On critical thinking

I consider myself an open-minded person. I believe everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I am always willing to change my mind when presented with a compelling argument. But I am also human, and there are some topics that simply strike a nerve and release the kraken in me, in particular issues related to …

Career advice to my 20-year-old self

I recently stumbled upon an interesting text by Emilie Wapnick on the career advice her twenty-year-old self would have needed. That of course got me thinking about what would I tell myself if I could go ten years back in time, and so I wrote a letter. [For the purpose of this intellectual exercise, I …

Alfred R. Wallace and the importance of networking

Alfred Russel Wallace, despite being unknown to most, was the one to first come up with the theory of natural selection. Wallace didn't have an easy start, with poverty forcing him to leave school at age 13. Years later, after succeeding in becoming a naturalist, he lost his collections, drawings and most of his notes …

On work-life balance

I am currently deep in what I think will be the most stressing time in my whole PhD. I love writing, so I know that won't be a problem, but this is my last chance to collect some data so that I have something to write about the following months. And I've been struggling. Luckily, …

On risks and control

My whole PhD studies have been a journey of risk management, through risk assessment (what could go wrong?) and mitigation (what can I do to minimize the impact of those risks, were they to occur?). I have several plans A, B and C in place at all times, to ensure quick and precise responses that …