to write here is not literally “review”, just my impression about the books. As I said before, we can’t listening to everything on the book when we are listening to audiobooks.

I would love to talk about investing. As you know, Japan is the second largest economy in the world based on the capitalism, liberal, and democracy. Many people have said Japan’s lost 20 years. But the truth is that Japanese economy is very active even though the working population is decreasing and the country is ageing. I believe Japan experienced everything from the modern bubble economy to aging society first in the world. And as you could see, the unemployment rate have never been worse than 5.5 percent, Japan is trying to keep the equality of wealth in nation.

I will keep update what is happing in Japan, how we are innovating technology and future. Today I want to start you should not miss. Today I would love to write three areas I think it is promising in Japan.

Robotics: Japan is biggest robotic market in the world in 2012. Japan especially is good at industry robot but, in 21th century, Japan is going to go no industry robot. Softbank (TSE:9984), you might know this company because Softbank bought Sprint (NYSE) and tried to buy T-Mobile (NYSE). The Softbank is now 2^nd largest company based on following Toyota (TSE:7203), and Softbank is basically company for information technology, but it is going to get into the robotics. Since Japanese have dream, there is famous anime “ATOM”. ATOM can help people with his good heart. And Softbank published Pepper serves people in their home just around $2000, we could buy it like we buy laptop computer. I also want to introduce Yasuzka-denki (TSE:6506) has introduce first industry robot in Japan in 1977 and had leaded robotics in Japan. The company will celebrate 100 years since foundation 1915. I am expecting excellent strategy and contribution for the next 100 years.

Aviation: MRJ (Mitsubishi Regional Jet) is going to start be sell, MRJ is for jet 70 or 90 people. Mitsubishi heavy industries (TSE:7011) is the company used to make “Zero” fighter. We lost the World War II, since then Japan stopped making fighter and airplane. However Mitsubishi is going to use this technology and DNA again, for good purpose this time. Also, I am glad to share HONDA Jet is going to sell production model after they get the approval from FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), just $4.5 million which 15 percent faster and cheaper and 20 percent spacious compare with the conventional small sized business jet. Japanese company could get into this area that will be great. Because making airplane market is hart to get into but once a company could get into the market, the company should be very profitable as Michael Porter says.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wWVLyppx2A

Tourism: As I mentioned before, the tourism in Japan is expanding. The number of tourist who came to Japan in 2012 was 10 million. Expanding more than 25 percent, we will expecting 20 million by the 2020 which is the year Tokyo will hold Olympic  For the tourism, how about Hoshino Resort RIET (TSE:3287)? Japan didn’t have enough expensive places to stay for rich people, but they can provide. They are running 30 properties of ryokan and hotel.

Also, there are huge amount of excellent companies in Japan, Tokyo exchange market. And we are expecting a lot of IPO this year and next year. I will try to keep update, I am wondering if I could add my technical analysis of these stocks here. While, I would like you to take look at Japanese stock market.

To be honest, I think that there are two biggest problems in Japan. One is deflation and the other is ageing. It seems we will overcome deflation thanks to Abenomics, now the problem is the company raised the salary for workers. And I said that the aging society is problem though, we have chances because many countries in Asia are aging as well. To fight our struggle will be applicable to the future Asia. We could do business. Next time, we are going to look at Top 10 Company based on market capitalization in Tokyo stock market.

I believe that everyone knows well what the experiment physicist doing though, I am trying to explain now how the study of physics is going. The study is going like these simple steps,

1. Coming up with ideas
2. Checking what people already knew or have done
3. Planning the experiment
4. Doing experiment including the development of new instrument
5. Analyzing data including the development of analysis methods
6. Knowing what I could prove and can’t
7. (Sometimes) discussing them with theorist
8. Submitting paper, getting critiques from referee(s) of paper, and answer
9. Publishing paper and making presentations

Easy, hah? I am an experimental physicist. Penney would say “Is that all, is that so simple?” And then Sheldon would say “That’s why Yano (Lenard) does”

To enjoy physics, I need to be confident enough to do these steps. I am thinking always that “bottom neck” of this process and also trying to improve the quality and speed of these steps. As you know, if you have a bottle neck one of these steps, that step determines your productivity. And if you don’t do these processes higher than the standard of science community, you are nothing. As a scientist, I am careful, not to stuck somewhere on these processes.

These days, I was working on mainly step 1-3. I was preparing the proposal for the next experiment cycle which is the first half of 2015. Since I am using reactor, my study and the proposed experiment need to be approved by facilities. I am mainly using Japan (J-PARC, Tokai, Japan), U.S.A (SNS, Oak ridge national laboratory, Oak ridge, Tennessee), and Australia (ANSTO, Sydney, Australia) to complete my study.

Also my responsibility will be to review other scientist’s proposal who will want to use the machine I am in charge of in Australia. One thing I am totally excited is this reviewing process. I will read these proposals very carefully to criticize, assess, and judge to determine whether or not we make them use the machine. By doing so, I will learn a lot. Can you believe this? I could review top level scientist’s ideas earlier than anyone else. I will have to read a lot though, how can the wonderful job be for the future of my science career?

So then, I am reading a lot of papers to write proposals. And I always regret I had started this much earlier though, I am excited to do these 1-3 processes. I happened to find the problem which had never been solved. But, since the problem is old, actually one of the oldest problems which many textbooks already use these as an example, I have to be very careful to say “I have something to accomplish on this problem” But if I succeeded, that would be a considerable contribution to physics. Why not trying?

While, I will finish several more paper before I go to Australia which is step 8 and 9. My goal for 30’s is making these processes my habit. I would love to do more, and I will make every step better, deeper, faster. By doing these, I will have “Passion” to love and enjoy science. This is the most important. Some people say about step 8 is the only goal for scientist so called “publish or perish”. I understand that though, so why then enjoying the every steps to publish? Scientists have to publish anyway!!

I have read the bible for three months. This is my first time to read the whole book. Do you know how many words are in the bible? Old Testament 773,682 words and New Testament 138,020 words in total, this is surprising number. New believer, some of readers, or English learner might want to know how I could finish reading the bible. So, I am here. Fortunately, when I finish reading the bible was the day my mother got surgery and she is fine now.

For English learner like me, reading 1 million (is around 10 books if you count as books) is first goal to build his habit of reading. This first 1 million words is very important, you have to be very careful to start reading the whole bible otherwise you might lose your enthusiasm for English or Reading.

• Don’t stick to perfectionism

Reading whole bible does not mean understanding the whole bible. Some of ideas you might not be ready to understand, so leave it. Don’t stop some point you don’t understand. You will be back there when you are ready. Fortunately, even when you get older, the line would never change. The God’s word script always will be waiting for you.

• Apply it in your life

The bible doesn’t teach what to do, how to do it where we are living in this world. I suggest you try to apply it in real life. You would notice how hard these actions are. Surely you would struggle with, but by doing so, you would become more interested in what people had done in the bible. Did they do something we did not read? Your desire to know better the bible makes you a more demanding reader.

• Find the group

You need to find friends who are also Christian, willing to share what they read. If possible, the meeting with group should be held regularly. By discussing what you read you would have better understanding the bible and you might know what friends are thinking and feeling about the scripture. And then you could review after discussion when you read the bible again.

• Go to a church

This is obvious, isn’t it? To attend a church is good time for knowing the bible better. By listening to preach in a church you will know where to read and how to read, and what to read. A preacher teaches you what the script means.

• Make it habit.

Read every single day. And you had better decide when to read. What time does this work for you? For me, lunch time is good. I usually take lunch around 12 p.m. and then I read the bible until 13 p.m. Why do I read on lunch time? It is just because that is the time works for me.

• Keep your record and set goal

Whatever version you read, each day you can keep record. And then, you can set your goal. For me, reading within three months was appropriate goal. Do not set inappropriate goal otherwise you could not keep up with your goal or you could never finish reading. I suggest you to read the bible with 3 months for first time.

• Promise to Friends

If you have good Christian friends, you can talk to her/him. You would promise to her/him when you start, by when you will finish. Your friends would encourage you to read and you will be responsible for finishing reading the bible.

Is there anything that works for you to read the bible? If you have your idea, please tell me. I want to share. Be happy!!

I will recommend Japanese ESL to watch TV program with DVDs because the character speaks natural speed with better pronunciation in TV program.  DVDs are very cheap in the U.S., so if you are in the U.S. I will recommend you to buy them, if you are in Japan, you may rent them from TSUTAYA and then if you really like it, you can buy them.

I thing you can watch TV-program when you are tired and bored with learning English. But, if you want to improve your English skill, I will ask you to do following,

• Listen to them when you are free

You can watch the TV program at home. And then, if you could understand what the story is, you can do listen to the TV program by using iPod or portable music player. I bought the software which allows me to get .mp3 file from DVD just for voice. And I listen to them during walking or cleaning.

• Try the dictation

Do you know dictation? You listen to the material and write the material down. By doing this, you could listen to the material so carefully and you will improve your listening skill. Since you have to write down what exactly the speaker said, it is one of the hardest training. This is same thing like taking the music down in the music notation. And you might find transcript to check what you write down on the web.

• Repeat your favorites

You will have many options to watch. The first thing you really have to is finding the best TV program for you. And then repeat again and again until you almost remember everything from actor’s or actress’s speaking, pronunciation, grammar, slung, vocabulary, accent, everything.

These are TV program I like, you might want to try. You might ask me about the contents if you are interested in.

The big bang theory: The TV program is about the 2 physicists and blond girl. To be honest, I am not sure that everyone loves this problem. But as a physicist, I love this story. It is very funny because physicist life really is like.

Pretty little liars: This is for girl teenagers. Allison (She is the leader of girl’s group) might be killed at the night. Since her four friends were sleeping at that night, they don’t know what happened. The accident has changed their friendship though, 1 year later, the story starts when they got weird text from someone who introduced herself “A”.

X-files : X-files are always my favorite. When I was high school student my dream was to be FBI agent. But, I soon realized that I am not an American. I don’t know when I decided to be a physicist. I was so excited to go to Washington D.C. to see FBI headquarter building.

Lost: The plane crashed into the island. There are a lot of survivors who have various backgrounds. As you can guess, the island is weird. Can they survive and leave from this island? To be honest, the finale was unacceptable for me. Haha.

Terminator Sarah Connor series: I am truly disappointed with the end of this program. They made just 2 seasons, and the story have not finished yet. I don’t know why Terminator John Connor’s side is teenage girl though, Terminator is always fun because it stimulates my curiosity for the future.

HEROs: The story about the people who has special talent, such as leading mind, space and time traveler, precognition, and so on. There are many Japanese on this DVD, so you can enjoy this DVD with Japanese accent. This might be the best for start for Japanese.

I have met many of my friends visited institutions in Japan.

One of my friends I met this time is top sales man, selling a swish product in Japan. He is in charge of all Asian markets. And, he earned top sales last 2 years in row. Since I am a scientist and might use the product he sells. I hope I would work with him in the future. We met a study group of reading “Against the Gods by Peter L. Bernstein” written about the finance matter. He used to work on Ph.D in biology, and we are also both interested in science, finance, marketing, and Jazz music. One night, we went to the cotton club in Tokyo. The show was great, and I could talk to the guitarist. The guitarist said to me that he decided to become musician when he was 12 and said it was late. I started playing a guitar when I was 17 years old. My intuition was good enough not to choose to be a musician.

I also met friends who married together. Both are bankers. We have known each other also most for 5 years something (I don’t remember exactly). We talked a lot. He believes most of Japanese banker has no idea for managing Japanese economy. We could share the idea. They got a baby lately. They said that the education is very important for our next generation. I brought one of my favorite books for them about Philosophy and Physics for them. We happened to find we both read the same book, that book referred the book I presented on that day. We are very excited. He had not bought the book because it was expensive and difficult to find in book store. I believe my present was good!!

(Unfortunately, this book was written in German, and translated in Japanese, there is no English version.)

I also visited the restaurant my friend is running at Tokyo, Roppongi. If you have chance to come to Tokyo, I will definitely recommend you to go to this restaurant. The concept of this restaurant is very unique. They think ingredient of food is very important. So, they collaborate with local farmers in Tokyo to provide the food. Also, the building was made old fashioned techniques but not old fashioned style. It is cool in summer, warm in winter.

(Roppongi Nouen (means Farm in Roppongi) http://roppongi-nouen.jp/, it is very easy to reserve your seat for dinner or lunch.)

I also visited KEK (KEK is high energy accelerator research organization) to meet a professor. When I was student, I was lucky enough to attend one of project in KEK with him. He was building one of spectrometers on J-PARC (Japan proton accelerator research complex). By making the spectrometer, I learned a lot about science and technology. And then, I published my first my first author paper from this project. That was pretty technical not like scientific though, I published more scientific paper for the next paper and I graduate. I left for the U.S. for 2 years something, the project has been proceeding in Japan of course and now they have a lot of scientific results. I am pretty excited about it. I am going to use that spectrometer as well, while I will be working at research reactor in Australia. The picture below shows that the computer which is used for the first web page from Japan. Sometimes, I realize how it is important and how I am happy to work on basic science because I might be working on wonderful technologies that people have not imagined.

(The picture was taken at KEK.)

This is not the end of my story with friends. I will write later.