Tokyo College, The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study

Louis Fensterbank traces organic synthesis from nineteenth-century natural-product isolation to the construction of increasingly complex molecules, and considers its contributions to medicine, agriculture, materials and longer lives. The lecture examines two current challenges: using automation and artificial intelligence to explore new chemical space for therapeutics and advanced materials, and developing greener synthesis that reduces waste, energy use and toxicity. It considers how molecular innovation can advance alongside environmental protection. Fensterbank is Professor at Collège de France. Makoto Fujita provides commentary; Marie Oshima moderates. Online via Zoom Webinar. Wednesday 28 October 2026, 13:30–14:30 JST (Asia/Tokyo; UTC+9). Public advance registration is required through the organizer’s event page. The lecture is in English with Japanese interpretation. Organized by Tokyo College, The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study.

Gašper Tkačik explores whether the language of information in biology can become a predictive scientific theory. The lecture connects information transfer from DNA to proteins, positional signals that guide cell fate during development, neural information processing, and the storage and inheritance of information in evolving genomes. It brings physics, information theory and quantitative biology together to examine these processes across biological scales. Tkačik is Professor at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria. Shinya Kuroda provides commentary; Arisa Ema moderates. Online via Zoom Webinar. Wednesday 14 October 2026, 14:00–15:00 JST (Asia/Tokyo; UTC+9). Public advance registration is required through the organizer’s event page. The lecture is in English with Japanese interpretation. Organized by Tokyo College, The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study.

Charlie Wilson examines how artificial intelligence affects energy transitions and carbon emissions, from data centres to the wider economy. The talk evaluates evidence behind competing claims, identifies optimism bias in assessments extending beyond data-centre electricity use, and presents research quantifying AI’s effects on global emissions pathways to 2050. It considers how aligning AI development with climate action changes the feasibility and cost of meeting long-term climate targets. Wilson is Professor at the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford. Takeshi Kuramochi provides commentary; Naoko Shimazu moderates. Online via Zoom Webinar. Wednesday 30 September 2026, 14:00–15:00 JST (Asia/Tokyo; UTC+9). Public advance registration is required through the organizer’s event page. The lecture is in English with Japanese interpretation. Organized by Tokyo College, The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study.