Science Scripts

Science poetry at “Sound of Science” festival, May 24-25, 2019 [P,O]
“Emergent Quantum Mechanics: David Bohm Centennial Perspectives” , Jan Walleczek, Gerhard Grössing, Paavo Pylkkänen, and Basil Hiley (Eds.), Fetzer Franklin Fund, MDPI Books, 2019 [E]
“Kritisch gelezen” - book review of “Life 3.0: Mens zijn in het tijdperk van kunstmatige intelligentie” by M. Tegmark, Het Vrije Woord JG 63 NR 2, 2018 [O]
“Wat zijn de basisbestanddelen van het universum?” Vraag voor de wetenschap, FWO Vlaanderen, 2018 [E]
News coverage of the Copernicus Sentinel-5 Precursor TROPOMI launch by BELGA, VRT, and VTM on Oct. 13, 2017 [A]
"Moules de Geek #18 – Nerdy Jaaroverzicht" 2016” L. Scheire, 2017 [O]
“Waarom iedereen altijd gelijk heeft” R. Mersch, De Bezige Bij, Amsterdam, 2016 [E]
“Characterization, modeling and optimization of remote phosphor LED modules” P.C. Acuña, KU Leuven University Press, Leuven, 2016 (as PhD. assessor) [L]
“Jaarverslag BIRA 2013-2014” BIRA-IASB, 2015 [A]
“How quantum mechanics explains global warming” L. Scheire, TED Ed. talk, 2014 [A]
“Scheire en de schepping” L. Scheire, Manteau, Antwerp, 2012 [O]
www.ikhebeenvraag.be 2012-2015 [O]
“Nieuwe generatie led-lampengeeft meer licht dan ooit” Luminus Energieconsulent, 2011 [L]
“European LED quality charter” European Commission Joint Research Centre, 2011 [L]

“Het goede in de mens: De evolutionaire wortels van onze samenleving” N. Christakis, Balans, Amsterdam, 2020 [O]
“Iedereen aan de robot! Hoe robots onze economie en democratie gaan redden” M. Bullinga, VOLT, Amsterdam, 2019 [O]
“Algoritmes aan de macht. Hoe blijf je menselijk in een geautomatiseerde wereld?” H. Fry, De Geus, Amsterdam, 2019 [O]
“Lost in math: How beauty leads physics astray” (Twitter thread) S. Hossenfelder, Basic Books, New York, 2019 [E,O]
“Wij, de mens” F. Westerman, Querido Fosfor, Amsterdam, 2019 [O]
“Verruim je geest: Wat psychedelica ons kunnen vertellen over bewustzijn, sterven, verslaving en depressie” M. Pollan, De Arbeiderspers, Amsterdam, 2019 [O]
“Big History: Het waanzinnige wetenschappelijke ontstaansverhaal van de mens, de wereld en het universum” D. Christian, Maven Publishing, Amsterdam, 2018 [E,F]
“In het oog van de klimaatstorm” J.-P. van Ypersele, T. Libaert, Ph. Lamotte, Epo, Antwerp, 2018 [A]
“Life 3.0: Mens zijn in het tijdperk van kunstmatige intelligentie” M. Tegmark, Maven Publishing, Amsterdam, 2018 [O]
"Wij zijn slim, en andere dwaalwegen van het denken" S. Weusten, Atlas Contact, Amsterdam, 2018 [O]
"Speurtocht naar buitenaards leven" N. Nanninga, Veen Media, Utrecht, 2017 [O]
"Singing in the brain" E. Scherder, Athenaeum, Amsterdam, 2017 [O]
"De biologie van de overtuiging" B. Lipton, VBK Media, Utrecht, 2017 (content declined) [O]
"Licht: De invloed op lichaam en geest" G. Venhuizen, Atlas Contact, Amsterdam, 2017 [O]
"Het einde van de wereld: Een geschiedenis" S. Stroeykens, Polis, Antwerp, 2016 [O]
"Waarom iedereen altijd gelijk heeft" R. Mersch, De Bezige Bij, Amsterdam, 2016 [O]
"Mensen op Mars: Relaas van een manmoedige poging" J. van Casteren, Prometheus, Amsterdam, 2016 [O]
"Characterization, modeling and optimization of remote phosphor LED modules" P.C. Acuña, KU Leuven University Press, Leuven, 2016 (as PhD. commission member) [L]
"Het hoge noorden: Een encyclopedie van de Arctis" L. Beyens, Atlas Contact, Amsterdam, 2016 [O]
"Het leven over tien miljoen jaar" M. Boulay; S. Steyer, VBK Media, Utrecht, 2016 [O]
"Machines die denken" J. Brockman (ed.), Maven Publishing, Amsterdam, 2016 [O]
European Meteorological Satellite (EUMETSAT) O3M/AC-SAF reviews, 2013-present [A]
"De theorie van alles: Een nieuwe relativiteitstheorie" T. van den Ende, Polytoon, Scheveningen, 2011 (content declined) [E]
"Gravitatie en elektromagnetisme: De informatonentheorie" A. Acke, Nevelland, Nevele, 2008 [E]

“A light source and a sphere...” 2019 (solstice verse) [P]:

A light source and a sphere,
revolving and rotating 'round a slightly tilted axis,
are all that one requires...
to define a solstice year
and celebrate its science and daily praxis
with solstice feasts and fires.
“Sterrenstof” 2019 [P,E]:

Een ster die stert en sterft
die deelt haar deeltjes uit
al over ’t overal.
Zwakke zwaartekracht
en meer intense interacties
doen de deeltjes
vormen vormen
van logisch bol tot biologisch.
Als alles aan de Aarde
dank daaraan
ook ik
mijn zijn.
“Pendelgedicht” Poetry Day (Jan. 31), 2019 [P]
“Winterzonnewende” 2018 (solstice verse) [P]:

Winterzonnewende
is niet slechts heidens feest,
Want wetenschap erkende
wat altijd is geweest:
Wacht op lang're dagen
tijdens de langste nacht van't jaar,
Weet na enk'le manen,
is de langste dag weer daar!
“Hawking” 2018 (memorial verse) [P]:

Ode to he who overnight,
Gifted with great insight,
Turned those heavy holes,
From 'black' into 'bright'.
“Tempus fugit” 2017 (solstice verse) [P]:

Tempus fugit,
With constant c,
So from solstice to solstice,
With light’s velocity,
Another year
Has fled from thee.
Science March (April 22) slogan 2017 [P]:

You boast with national genius,
Apply science in daily life,
Only to claim disbelief,
Upon political strive?
No to science abuse!

“Shortest day” 2016 (solstice verse) [P]:

Behold this shortest day,
As born from Nature’s tear,
Irrespect of God nor pray,
Commencing a new year.
“Analemma” 2015 (solstice verse, first strophe by L. Scheire) [P]:

Analemma, Gij schone vrouwe,
Met Uw ronding vol en zoet,
Nimmer zult Gij kunnen trouwen,
Daar ieder U gebruiken moet.

Enkel Ra raakt aan Uw voet,
Kromt een nieuw-jaar tegemoet,
Volgt Uw lichaam tot Uw hoofd,
Waar Hem de zomer wordt beloofd!

“Winterzonnewende” 2014 (solstice verse) [P]:

De zonne is gewinterwend,
De dagen zijn aan 't lengen!
Een nieuw jaar is begonnen,
Dat ’t veel geluk mag brengen!

“Waarom wetenschap? Over ons verlangen naar verklaren” Kwintessens, 2020 [F]
“Parallelle universa: dichterbij dan je denkt” Kwintessens, 2019 [F]
“Over eigenbelang en het hogere goed: een (on)oplosbaar belangenconflict?” Kwintessens, 2019 [E,F]
“Real-time health advice from space” GIM International magazine, Dec. 2017 [A]
“Klimaatwetenschap vanuit de ruimte” DDP Sint-Pieterscollege Leuven, 2017 [A]
“Kan het sportnieuws eindelijk naar de reservebank?” Knack Vrije Tribune, 2017 [O]
“Wonder is not wonder!” 2017 (essay for the 2016-2017 FQXi Essay Contest) [F]
“LED – What’s in a name?” Technologiewacht Licht, VEI, 2010 [L]
“Solstitium Brumalis” 2009 [F]
“Light-emitting diodes, in opmars…” Technologiewacht Licht, VEI, 2009 [L]
“Misconcepties in de natuurkunde vanuit de eigen ervaring: Kleuren in de praktijk” 2008 [O]
“Light-emitting diodes, een inleiding…” Nieuwe Lichtbronnen en Buitenverlichting, VEI, 2007 [L]

“Entropic gravity without holography” 2020 (essay written for the Gravity Research Foundation 2020 Awards for Essays on Gravitation) [E]
"What constitutes emergent quantum reality? A complex system exploration from entropic gravity and the universal constants" 2018 (Emergent Quantum Mechanics 2017 conference paper) [E]
“AURORA Technical Note: Tropospheric ozone calculation” 2018 [A]
“Emergent quantum gravity: Exploration of a Planck-scale complex system approach” 2017 (paper for the Beyond Spacetime 2017 prize competition for essays on Space and Time After Quantum Gravity) [E]
“Reality—revisited: Constructing a complex theory of quantum gravity from the bottom up” 2015 (essay written for the Gravity Research Foundation 2015 Awards for Essays on Gravitation) [E]
“MIPAS Technical Note: Methodology for switching among MIPAS vertical averaging kernel matrix representations” 2014 [A]
“GOMOS Technical Note: Influence of Envisat GOMOS data screening on IPF 6.01 ozone validation results: Comparisons to GAW / NDACC / SHADOZ ozonesondes and lidars” 2012 (lead: D. Hubert) [A]
“Comparison between results obtained with the KAHO near field goniophotometer and the ETAP and R-Tech far field goniophotometer” 2011 [L]
“Modelling and evaluation of high-power light-emitting diodes for general lighting” KU Leuven University Press, Leuven, 2010 (PhD thesis, ISBN 9789460182563) [L]
“Wet van Coulomb versus Gravitatiewet van Newton. Allemaal één pot kracht?!” 2008 [E]
“Monte Carlo simulatie van extensive air showers voor de IceTop detector op Antarctica” 2006 (MSc thesis) [A]

Currently (2008-present) around 40 peer-reviewed articles and conference proceedings of which Google Scholar & ResearchGate helpfully provide automated overviews and statistics

2019-present: scientist (SW2), Space Pole, Brussels, Belgium
2018 (June): visiting scientist, Albert Einstein Institute, Potsdam, Germany
2017-present: SCIENCESCRIPTS, Dendermonde, Belgium
2017 (Dec.): visiting scholar, Université de Genève, Switzerland
2012-2018: scientist (SW1), Space Pole, Brussels, Belgium
2011-2012: research associate, Light & Lighting Laboratory, Ghent, Belgium
2010-2011: guest researcher, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
2008-2011: guest lecturer, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota, Colombia
2008-2009: course on philosophy of science, Ghent University, Belgium
2006-2010: engineering (optosemiconductor systems), PhD, KU Leuven, Belgium
2006-2009: teacher training (physics), Ghent University, Belgium
2006 (Sept.): ecovolunteer, Toropets, Oblast Tver, Russia
2002-2006: physics (theoretical & computational), MSc, Ghent University, Belgium

°1984
Married... with children.
Member of BPS (since 2006) and HV (since 2013), including Kwintessens.
Alma Mater’s major lessons: “Sapere aude!” / “Timeo hominem unius libri.”
Languages (in order of appearance): Dutch, French, English, German, html, Java, C++, Matlab, Python.
I call myself (AO) absurdist (both the humourist and philosophical sense), atheist, bibliophilist, cyclist, Epicurist, freethinker-ist, emergentist, generalist, optimist, and realist (physics sense).
In line with my pen name, I support PEN International and Amnesty International – Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber. (Plato)
Nobel Prize laureates are mental Iron Man winners. I admire both (in contrast with strongly sports-biased journalism).
Recreational motto: Travel anywhere by reading; read aptly while travelling.
Nichts ist wertvoller als der heutige Tag. (J.W. von Goethe)
All days combined, I hope not, I fear not, I am free. (N. Kazantzakis)
Mais il faut s'engager. (A. Camus)

SCIENCESCRIPTS

"science writing from the source" - in English & Dutch - by Arno Keppens

domains of interest / expertise (AO)

contributions

reviews

science poetry

layman writings

expert texts

research papers

CV

personal