Gundam Cartoon Academy to Turn Science Fiction into Reality in Japan

No, really. They are making a Gundam Academy as a way to research new technologies and think outside of the box (but not the idiot box—that's the good box, apparently).

Shinichi Nakasuka, a professor of astronautics at the University of Tokyo and one of the founders of the academy, said: “Studying fiction is an excellent way to get ideas about the future. Scientists often restrict their way of thinking to what they factually know. The comic shows how ordinary people without much deep scientific knowledge can come up with very good ideas.”

Dude. YES. People should get on with building machines that create wormholes and then seed them throughout the galaxy. I mean, like, yesterday.

btw, I'd just like to note my favorite part of the article.

One aeronautics expert involved in the project said that, as a serious scientist, he can see clearly which parts of Gundam are technically feasible and which are not.

Nuclear-powered thermal rockets and spherical helper robots should be pursued, he said.

Sadly he made no mention of giant robots to protect Earth (or whatever the fuck Gundam is about since all I really know are giant robots). But I'd like to sign up for a helper robot. Maybe it can keep me in clean underwear.

Gundam Cartoon Academy to Turn Science Fiction into Reality in Japan

No, really. They are making a Gundam Academy as a way to research new technologies and think outside of the box (but not the idiot box—that's the good box, apparently).

Shinichi Nakasuka, a professor of astronautics at the University of Tokyo and one of the founders of the academy, said: “Studying fiction is an excellent way to get ideas about the future. Scientists often restrict their way of thinking to what they factually know. The comic shows how ordinary people without much deep scientific knowledge can come up with very good ideas.”

Dude. YES. People should get on with building machines that create wormholes and then seed them throughout the galaxy. I mean, like, yesterday.

btw, I'd just like to note my favorite part of the article.

One aeronautics expert involved in the project said that, as a serious scientist, he can see clearly which parts of Gundam are technically feasible and which are not.

Nuclear-powered thermal rockets and spherical helper robots should be pursued, he said.

Sadly he made no mention of giant robots to protect Earth (or whatever the fuck Gundam is about since all I really know are giant robots). But I'd like to sign up for a helper robot. Maybe it can keep me in clean underwear.

Thanks to greenwillow27 for pointing out yet another reason why I love the Japanese:

(10-20) 04:00 PDT Tokyo -- On a narrow Tokyo street, near a beef bowl restaurant and a pachinko parlor, Aya Tsukioka demonstrated new clothing designs that she hopes will ease Japan's growing fears of crime.

With a deft motion, Tsukioka, a 29-year-old fashion designer, lifted a flap on the front of her skirt to reveal a large sheet of cloth printed in bright red with a soft drink logo partly visible. By holding the sheet fully open and stepping to the side of the road, she showed how a woman walking alone could elude pursuers - by disguising herself as a vending machine.

You can find the rest of the article here and it is 100% awesome.

I sent it to a friend at work and she said that she loves that this culture is too embarrassed to make a scene to call for help, but is perfectly fine with pretending to be a vending machine. &hearts

Thanks to greenwillow27 for pointing out yet another reason why I love the Japanese:

(10-20) 04:00 PDT Tokyo -- On a narrow Tokyo street, near a beef bowl restaurant and a pachinko parlor, Aya Tsukioka demonstrated new clothing designs that she hopes will ease Japan's growing fears of crime.

With a deft motion, Tsukioka, a 29-year-old fashion designer, lifted a flap on the front of her skirt to reveal a large sheet of cloth printed in bright red with a soft drink logo partly visible. By holding the sheet fully open and stepping to the side of the road, she showed how a woman walking alone could elude pursuers - by disguising herself as a vending machine.

You can find the rest of the article here and it is 100% awesome.

I sent it to a friend at work and she said that she loves that this culture is too embarrassed to make a scene to call for help, but is perfectly fine with pretending to be a vending machine. &hearts