“Emergent quantum gravity: Exploration of a Planck-scale complex system approach” 2017 (essay for the Beyond Spacetime 2017 prize competition for essays on Space and Time After Quantum Gravity)
“Reality—revisited: Constructing a complex theory of quantum gravity from the bottom up” 2015 (essay for the Gravity Research Foundation 2015 Awards for Essays on Gravitation)
“Solstitium Brumalis” 2009
“Misconcepties in de natuurkunde vanuit de eigen ervaring: Kleuren in de praktijk” 2008
"Het hoge noorden: Een encyclopedie van de Arctis" L. Beyens, Atlas Contact, Amsterdam, 2016
"Het leven over tien miljoen jaar" M. Boulay; S. Steyer, VBK Media, Utrecht, 2016
"Machines die denken" J. Brockman (ed.), Maven Publishing, Amsterdam, 2016
European Meteorological Satellite (EUMETSAT)
O3M/AC-SAF reviews, 2013-present
"De theorie van alles: Een nieuwe relativiteitstheorie" T. van den Ende, Polytoon, Scheveningen, 2011 (content declined)
"Gravitatie en elektromagnetisme: De informatonentheorie" A. Acke, Nevelland, Nevele, 2008
poetry
"Solstice of billions" 2022
A shortest day again has passed,
one year in a series of billions…
And ‘though the year again fled fast,
our species has grown with millions…
Which makes me wonder
‘bout the human state:
Now more people are yonder
than years ahead until Earth and Sun abate…
But by that faraway date,
will there still be someone to celebrate?
"Samen wetenschappen" 2021
De mens is een bijzonder dier:
Slaagt niet in 't samenleven,
Vecht om de grootste God,
Doet zich in naam van 't voortbestaan,
D'ene na d'andere crisis aan.
De mens is een bijzonder dier:
Blijkt in staat tot democratie,
Doet aan kunst en aëronomie,
Durft te denken en experimenteert,
Schept zo wijze wetenschap, en leert.
Wetenschap gaat over ons,
En neemt steeds groter stappen.
Samen zullen we 't wetenschappen. (*)
(*) Adapted from "The Martian" (2015): “I’m going to have to science the shit out of this.”
"#covid #winter #solstice" 2020
With darkness at its maximum,
Warm lightness's on its way,
With joint moments and momentum,
Which we all want to stay.
"Economics" 2020
Economics,
Science of Scarcity,
at least officially,
seems to be,
more rightfully,
all about: Redundancy!
For long ago did not one sly,
unwilling to exchange supply,
hence first handing out
a voucher to a scout
for trade along the way
at any later day,
quite actually create
a dubious duplicate?
One must indeed conclude
that money, at its root,
replicates an unknown good,
and caused a global flood
of phantom stuff and food!
“A light source and a sphere...” 2019 (solstice verse)
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
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.
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)
Ode to he who overnight,
Gifted with great insight,
Turned those heavy holes,
From 'black' into 'bright'.
“Tempus fugit” 2017 (solstice verse)
Tempus fugit,
With constant c,
So from solstice to solstice,
With light’s velocity,
Another year
Has fled from thee.
Member of
BPS (since 2006), HV (since 2013), including Kwintessens, and ISQG (since 2024).
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, pianist (wannabe), 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.
Awards: Junior Journalist; IOP Outstanding Reviewer Award (2022); Gravity Research Foundation Awards for Essays on Gravitation: Honorable Mention (2023)
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)
