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オレゴン大学日本同窓会
NEWSLETTER （#２６８）
APRIL 15, 2025
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【大切なお知らせ】
これまでUOAAJのホームページやメーリングリストを管理していた企業が、突然廃業しました。そのため、今後は、このホームページにてNewsletterを配信させていただきます。
このホームページをご存知でないDucksにご紹介ください。
お手数、ご面倒おかけしますが、なにとぞご協力のほどお願いします。
Go, Ducks!
（Newsletter担当 秋田）
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This is the time
to support the people
who are facing difficulties
because of the domestic wildfire,
because of the wars in the world
世界で苦しむ皆様…
国内の山火事で…
世界中の紛争で…
Ducks are always with YOU!
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１【情報】OREGON NEWS
２【情報】NCAA the Latest Rankings
３【編集後記／雑感】
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１【情報】OREGON NEWS
Researchers Develop Better Way to Measure Running Gait Outdoors
As runners increasingly adopt new technologies to monitor their performance, a University of Oregon researcher has developed a simpler, more accurate method for calculating the physical characteristics of walking and running.
Most top-notch gait analysis systems are fairly complex, using video recordings plus multiple devices attached to different body parts. They give good results in controlled settings but are not available outside the lab.
The new approach uses just a single device mounted to the wearer’s lower back to give a detailed picture of performance, making it easier to accurately monitor gait outdoors and on uneven surfaces like trails. It relies on a new data analysis technique developed by research engineer Aida Chebbi in the UO’s Bowerman Sports Science Center and Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact.
The advance could have wide-ranging benefits for athletes, for people recovering from injuries and for those fitness enthusiasts. Detailed performance data can help athletes, trainers and coaches understand the impacts of exercises and the status of a person’s physical performance.
(for more info., refer to the URL below)
https://news.uoregon.edu/researchers-develop-better-way-measure-running-gait-outdoors?utm_source=oregonnews-04-07-25
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Pigeons vs. AI: Should We Ever Replace Doctors With Algorithms?
Artificial intelligence is seeping into nearly every field, including health care. But with the technology’s rise in popularity, some researchers are asking: Just because you can use it, should you?
“We shouldn’t just care about whether AI would have cognitive limitations,” said Ramón Alvarado, an assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Oregon. “We should also care about something that is broader and important to the human and then see what the repercussions of these uses are.”
Alvarado studies the ethics of technology. In his work, he blends two fields of thought: how researchers can use computation in scientific inquiry and the ethical implications of using those computations. Applying AI to health care situations falls at the crossroads of those two interests. Although he agrees AI can be used in medical fields, he cautions against a sweeping shift to replace health care professionals with computers.
A talk by Geoffry Hinton, heralded as the godfather of AI, about radiologists becoming obsolete spurred Alvarado to think about that shift. In the age of AI, Hinton argued, it was a waste to continue training radiologists when AI could take over the job.
But Alvarado pointed out that pigeons are also great at image recognition tasks. And birds are cheaper than computers. So, if someone is willing to replace humans with AI because it is cheaper and more efficient, then they would have to be willing to replace humans with pigeons, too. “But if you are kind of hesitant about replacing humans with pigeons, then you should also be hesitant to replace humans with AI,” he said.
(for more info., refer to the URL below)
https://news.uoregon.edu/pigeons-vs-ai-should-we-ever-replace-doctors-algorithms?utm_source=oregonnews-03-31-25
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Particle or wave? Getting to the heart of quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics is a branch of physics that attempts to explain the behavior of matter and energy at their smallest level, down to the size of subatomic particles like electrons, photons and quarks. And at that size, reality is very different from our everyday world.
The quantum world is distinct from the classical world familiar to us because particles in the quantum world exhibit both particle-like and wave-like behavior. This is most easily seen by comparing the results of a double-slit experiment with sand, waves and then quantum particles like electrons.
Electrons exhibit wave-like behavior when no one is looking at which slit they go through. But when a detector is used to observe which opening the electron goes through, the resulting pattern immediately switches to particle-like behavior. The act of looking changes the result, collapsing the quantum wave-function.
Why is that important? That wave-particle duality is at the heart of quantum mechanics, and quantum mechanics is at the heart of nearly all of the modern world’s technology, from cellphones to lasers to medical imaging and quantum computers.
In this video, UO physicist Graham Kribs walks us through the double-slit experiment and gives us a peek into the world of quantum mechanics.
(for more info., refer to the URL below)
https://news.uoregon.edu/particle-or-wave-getting-heart-quantum-mechanics
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Back at the UO, Geri Richmond reflects on her federal service
After serving four years as undersecretary for science and innovation at the U.S. Department of Energy, chemistry professor Geraldine “Geri” Richmond is back at the University of Oregon’s Eugene campus.
During her absence, Richmond was one of the top science officers in the federal government, overseeing billions of dollars in research spending on some of the nation’s highest science priorities, including quantum computing, clean energy and national security. She will pick up much where she left off, doing research, mentoring undergraduate science students and helping lead COACh, the Committee on the Advancement of Women Chemists, a group she co-founded to help female scientists.
In her own research, Richmond uses laser-based and computational methods to understand the structure and dynamics of liquid surfaces that are relevant to environmental and technological interests. She has taught and conducted research at the UO since 1985.
She recently sat down for an interview with OregonNews to discuss her past federal service as well as the future of government-funded research.
(for more info., refer to the URL below)
https://news.uoregon.edu/back-uo-geri-richmond-reflects-her-federal-service
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２【情報】NCAA & BIG 10 the Latest Rankings
Baseball
NCAA Ranking: 15th
On: APR. 06
URL for more:
https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/baseball/d1/d1baseballcom-top-25
BIG 10 Ranking: 3rd
URL for more:
https://bigten.org/base/standings/
Women’s Golf
NCAA Ranking: 5th
On: APR. 11
URL for more:
https://scoreboard.clippd.com/rankings/leaderboard?rankingType=Team&gender=Women&division=NCAA+Division+I&season=2025
Softball
NCAA Ranking: 4th
On: APR. 06
URL for more:
https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/softball/d1/espncom/usa-softball
BIG 10 Ranking: 1st
URL for more:
https://bigten.org/sb/standings/
Softball
NCATA Ranking: 2nd
On: APR. 13
URL for more:
https://thencata.org/news/2025/4/13/ncata-announces-seeds-and-matchups-for-2025-national-championships.aspx
（担当 秋田）
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３【編集後記／雑感】
今年、令和７年は「昭和100年」にあたります。その「昭和」いう年号は、何がルーツなのでしょうか。
中国の『四書五経』の「百姓昭明にして、万邦を協和す」が元で、その意味は「国民の平和と世界各国の共存と繁栄を願う」だそうです。「富国強兵」を唱えていた旧憲法時代に平和への願い。少々複雑な思いもします。
その昭和の幕開けは、1926年（大正15年）12月25日に大正天皇が崩御となり、同日に当時の皇太子（裕仁親王）の践祚（センソ）を受けて即日「昭和」への改元でした。したがって、「昭和元年」は１週間だけでした。
一方、昭和の閉幕は1989年（昭和64年）1月7日に昭和天皇が崩御となり、翌8日に当時の皇太子（明仁親王）の践祚を受けて「平成」への改元でした。したがって、昭和の最終年も１週間だけでした。
その昭和に生まれた私は、祖父が明治・大正・昭和と生きた方なので、３つの元号を跨いでの人生ってすごいなあ…と思っていました。ところが私自身も、昭和・平成・令和と３つの元号を跨いでの人生になっているのですが、自分では凄いとは感じません。将来、私の子孫がそう思うのでしょうか。
そして、今上天皇も私と同じように３つの元号の人生を歩んでいらっしゃっています。その今上天皇が皇太子時代（徳仁親王）、2017年の秋の園遊会に招かれたブラインド・マラソン・ランナーの道下美里選手と会話をなさいました。徳仁親王（当時）が皇居内をジョギングしていらっしゃると聞いていた道下選手が、「機会があったら一緒に走ってみたい」と直接お伝えしたところ、後日、宮内庁から連絡がありました。そして翌2018年6月に、道下選手は赤坂御用地内を徳仁親王の伴奏サポートで走ることができました。徳仁親王は、この日のため事前に「伴走」の仕方などを学習なさったそうです。なんとなく、ホッコリしますね。
ところで、今年で100年となった「昭和」は246個目の元号とされていますが、日本最初の「元号」は、何だったのでしょうか。それは、私たちが学校で学習したあの「大化の改新」の「大化」です。
Go, Ducks!
Once a Duck, always a Duck!
（担当 秋田）
Once a Duck, Always a Duck