# Fileset

[sensmind.pdf](https://mdr.nims.go.jp/filesets/1951f1d6-65b3-4268-8e52-239a2039ec6b/download)

## Creator

[TODOROKI, Shin-ichi](https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3986-1900)

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## Other metadata

[Chance favors the prepared mind](https://mdr.nims.go.jp/datasets/1fdfa9e9-136c-466b-be97-1dc1dd91408c)

## Fulltext

Chance favors the prepared mindChance favors the prepared mindS. TodorokiMarch 1, 2009Dans les champs de l’observation le hasard ne favorise que les esprits préparés.— Louis Pasteur (1822–1895)I am working as a researcher in Tsukuba Science City in Japan, and I am mainly investigatingoptical fibers. I am sure some readers have fiber optic lines installed in their homes for high speedInternet access. Optical fiber is a fibrous form of glass that is used for transmitting optical signals. Itsdata rates are far greater than those of electronic signals over metal cables. This is why we can watchmovies on personal computers connected via optical fiber.By the way, do you know that optical fibers may be damaged by transmitted light? The followingtells how I succeeded in a very difficult optical fiber experiment under restrictive conditions four yearsago.Since optical fibers are made of transparent glass, theFigure 1: A “fireball” propagation. Itsmovie is available at YouTube.com.http://www.youtube.com/Tokyo1406transmitted light leaks out when a fiber cable bent sharply.Moreover, the plastic coat often burns if the light is toostrong. More than twenty years ago it was found that thisheat triggers a strange phenomenon; a dazzling light ap-pears and runs along the fiber like the flame along a fuseattached to a stick of dynamite.Figure 1 shows a “fireball” propagation in a fiber cable.In reality, it is not burning at all. The bright spot in thefiber is traveling at about 1 meter per second leaving a rowof voids that makes the fiber useless because light can nolonger propagate in the “burned” cable. This phenomenonmust be avoided completely by companies providing fiberoptic lines.Such an event never occurs if propagating light is sufficiently weak. However, the demand forfaster data transmission rates is growing due to the increasing use of the Internet, and optical lines arerequired to transmit more optical signals. Thus, there is a clear need to solve the “fireball” problem.Four years ago, I discovered the mechanism that causes voids to form during the “fireball” propa-gation, and submitted a paper about it to an academic journal. The result of the peer review was verystrict. To satisfy the reviewer, I had to perform an additional experiment that required a high-speedvideo camera unavailable in my laboratory and a superior operating skills.I consulted a camera supplier of my acquaintance and found that he was scheduled to demonstratethe same camera near my institute. Fortunately, he allowed me to use it for two hours before thedemonstration. This was only ten days before I had to respond the reviewer.The superior skill that was needed was reminiscent of “Shinken Shirahadori”, a special defensetechnique used in Japanese traditional swordsmanship, which involves catching a sword blade swungstraight at one’s face between one’s palms(see Fig. 2). I had to take a video of the running “fireball”1http://www.youtube.com/Tokyo1406Chance favors the prepared mind / S. Todorokibeing extinguished by switching off the light source manually as soon as I saw the “fireball” in thecamera viewfinder (see Fig. 3). I had to adjust the timing manually with a precision of 1/100 secondand without any trigger signals. I practiced many times to quench the “fireball” at the desired positionprior to the the two-hour experiment.It was early morning on a fine day in May. I met the suppliersFigure 2: “Shinken shiraha-dori”OFF"Fireball"Optical fiberLightsourceFigure 3: Experimental setup.and we went by car to my laboratory. Very strangely, I felt noanxiety despite the fact that my paper would be rejected if theexperiment were unsuccessful. In fact, I felt full of joy at thisgreat opportunity of performing another interesting experimentwith people that I knew.In the preceding year, we had met by chance and succeededin taking an ultra high-speed video of a propagating “fireball” forthe first time anywhere in the world. Immediately, I submitted apaper to an international conference. Very fortunately an experton this phenomenon was a member of the program committee,and coincidentally was also trying to video it. He insisted that thecommittee accept my paper[1] and he prevailed.I sat in front of the experimental setup and was still calm. Imust have had a “mind like water” to use a Zen expression.I ignited the “fireball”, switched off the light to extinguish it infront of the camera, checked the playback and then repeated thisprocedure if the recording was unsuccessful. When I replayed the7th trial, a light spot appeared at the edge of the screen and thensuddenly disappeared. I had obtained the required data, and thepaper was subsequently accepted for publication[2].Later, I had a opportunity to write these episodes[3] and be-came convinced of general rules that explain why a series of luckychances had been brought about.Something happens to you by chance because you have thesensibility to grasp it. Needless to say, these chances occur whenyou perform experiments with your own hands (See Fig.4(1)).Moreover, someone may help you by chance because you trans-mit a message to his/her mind. I always take every possible carewhen preparing presentations and writing papers. I think abouthow I can attract attentions at the beginning, maintain interest,and end the story leaving a deep impression.Once you have made a deep impression on the audience, they do something of their own accord;take notes, inform their colleagues, report the talk at a meeting, and thus influence someone else’sdecision. When this chain reaction brings something back to you, you call it “a lucky chance” (SeeFig.4(2)). The judge in the conference recommended my paper because it had caught his eye. Thesupplier visited me to offer the use of his system for nothing because he had seen a poster describingmy research results.Once you begin to gain momentum in attracting such lucky chances, heaven helps you with mirac-ulous success(See Fig.4(3)), just like the “fireball” experiment described above. Or perhaps this state-ment is over confident.2Chance favors the prepared mind / S. Todoroki(1)Myselfperformingexperiments(2)Myself Someoneelse�trying to leavea deep impression(3)SomeoneelseHeaven]PreparedMindMyself��helps thosewho help themselves(1) (2)Figure 4: Chance cause diagram showing my, someone else’s and heaven’s contribution.References[1] S. Todoroki: “In-situ observation of fiber-fuse propagation”, Proc. 30th European Conf. Optical Commu-nication Post-deadline papers, Stockholm, Sweden, Kista Photonics Research Center, pp. 32–33 (2004).(Th4.3.3), or Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., 44, 6A, pp. 4022-4024 (2005).[2] S. Todoroki: “Animation of fiber fuse damage, demonstrating periodic void formation”, Opt. Lett., 30 [19]pp. 2551–2553 (2005).[3] S. Todoroki: “Two serendipitous episodes — How I embarked on fiber fuse research”, (2007), Translatedfrom 2 articles in Japanese; Electric Glass, 35, pp. 14–18 (2006) and Industrial Materials, 55 [4] pp. 97–101(2007).3http://dx.doi.org/10.1143/JJAP.44.4022