Terry Ito Column Vol. 78: Are you doing a digital detox?

Every time I give a lecture at university, I tell my students, "Living a life spent solely on smartphones can lead to a biased way of thinking, so it's important to interact with things that humans cannot create. I want you to spend at least 10 minutes a day interacting with things and living creatures in nature." A little while ago, I came across this article. Dr. Fred Rumsdell (64) of the United States, who, along with Professor Shimon Sakaguchi (74) of Osaka University, was awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, was hiking when the award was announced and didn't realize his achievement for 12 hours. At the time, Dr. Rumsdell and his wife were on a three-week camping and hiking trip across the mountainous region of the northwestern United States. He learned of his award a few hours later when he noticed a congratulatory message on his cell phone. In an interview, Dr. Rumsdell commented, "I didn't expect to win at all. I like to do a 'digital detox' to rest my mind and body by staying away from digital devices, and I had my cell phone on silent mode." It was such a reassuring comment that it made me happy. I'd like to tell my students about this article right away.

In fact, interacting with nature can also provide business inspiration. Cardboard and styrofoam were created based on the "honeycomb structure" (derived from the English word "honeycomb," referring to the shape of a beehive), which consists of a series of regular hexagons. Because of its high strength, the honeycomb structure has long been used as a material for airplanes. Painless injection needles were invented based on the mosquito. It sounds painful, but the jagged shape actually reduces the pain when it penetrates the skin. Water-repellent clothing and yogurt lids were created by applying the properties of lotus leaves. The surface of the lotus leaf repels water and has a structure that makes it resistant to dirt. Water-repellent products such as rainwear and bags were originally inspired by the structure of the lotus leaf. The uneven skin structure of sharks, which live in the ocean, reduces resistance in water, so it has been applied to competitive swimwear where speed is important. In addition, the beak of the kingfisher has had a great influence on the structure of the Shinkansen bullet train. While its slender, pointed shape is designed to smoothly catch small fish on the water's surface, applying this structure to the nose of a Shinkansen bullet train reduces air resistance and mitigates noise.

There are still countless facts that we can draw inspiration from the natural world. Maybe new ideas will be born while we're relaxing. Isn't that fun? I'm extremely sensitive to the cold, so normally I don't want to take a single step out of my room with the heating on full blast. But this winter I want to try snow camping. Maybe it would be nice to spend a night in a blizzard at least once in my life. Maybe an incredible idea will come to me! No, it definitely will. I'll let you know when it happens.

Terry Ito (director)

Born in Tsukiji, Tokyo in 1949. After attending Waseda Jitsugyo Junior and Senior High School, he graduated from Nihon University's School of Economics.
In March 2023, he completed the Master's program at the Graduate School of Media and Governance at Keio University.
He joined the television production company IVS Television, where he worked on variety shows such as "Tensai Takeshi's Genki ga Deru TV" and "Neruton Benikujidan."
He then went independent and worked on planning and directing a number of television programs, including TV Tokyo's "Asakusabashi Young Clothing Store."
His book "Comedy North Korea" became a bestseller, and he subsequently made numerous media appearances under the name Terry Ito.
In addition to his work as a director, he is also active in a variety of fields as a producer, entertainer, and commentator.
YouTube channelTerry Ito's Comedy Backdrop'
Currently writing a column in LALALA USA
https://lalalausa.com/archives/category/column/terry