Masters in Amsterdam

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7054107853214677312011-04-22T07:34:05.198+02:00Masters in AmsterdamMihkelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02082902447463760370noreply@blogger.comBlogger131100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705410785321467731.post-44958691824077962692008-02-02T00:11:00.000+01:002008-02-02T01:20:02.052+01:00Youthful expansion in the Estonian Academy of Sciences

In a breeze of fresh air, the Estonian Academy of Sciences is modernizing its membership policy. A proposed change in the law governing the academy's operation would allow a new member to be elected every time a present academic ("akadeemik") reached the age of 75. Currently, a new member can only be elected upon the passing of a previous academic - this has lead to a situation where 24 of 58

Mihkelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02082902447463760370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705410785321467731.post-21728044045358744372007-12-01T01:48:00.000+01:002007-12-20T22:53:22.817+01:00State of the Student address

Hot ("lukewarm" to be fair) on the heels of Salvador's post follows another State of the Student address.The second year of my Master's here at the astronomical institute began with intensive PhD application preparations, into the nitty-gritty of which I'd rather not go prior to finding out their effect. Suffice to say, I'm excitedly looking forward to what the future has in store.At present, I'm

Mihkelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02082902447463760370noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705410785321467731.post-6834252187586731282007-11-11T21:28:00.000+01:002007-11-11T21:41:12.074+01:00With apologies to our readers

Yes, it's been quite a very long while since Mihkel or I posted here in our Amsterdam blog, and I'm sure I speak for us both when I take this opportunity to apologize to our readers (all three of them). Instead of explaining what's been keeping me so busy since May and just making this a "sorry for not posting, but so it goes" post, I thought I might as well actually give some information to my

Salvadorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860661393109009863noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705410785321467731.post-42170078143917722322007-08-25T11:07:00.000+02:002007-08-25T11:17:27.190+02:00Bloggers for Peer-Reviewed Research Reporting

Many bloggers report on peer-reviewed scientific research. Now, a contest has been opened for an icon to identify these types of posts on your blog. Click down to Bloggers for Peer-Reviewed Research Reporting (BPR3) to find out more and participate in the discussion.

Mihkelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02082902447463760370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705410785321467731.post-57561667765690854432007-07-31T20:44:00.000+02:002007-07-31T20:57:20.748+02:00Midsummer Report

We apologize for the lack of posts this summer. Salvador has retreated to his native land of Portugal, where he is busy making port wine and sailing on expeditions to find as yet uncharted trade routes to India, which is apparently what all Portugese do. Under the gray clouds above Estonia, I am hunting seals and ploughing fields near the local fort - when I'm not singing, that is, which is

Mihkelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02082902447463760370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705410785321467731.post-29789603665733377322007-05-27T10:19:00.000+02:002007-05-27T11:07:39.061+02:00Free Will

PZ Myers of the Pharyngula blog pointed out this story of a 19-year old preacher-to-be microwaving his 2-month old daughter. The mother of the child claims Satan compelled her husband to microwave the child. Looks like this case is too extreme for anyone to take her claim seriously (unless taken as pleading insanity), but still illustrates the issue of avoiding responsibility by appealing to

Mihkelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02082902447463760370noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705410785321467731.post-42295825669178660972007-05-21T09:51:00.000+02:002007-05-23T10:59:44.122+02:00The Silicon Soldiers

The Bronze Soldier in Tallinn, Estonia is a Soviet memorial for those who perished in the Second World War. For most Russians, it is a symbol of victory over Nazi Germany. Soviet-era history associated this victory with the "liberation" of many areas that were, in fact, occupied - Estonian officials facing an attack by a Red Army force 100000 strong in 1940 had no choice but to accept a Soviet

Mihkelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02082902447463760370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705410785321467731.post-61748785039705903102007-05-04T18:18:00.000+02:002007-05-04T18:23:29.075+02:00Unsung Heroes of Scientific Progress

Science - the uncannily successful process of constructing a working model of the Universe. It takes comparatively little food and money to sustain a working scientist, however these alone will not guarantee success - which brings us to the unsung heroic liquids of scientific progress:Liquid nitrogen and coffee.Most scientists never consider the extent to which modern science relies on the above

Mihkelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02082902447463760370noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705410785321467731.post-88944814852835897272007-04-25T11:06:00.000+02:002007-04-25T11:54:33.259+02:00Majestic relative of Earth found

The discovery of the most Earth-like planet found to date outside the Solar System was announced today[1]. At least five times the mass and 1.5 times the diameter of our home planet, the discovered exoplanet takes 13 days to complete a year around its mother star - the red dwarf Gliese 581. Most notably, however, the temperature of this planet is predicted to be in the range 0...40 degrees

Mihkelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02082902447463760370noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705410785321467731.post-53402053637125542522007-04-20T14:14:00.000+02:002007-04-20T14:16:33.321+02:00Did someone mention creationism?

Salvadorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860661393109009863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705410785321467731.post-29251043307072645582007-04-20T00:38:00.000+02:002007-04-27T13:15:58.765+02:00Sweeping Statements, Simple Science

Update: paragraph 3 was clarified on 2007.04.27Quite often scientists forget or ignore the fact that, being raised and fed by the rest of society, they can expect the public to remain supportive and understanding of their pursuits only if the scientists themselves make an effort to introduce their results and, on a more general level, explain how science works. This can not be done with fancy

Mihkelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02082902447463760370noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705410785321467731.post-15862803201212361002007-04-15T17:54:00.000+02:002007-04-15T18:08:33.682+02:00More than just poor style

“Weekly” is an English language paper with news of cultural and social activities in Amsterdam. This week’s “Weekly” has the following two-liner under the section “Festivals”, on page 22:Poolse filmlente. A week-long festival of recent films from Poland, one of the more controversial new entries to the EU.Granted, this is a free newsletter, possibly not written by professional journalists, but

Salvadorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860661393109009863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705410785321467731.post-18943086514708649442007-04-10T07:30:00.000+02:002007-04-10T19:11:19.781+02:00Masters in Amsterdam

This entry unleashes “Masters in Amsterdam”, by Mihkel Kama and Salvador Mascarenhas. In this age of random information, we’ll do our best to channel here and comment on bits that earn our attention and test our competences. We will address topics related to our respective research areas, as well as issues in science, society, politics and culture.At the moment, we are Master’s students at the

Salvadorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860661393109009863noreply@blogger.com2