This report covers the activities of the “Culture X Engineering” research group in academic year 2023, as well as the progress of three projects originating with lectures delivered to the same group that were implemented in 2023: the formation of a comprehensive partnership agreement between the Financial Services Agency and the University of Tokyo; the lecture series “Engineering as a Liberal Art,” provided for first- and second-year University of Tokyo students; and the “Koma Ni Music Festival” held on the Komaba II (“Koma Ni”) campus. In academic year 2024, expanded activities are planned for each of these projects.

Technical innovation has drastically enhanced the flow of people and materials. The enlargement of transportation and energy system has been investigated to economically support the innovative society. The huge scale system is fragile for local defects, and easily yields catastrophic accident. The history of the accident in the context of the innovation is reviewed with the research history of strength of materials. A challenge of the strength evaluation for realizing carbon neutrality is also presented.

Although all the fundamental laws in physics are written in reversible deterministic equations, our world is created in an irreversible probabilistic way. Behind this problem lies the existence of two different concepts of time, mechanical time and thermodynamic time in physics. This mechanical time is the embodiment of the concept of time in the Judeo-Christian monotheistic world, while thermodynamic time is the embodiment of the polytheistic concept of time familiar to Japanese people. In this lecture, I will delve into mechanical time, which speaks of “existence,” and thermodynamic time, which speaks of “change.”

In connection with events memorializing Special Research Advisor Yoshinori YOKOYAMA, who passed away on April 4, 2024, Professor Masaru KITSUREGAWA and Associate Professor Riina TOYA held a discussion with Keio University Professor Kazuto ATAKA, who was under Yokoyama’s tutelage at McKinsey and Company. This issue features a transcript of their conversation, followed by messages from Director Hiroshi TOSHIYOSHI and the members of the “Lunches with Mr. Yokoyama” club.

Following the method proposed by Yoshinori Yokoyama’s “Social System Design Thinking Approach” (University of Tokyo Press, 2019, in Japanese), we discuss on the gradual deterioration of creative research time, which is one of the critical issues surrounding research laboratories. What makes administrative work becoming more micromanaged even though no one wishes it? It is probably because of the illusion that any errors can be avoided by strict management, which should be the core problem from the Yokoyama’s social-system design point of view.

Takaaki KATO, Yoshiyuki KAWAZOE, Tsutomu SHIMURA and Masahiro NOMURA, members of the “Lunches with Mr. Yokoyama” club contribute memorial addresses.