Science story-tellers. Our future (aka, our youth). Science Hello Kitty. On September 10^th, they all came together for the AAA Symposium in Tohoku 2016, held in Z-Hall, Oshu City! Called “Understanding the ILC in 1 Minute,” this symposium was focused on explaining the ILC in a way that’s easy to understand, as well as linking it to cool questions like “are there extra dimensions?” and “what is dark matter?”

The September 10th Symposium

KEK’s master science storyteller Dr. Junpei Fujimoto took the stage in part 1 to explain the ILC itself and the background behind the ILC. Science, he explained, is for understanding the laws of nature, without which we couldn’t build safe cars or airplanes, for example. Colliders like the ILC are necessary so we can see what nature/the universe is still hiding from us. The ILC could precisely measure the Higgs and Top Quark, and search for extra dimensions and dark matter.

The panel discussion

Part 2 was a panel discussion between Dr. Fujimoto, LCC Communicator Ms. Rika Takahashi, director of the NAOJ Mizusawa VLBI Observatory Dr. Mareki Honma, later joined by local 3rd year junior high school students Momoyo Sugawara from Oshu Mizusawa Junior High School and Kotomi Sato of Ichinoseki Hanaizumi Junior High School.

The panel discussion, titled “The Universe We Observe; the Universe We Create – Searching for the Secret of Dark Matter,” was focused on how astronomy connects with particle physics through dark matter: astronomical observations show that dark matter is there, and have given “homework” to particle physicists to figure out what dark matter is.

After discussing how observatories found and measured dark matter, why dark matter is believed to be a particle, and how the ILC could find a particle that explains dark matter, the conversation turned to the joys and worries of working internationally. Fujimoto lamented that colleagues from France and Switzerland always start fights about whose chocolate is tastier. Honma, who had flown in from Thailand that morning, pointed out Oshu’s history of international research collaboration goes back to the Latitude Observatory that was built in 1899 in Mizusawa.

In the last part of the panel discussion, the stage got an infusion of youth from junior high school students Momoyo Sugawara and Kotomi Sato, two out of five members of the ILC Club, a group of junior high school students managed by Iwate Nippo Newspaper who visited CERN and meet regularly to discuss the ILC and how Iwate should prepare for it. Sugawara and Sato’s paths to joining the ILC Club were a little different: Sugawara became interested from a visit to KEK and JAXA through Oshu’s excursion program for middle school students, while Sato heard about the ILC and CERN in a school lecture.

I-L-C!! The panelists gather with the ILC Club for a great snapshot.

From the approximately 300 participants to the youth participation from the audience and on the panel discussion (plus the brisk sales of Science Hello Kitty goods), “Understanding the ILC in 1 Minute” was a resounding success, as well as a tantalizing preview for the ILC Club’s future activities!

MEET THE ILC CLUB AT LCWS 2016!

What did the ILC Club think of CERN? What do these students think Iwate should do to prepare for the ILC? This is another reason to look forward to LCWS 2016 in December: the ILC Club will present their findings during the conference!