Challenge common sense.
Are those assumptions valid?
Developing the "ability to rethink"—an essential skill in the AI era.
Beyond Rote Learning: Cultivating the Power of "Inquiry"
While Yagi Lab focuses on seismology, our educational goal exceeds simple knowledge acquisition. We aim to equip students with flexible thinking skills to adapt and rethink in any situation.
Critical Intuition in the AI Era
AI can provide "answers" if given a good prompt. However, the quality of the output depends almost entirely on the inquiry. At Yagi Lab, we train students to question premises and explore how changing conditions might lead to completely different results.
It's Okay to Start from Scratch
Creating your own research questions might seem daunting. Rest assured—most of our students started in a state of "not even knowing what they didn't know." We enjoy the process of organizing those unknowns into unique inquiries together.
"Failure" is a Signal for Progress
Stalling in research is normal. At Yagi Lab, we believe that hitting a wall is where the true discovery begins.
Failure as a Key to Discovery: In the paper Suzuki & Yagi (2011, GRL), we initially assumed that deep-focus earthquake rupture speed was determined by slab temperature.
Just before the thesis presentation, we found this premise was incorrect. Instead of despairing, we re-evaluated the data and shifted our focus from "temperature" to "source depth," revealing that high-speed ruptures occur at specific depths—a major new finding.
Curiosity is All You Need
The student in this episode didn't have the answer from the start. They found it because they were willing to wander, get stuck, and brainstorm with the faculty. All that is required is a bit of curiosity to find the results interesting.
Unexpected Results are Opportunities
Unexpected results are often seen as failures in many labs. We view them as "moments when common sense breaks down," allowing us to build new frameworks. We embrace the unexpected.
Inquiry-Driven Themes and a Supportive Environment
Research themes are not dictated by top-down projects; they emerge from the students' own interests and questions.
- Re-examining Giant Earthquake Cycles: Questioning if the "periodicity theory" is truly accurate.
- Supershear Rupture Incidence: Are ultra-fast ruptures rare or common?
- Developing Analytical Methods: Finding strange phenomena previously overlooked using new techniques.
Our Research Environment
Hardware: Dedicated iMacs for every student and access to high-performance computing servers.
Knowledge Sharing: Analysis know-how and code managed via GitHub, providing access to years of lab wisdom.
Open Discussion: Whiteboards and large displays throughout the lab facilitate spontaneous daily consultation.
Flat Hierarchy: We address everyone as equals. We are partners in research, not just "professors and students."
World-Class Results and Future Careers
Our stance of "creating new points" rather than following trends leads to high-impact results and diverse career paths.
20% are Top 10% Papers. Impacting the world through unique inquiries.
24 Student-Led Papers. A culture where students take the lead in publishing.
Diverse Paths. Alumni active in IT, Energy, Government, and Research.