Wit & Wisdom

When not Digging Through Code, Dig Rocks

Aaron Van Alstine and edited by Arushi Saxena September 1, 2021

Torbernite crystals from Van's rock collection

Most of us have been directly or indirectly involved in outreach activities, often relying on shiny rocks to capture people’s fascination. This week, Aaron Van Alstine, a member of the Memphis Archaeological and Geological Society, a passionate rockhounder, and moderator of the sub-reddit on radioactive rocks, shares his views on why all earth scientists need a rock collection and how to st ...[Read More]

Cybersecurity at work

Anne Glerum May 12, 2021

Santeri Viinamäki, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

In this weeks Wit & Wisdom, revisit some cybersecurity 101 nuggets! We are not even half-way through 2021 and I can list more than a handful of occasions where my cyber-safety, both private and professional, was jeopardised (that I have been made aware of, the actual number is probably much higher). The Dutch research council was hacked1 (ransomware; documents leaked after refusal to pay; fund ...[Read More]

Geology bites: In conversation with researchers

Oliver Strimpel and edited by Iris van Zelst April 28, 2021

*chomp* I just had a geology bite. Quite tasty.

We are still in a lockdown and we can still use some entertainment for when we stare at the same four walls for hours on end or go on our daily walk. Fear not, dear reader, I have got just the thing for you in these troubling times: the new podcast Geology Bites hosted by Oliver Strimpel: www.geologybites.com. Don’t fret about the name, there’s plenty of geodynamics content as well. In ...[Read More]

Seriously, science?

Editorial Team 3 December 9, 2020

This week, Cédric Thieulot, Assistant Professor at The Department of Earth Science, in Utrecht, shows that there is no place for humor in peer reviewed scientific publications. Science is serious. It’s about experiments, theory, analysis, and for most of this readership maths, physics, chemistry, biology, geology and so much more. It’s serious business, with funding, promotion, titles, grants and ...[Read More]