April 2 - Recently President Obama spoke with Japanese astronaut Dr. Koichi Wakata who is aboard the International Space Station. The President said that he was really proud of the extraordinary work performed by the American, Japanese and Russian astronauts at the Space Station. The President also pointed out that the collaboration of the three nations' astronauts presents an excellent example of a spirit of cooperation that we can apply not just in space but here on Earth. Mission Specialist Wakata told the President that more than 15 countries are working together on the International Space Station project, both in space and on the ground. Wakata said that this international collaboration symbolizes the future of the scientific development of the world.

The United States and Japan have a long history of scientific collaboration and cooperation. My friend from high school, now a geophysicist, once spent six months in Japan working with his Japanese counterparts on basic seismic research. He told me that he enjoyed the intellectual exchange with his colleagues at Tsukuba University. He said that American and Japanese scientists had much to learn from each other. I also last month met a professor from Hokkaido University who is working closely with American scientific counterparts to examine undersea core samples from the Earth's crust to learn more about the history of the Earth's geology. He hoped that this collaborative research would help us understand better the impact of climate change and that this joint research would inform American and Japanese policy makers on steps we need to take to redress this threat to our environment.

What are your thoughts on the International Space Station and Japan's role in global scientific collaboration?

Until next time,

Jim