On Resonance

Best of both worlds

2010-10-17T18:52:00.007+02:00

We've recently been to Australia - 2 years and 8 months after our previous trip. This is the longest duration between visits, and this time, the differences between the two countries seemed to be more apparent. During our holiday, I noted a few things that I think the Dutch could adopt from Australia, and vice versa. Here is just a couple that seemed to really stand out:

What the Dutch could adopt from Australia

1. Gold Class Cinemas

After having been to a Gold Class Cinema, I must admit it is hard to go back to the regular cinemas. It is like the business class of film viewing. The cinemas are small, seating only about 30 patrons, but everyone gets a reclining, lounge-type chair, with a small side table and the option of pillows and blankets so that you can enjoy the film in the utmost of comfort. These cinemas also offer a more comprehensive food and beverage menu (not just popcorn and sweets), and your order is brought to your seat. Of course these privileges do come at a price, but are worth it!

2. Up-front payment at cafés

We were of course eating out a lot while we were away, and many cafés make use of an up-front payment process. Sometimes, we were given a number to place on our table, while in other places the tables are already number and you just let them know where you are sitting when you place your order. The food is still brought to your table, but you don't have to flag someone one down to place the order or pay the bill. As it is not unheard of for people to walk out of Dutch cafés without paying the bill, such a system could be quite beneficial in the Netherlands.

3. Wine selection in pubs

It seems to be almost standard now for pubs in Australia to offer quite an extensive wine list. OK, there is the advantage of having such a large selection of local wines to choose from, but having said that, they are not skimping on their choices. The wine that is offered is typically of very good quality, although it is probably more expensive than the beer selection. However, I would be willing to pay more for a glass of wine in a Dutch pub, if I knew that I was getting a decent drop.

What Australians could adopt from the Dutch

1. Free Wi-fi in city centres

Admittedly, it is only recently that Rotterdam has established a free wi-fi network within the city centre. But they have taken that initiative, and it is fantastic. While we as locals often make use of this service, it also allows tourists to search for local attractions/restaurants etc within the city. Here's hoping that the construction of the National Broadband Network will facilitate more free wi-fi access across Australia.

2. Cookies with coffee

Go to any café in Australia and you will be inundated with cake choices, it is almost overwhelming. However, the cake servings are often pretty big, and there are the odd occasions where one does not want (or need) a large piece of cake. The Dutch have the perfect alternative - they typically serve a small cookie, piece of cake or brownie upon ordering a coffee/tea and in many cases it is just enough to satisfy the sugar craving while not overdoing it. It is a little treat, without the guilt :)

3. City-airport train links

The Dutch train network brings you directly to the Amsterdam airport terminal - and in less than 1 hour from leaving home, I can be checked-in and ready for the flight. We visited 3 cities (and 4 airports!) in Australia, only one of which has a direct train link to the airport. Sadly with this service, the last train leaves at 20:00, so those on later flights have to find alternative transportation to the city centre. Although a train link to Melbourne airport has been considered, it does not seem to be a high priority. Pity, as there is ample space and would be very convenient for accessing the city.

The blender saga...

2010-08-10T19:15:00.005+02:00

...is finally over, almost 9 months after it began. It all started a few weeks before our house warming party, which was to be held the first weekend in December last year. The plan was to serve cocktails, but I noticed that there was a crack in our blender goblet. The blender was part of a Kenwood food processor, which was only about 3 years old. Needless to say, everything else was in working order, and the broken blender goblet did not warrant purchasing an entirely new food processor. So I began the hunt for a place that sold spare parts in the hope of replacing the blender.

There didn't seem to be any Dutch supplier of spare parts, and so I subsequently began my search in the UK. Although there were more options, many had strange payment systems or did not deliver to continental Europe. I then found to another UK on-line supplier of spare parts - they had the part, it would be €64 in total and would be shipped within 2-3 weeks. So I placed an order and just over a week later, received an email confirmation that the package was sent.

Given that deliveries from the UK typically take about a week to arrive, I expected my package to arrive within a few weeks, at most. But more than a month later and no sign of the order (and no blended cocktails at the party). It was getting close to Christmas at the time, and we received a number of packages, but not my spare part. After sending a few emails with no response from the vendor, I was starting to get a bit annoyed. And since the original confirmation email had no tracking number, I had no means of knowing what had happened to my order.

While I was trying to find another way of contacting the vendor, I came across a forum with not so glowing stories about this particular on-line supplier. Furthermore, the stories sounded very familiar - orders not received, no response from the vendor and no indication if and when they would get their part. My heart sank. What to do now.

I decided to send a formal letter to the vendor, but also contacted the European Consumer Centre. They act as a mediator in trying to resolve issues related to purchase within the EU - and this service is free! And they were very willing to help get to the bottom of the situation. So while they started their investigation, I continued to try to get in touch with the vendor.

Early in March, I finally received an email from the spare parts supplier that the package had been returned to them with a note saying that it had not been picked up, although a card would have been left in our box requesting us to do so. Despite receiving a number of packages in December, I don't think we missed the card from the postman. The on-line supplier then mentioned that they would have to charge me for redelivery. At this stage, I just wanted my money back and certainly didn't want to pay another €19 to have the package reshipped and run the risk of it not being delivered, again. So I requested a cancellation of my order and a full refund.

Their response was that the postage and handling is not refundable and they would be deducting a 33.3% restocking fee - thus the refund would be approximately €25. What!! A restocking fee!!! For a part I never received let alone used!!!! I was livid. About the same time, the ECC had also had got in touch with the vendor, to which they received the following response.

Even in this day of pampering consumers to the detriment of suppliers, surely she has to take some responsibility for her lack of action when this card was left (which it undoubtedly was - TNT are a reputable organization and would not have said they tried to deliver if this was not the case)?

Given some of my more recent experiences with TNTpost, I am not sure that they deserve such praise ;) But seriously, isn't this vendor's whole livelihood dependent on consumers? And is refunding my money pampering me? However, we came to an agreement. I would waive the postage and handling but receive a full refund for the part I ordered. The next catch? They only refund by cheque, which Dutch banks charge a fee to deposit. Upon receiving the cheque, I did notice that they had written the address incorrectly; they had put the number before the street, while the Dutch convention is the reverse. Could this have been the initial problem?

So after many months of blood, sweat and tears to get my blender goblet or money back, I ended up being out of pocket €40. In the meantime, I did eventually find a Dutch spare parts supplier (although I am sure they didn't exist in November). On Sunday, I placed an order with them for a blender goblet - it was in stock for €28 (including shipping) and would be sent within 24hrs of placing the order. Today, we received it! And so ends the saga.

Breakfast and brunch

2010-03-07T20:51:00.004+01:00

I was asked by a friend the other day if I could recommend a place for breakfast in Rotterdam. This question really stumped me as it is not often that we go out for breakfast/brunch these days. I always had the impression that not many places in Rotterdam do breakfast and I don't hear many people suggesting to meet for breakfast or brunch.

When I consider the other cities in which I have lived, I was spoiled with breakfast/brunch possibilities. Melbourne even has a whole website dedicated to the breakfast spots in different areas of the city. In America, the breakfast options were almost endless, from breakfast burritos and huevos rancheros in New Mexico to all day breakfast at places such as Yours Truly. It was nice to know that every once in a while, I could treat myself to a breakfast out.

So what are the breakfast options in Rotterdam? The Irish pub, O'Shea's, offers an all day Irish breakfast (from 12:00 noon!) and the rumour is that the new Urban Espresso Bar West will also serve an English breakfast. Cappucino, Bagels&Beans, Bagel Bakery and Mockamore serve bagels while Dudok and Picknick have quite extensive breakfast menus, served well into the afternoon. For a Turkish/Mediterranean breakfast, there is Bazar and de Olijventuin. But of all these places, only a few are open before 9am during the week and 10am on the weekend.

As I have the impression that the Dutch are going through a gastronomic revolution, I can't help wonder whether there may also be an increase in breakfast and brunch spots in the near future. Here's hoping...

Revival?

2010-03-01T22:14:00.003+01:00

It has been over a year since I wrote anything on this blog. In part, this is because of a lack of focus. The original intention was to use it to discuss the things that struck a chord - things that resonated with me - which included my research, food and Rotterdam among other things. However, a year ago, I started a new job where I could no longer discuss my work publicly. Also, we moved house, and were putting a lot of time and effort in to getting that all set up. But now, a year later, when things have settled down a bit, it seems a good time to revive it.

Yet, there is still the question of what to blog about? Any suggestions?

Two articles about polyelectrolyte complexes

2009-01-28T11:37:00.003+01:00

In the last month, I have had two articles published related to the work a BSc student did with me on polyelectrolyte complexes. The first article, published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry B, investigates the effect of the complex composition on the physical properties of the materials. We observed that complexes of two different polyelectrolytes in the ratio 20:1 showed higher proton conductivities compared to the pure materials, without compromising the structure or stability of the material. These results are of particular interest for fuel cell applications, where tough materials with high conductivities are required.

The second article, published in Soft Matter, examines the material structure upon adjusting the ratio of the two polyelectrolytes used in the complex. One component is a rigid polyelectrolyte that has shown preferential alignment in a specific direction. Complexing this material with a second, more flexible polyelectrolyte was expected to reduce the degree of ordering. However, the results indicated that the alignment was retained for polyelectrolyte ratios up to 10:1. Such behaviour may allow for tuning the structure of polymer films, which may then be applied as fuel cell membranes, filtration membranes, and sensors.

Smoking Ban Defiance

2008-12-04T13:07:00.003+01:00

From the 1st of July 2008, a smoking ban was imposed on all pubs and restaurants in the Netherlands. During the summer months, most smokers were happy to make use of the outside terraces, particularly on a balmy evening. But as winter approaches, many pubs are defying the ban and allowing their patrons to smoke inside. In some towns, publicans have collectively agreed to ignore the ban, with many smaller places struggling to make ends meet due to a decline in customers. Such resistance would appear to be gathering momentum, with other pubs around the country also turning a blind eye to those who smoke inside. The health minister, however, has indicated that he will take a tough stance on places that do not uphold the law. But with the threat of a 300 euro fine for an inital offence, it seems that many publicans were willing to take that risk. However, through unfair competition laws, pubs may face fines of up to several thousands of euros, with repeat offenders facing (temporary) closure of their establishment.

Last night, we decided to go for a pub meal at one of our locals (but not a regular haunt). Of the 25 or so people that were there, ALL but about 4 people were smoking. Although there were no ashtrays on the bars or tables, people were using the candle holders. And given that almost everyone that walked in was holding a cigarette packet, it would seem that the word had got around that this pub is ignoring the ban. After experiencing several months of smoke free bliss, it was just horrible to sit there in the smokey atmosphere, particularly as we were eating. Had we not ordered food, I think we would have left. And if they continue to allowing smoking, I will do my best to avoid going back. Fortunately, we were not there long as we had another event to go to, at a pub down the road where smoking is NOT allowed. And although the place was filled with students, there were also many other patrons enjoying the smoke free atmosphere. Thanks Cambrinus for upholding the ban - we will be back!

Chocolate Fondant

2008-09-21T20:53:00.003+02:00

One of my favourite TV shows is 'Masterchef', a BBC program whereby amateur chefs have a chance to show off their talent in a series of cooking challenges. After completing these challenges, the person who has demonstrated the best technique, presentation, and of course the best tasting food, is the winner. Having watched several series of Masterchef, there seems to be one dish that can either make or break a contestant - chocolate fondant. The key to chocolate fondant is that the outside should be cakey in consistency, while the inside should be gooey, molten chocolate. The stumbling block for many of the contestants on Masterchef is that they either undercook it, such that it collapses into a runny mess, or overcook it so that it is cakey all the way through. After seeing so many people fail to prepare a proper chocolate fondant, I was curious to see how difficult it is to make. Funnily enough, this month's edition of the Dutch delicious. magazine has a recipe for Chocolate Fondant, so I thought I would give this recipe a try. Upon looking at the list of ingredients, I was skeptical as to whether it would work. However, to my surprise, the puddings were a success! Compared to the contestants on Masterchef, I had the advantage of time. I could leave the puddings in the fridge for several hours, which seems to help to maintain a liquid centre upon cooking. I was very pleased with the result and will definitely be preparing this chocolate fondant recipe again sometime...

Chocolate Fondant (serves 6)

200g high quality dark chocolate
240g unsalted butter, in blocks
4 eggs
90g caster sugar
30g flour, sifted
powder sugar

Break the chocolate into pieces. Put the chocolate and butter into a heat-resistant bowl and melt in the microwave on medium power for about 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir to make sure the mixture is smooth and let the mixture cool to room temperature.

In another bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar until the mixture is light and foamy. Fold in the chocolate mixture and sifted flour. Spoon the mixture in to 6 greased and floured souffle ramekins of 185ml or 3/4 of a cup in volume. Place the ramekins in to the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius and bake the puddings for 10 to 12 minutes until they have a cakey surface. Take the ramekins out of the oven and leave for a minute to rest. With a knife, carefully run around the outside of the pudding and turn out on to a plate. Sprinkle with powder sugar and serve with berries, cream or icecream.

The Red Apple

2008-08-17T13:23:00.008+02:00

We have bought an apartment! - a three-room place in a new building in the centre of Rotterdam. The building, known as The Red Apple, is located on Wijnhaveneiland (translation: Wine harbour island) just minutes from shops, restaurants, public transport and other amenities. The building consists of two parts - a tower and a head block - and we were able to buy a place on the 10th floor of the head block. It is 93m2, with two bedrooms, a bathroom, a large open kitchen/living room and a separate utility room. The apartment has wall-to-wall floor-to-ceiling windows, with views to the north and north-west along Wijnhaven towards the city centre. As the building is still under construction, we wont be able to move in until the 2nd quarter of 2009. In the meantime, we are busy looking at kitchen layouts and floor coverings. Some pictures of the current status of the building can be seen here.

Our place is outlined in red!

NMR study published in 'Fuel Cells'

2008-07-22T09:56:00.003+02:00

Last week, I received an email with the table of contents for the most recent edition of the journal 'Fuel Cells' to find that in this edition, they had published an article I had submitted to the journal. The article presents the findings of an NMR study of the proton transport mechanisms in a phosphoric acid doped polymer that has potential as a fuel cell membrane. The polymer consists of two components - one crystalline, the other amorphous - and the results suggest that the proton transport takes place more readily in the amorphous phase. This work was completed during a six month project with the Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell group at the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN). Being one of the major energy research institutes in the Netherlands, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with them, and also to be able to publish the work we did together.

Page Turners

2008-07-08T12:44:00.003+02:00

In 2000, some friends of mine started the reading group 'Page Turners'. We were mostly friends from uni, with a few joining by association, and eight years later the group is still going strong. From the 12 or so original members, many are still regular participants in a group that now consists of about 18 members. We have covered a number of genres in our book selections, including classical and contemporary literature, fantasy and sci-fi, biographies, non-fiction, comedies and graphic novels. In many cases, it has been a great way to read something that you would otherwise have never even picked up at a bookshop or library. Since I moved overseas in 2001, I have been a member 'by correspondence'. I have continued to read most of the books, after which I send my thoughts to the group via email. It has been a great way to maintain a presence in the group, although I am not physically able to attend most of the meetings. What I have missed, however, is being involved in the discussion, and to hear what other members thought of the book. Or at least that was the case, until now. Just recently, the Page Turners blog was established, where members of the group can post a comment on the book we have just read (and discussed). Already, there have been several posts on the books of the last 2 months, and it has been great to be able to read the impressions/interpretations of others. I'm certainly looking forward to more comments on the future book selections in the months to come.

BookCrossing

2008-04-06T13:16:00.004+02:00

Over the years, I have acquired quite a few books - some of which I love and could happily read over and over again, but there are also others that I am less fond of. More recently, however, I find myself refraining from buying books, simply because I just don't have the space to store them. One alternative would be of course to buy a bigger book shelf, but I had also thought about parting ways with the books that I probably wont ever read again. Rather that just throwing them away or giving them to a second-hand bookstore, I am considering releasing them into the big wide world, sending them on a literary adventure. Some time ago, I heard about a worldwide book sharing service called BookCrossing which simply involves registering a book, and then leaving it somewhere for someone to pick it up and read. The books can be left in cafes, hotels, on buses or park benches, and whoever picks up the book registers its new location. Once this person reads the book, it can once again be left for another unsuspecting reader in a new location, and the travels of the book can be tracked on the BookCrossing website. I think this is a really novel idea (pardon the pun), and as the BookCrossing website states, by participating you "Help make the whole world a library and share the joy of literacy." It will be interesting to see where my books end up...

Hot Cross Buns

2008-03-24T13:33:00.002+01:00

During Easter, I would always have Hot Cross Buns. As they are not readily available here in the Netherlands, I decided to make some myself this Easter. Once again, Donna Hays 'Modern Classics Book 2' provided the recipe and around 4pm on Easter Sunday, we were enjoying butter smothered buns straight from the oven. On other occasions, the same recipe can be used to prepare a simple fruit bun, without the cross.

For the buns:
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup caster (superfine) sugar
1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk
4 1/4 cups plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted
2 teaspoons mixed spice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
50g melted butter
1 egg
1 1/2 cups sultanas
1/3 cup mixed peel, optional

For the cross:
1/2 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
1/3 cup water

For the glaze:
2 teaspoons apricot jam, strained if desired
2 teaspoons water, approximate

Place the milk into a bowl and warm in the microwave (or on the stove) on a low setting for 1-2 minutes until slightly warm. Sprinkle over the yeast and 2 teaspoons of the caster sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes during which time the mixture will start to foam, indicating that the yeast is active.

Add the flour, mixed spice, cinnamon, butter, egg, sultanas, mixed peel and remaining sugar to the yeast mixture and mix using a butter knife until a sticky dough forms. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 8 minutes or until it feels elastic. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and allow to stand in a warm place for 1 hour or until the dough doubles in size. Divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll into balls.

Grease a 23cm square cake tin and line with non-stick baking paper. Placed the dough balls in the tin, cover with a clean tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes or until the buns have risen.

Preheat the over to 200 degrees Celsius. Combine the flour and water for the cross, place in a piping bag or a plastic bag with one corner snipped off, and pipe crosses on to the buns. Bake for 35 minutes or until well browned and springy to the touch.

Combine the jam and water in a bowl and heat in the microwave for 1 minute. The glaze should be syrupy but thin enough to brush onto the buns. Add more water if necessary. Remove the buns from the oven and brush with the warm glaze. Serve with butter. Makes 12.

Authorship Order

2008-02-08T11:40:00.000+01:00

When preparing a scientific article for publication, there is often the question of who are the authors, and in what order should they be listed. In some cases, it is easy - the person who conducted the research (and in many cases, this is also the person who wrote the article) is listed first, while the supervisor is listed last. When there are more than two authors, however, the additional authors are usually added in order of their contribution and/or seniority between the first and last authors. As this is generally the accepted order of authorship, it is immediately apparent to the reader who did the work and who oversaw the research. But is the order of the authors important? Within a scientific article, reference may be made to another publication, e.g. "In previous studies, Smith et al. found...", and in most cases, the citation refers to the first named author of that publication. Similarly, when discussing an article with a colleague, we often referred to it as "the so-and-so paper" according to the first named author. Furthermore, when searching for articles using a bibliographical database, the results are listed by both year and the first named author. However, it has been brought to my attention on a number of occasions that having your name last on an article is even more important. As the last author, you are assumed to be the innovator behind the research, which attests to your ability as a project leader. Consequently, it is also used as a quantifier of productivity and excellence, where not only the number of publications is important but also how many have your name last. Making the transition from first to last author can be difficult, particularly when seniority and politics come into play. But unless alphabetical ordering is adopted, this authorship hierarchy is unlikely to change.

'Piled Higher and Deeper' by Jorge Cham is the popular comic strip about life, or the lack thereof, in grad school. Check it out by going to www.phdcomics.com

Raspberry Tiramisu

2008-01-16T11:17:00.002+01:00

One of my favourite desserts is Raspberry Tiramisu, the recipe of which comes from Donna Hay's 'The Instant Cook' book. It is so simple, yet so yummy, that it is difficult to refuse a second helping. A perfect dessert for almost any occasion!

1 3/4 cups of cream
500g mascarpone
1 cup of dessert wine (I use Port)
600g defrosted frozen raspberries
1 pkt sponge finger biscuits (10-20 biscuits, depending on the size)

Place the cream in a bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. Fold through the mascarpone and set aside. Place the dessert wine into a shallow dish. Quickly dip both sides of half of the biscuits into the dessert wine and place them in a single layer in the base of a 10 cup (2.5L) serving dish (such as a lasagna dish). Distribute half of the raspberries over the biscuits followed by half of the cream mixture. Dip the remaining biscuits into the wine and place on top of the cream layer. Distribute the remaining raspberries over the biscuits and spread over the remaining cream mixture. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving, although best made the day before. Serves 8-10.

delicious.

2007-11-20T12:54:00.000+01:00

Australians enjoy good food, and the availability of produce and the variety of restaurants in Australia is testament to this. But what I am noticing more frequently is that Australian chefs are also receiving recognition on the international stage. Out of the World's 50 Best Restaurants, two are located in Sydney. In my local bookstore in Rotterdam, there are recipe books by Donna Hay and Bill Granger - translated into Dutch! Donna Hay's magazine (English version) is also now available at some Dutch newsagents. Even the delicious. magazine, established in Australia, is now published in the UK and the Netherlands, with both issues including recipes from Australian chefs. As the Dutch are not known for their cuisine, it is so exciting to think that Australians may be helping to bring about a gastronomic revolution here in the Netherlands. And with kangaroo meat being stocked in the local supermarket, it almost feels like I am dining in Melbourne again...

Citation Etiquette

2007-11-13T16:40:00.000+01:00

In my English class in high school, I was always told that you should never copy blocks of text from a source and use it verbatim in your own essay/article. If it was not possible to write it in another way, then the copied sentence/paragraph should be enclosed in quotation marks and the source cited appropriately. Such methodology is particularly relevant when writing scientific articles for publication in peer reviewed journals. Failure to do so is not only plagiarising, but also infringes on copyright and general scientific etiquette. Today, I noticed that someone had cited one of my publications in their article and I was curious to know what aspect of my work they had referred to. When I found a copy of the article, I immediately checked the reference list to see where in the text they had referred to my article - to my surprise I was the first reference cited in the paper! When I began reading the introduction of this article, it was clear that they hadn't referred to my research, but rather had copied word-for-word the first paragraph and a half of the introduction from my article! Upon seeing this, I wasn't sure if I should be insulted or flattered by what they had done. Although both articles are about fuel cells, the papers are otherwise unrelated. In that regard, it seems irrelevant to have referred to my article. I guess there is some consolation in the fact that they did cite my article, thereby acknowledging the source of the information. And given that there is so much emphasis on the number of publications and citations, perhaps I should be happy with any form of citation, no matter the context. Although I don't agree with what they did, I am not going to take it any further. However, a colleague did suggest that I contact this group and inform them that this was not my best article and that next time they should copy another one... :)

WISER - Measuring Excellence

2007-11-02T11:06:00.000+01:00

What is excellence? How does one assess excellence? What criteria should be used? And who should do the assessing? The measurement of excellence is frequently discussed in relation to academia and academics, whether it be in appointing a professor, awarding a grant, or evaluating the productivity of an academic. But can one really measure ‘excellence’? At the WISER Festival, this very topic was debated. Prof. Ana Proykova, a professor of physics at the University of Sofia, discussed both the quantitative and qualitative elements of excellence. The number of publications, citations, patents, grants, students and collaborators are an objective way of quantifying excellence. The quality of the work is judged by the reviewers of the work and reflected by the international reputation of the journal in which the work is published. However, Prof. Flavia Zucco, head of research at the Institute of Neurobiology and Molecular Medicine at the National Research Council in Rome, argued that scientific excellence rewards assertiveness and single mindedness, while other skills such as flexibility, creativity, diplomacy and competence are deemed less important. She referred to Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, the physics Nobel Prize laureate, who noted that women bring specific skills to research that men often lack, including the ability to create teams in research, giving students the freedom they need and keeping egos in check. Prof. Zucco remarked that the differences between men and women should be valued in the academic arena. Ms. Marieke van den Brink, a PhD student at the Institute of Gender Studies at Radboud University Nijmegen, is addressing such issues in her research. In a recent publication, she posed the question ‘Does excellence have a gender?’ in relation to the appointment of professors at universities in the Netherlands. More than 60% of the professors recruited in the Netherlands between 1999 and 2003 were appointed by a closed application process (non-advertised positions). Although Ms. van den Brink had hypothesized that such procedures may disadvantage women, the findings did not confirm this. Thus, the so-called ‘old boys’ network appears to be equally advantageous for women in the Netherlands. However, her results did show that female applicants have a greater chance of being appointed to a position when there are more women on the selection committee. This may reflect the differences in the measurement of ‘excellence’ as perceived by men and women, as women may pay more attention to gender-specific behaviour. Should gender differences be considered when assessing excellence? Probably, but integrating gender awareness into the measurement of excellence is a whole new debate.

WISER - Leadership Rules

2007-10-22T15:24:00.000+02:00

"A woman is like a tea bag- you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water." Eleanor Roosevelt.

The professional advancement of women (and minorities) in an organization often reaches a certain level, after which there appears to be a barrier that limits women from being promoted to higher positions. It is not through lack of experience or education that this occurs, but rather some other impediment that holds women back, a situation that is often referred to as the ‘glass ceiling’. Many people believe that women restrict themselves from taking on high level positions; however, there is also the perception that women who do hold such positions often do so to the detriment of the company. Dr. Michelle Ryan, a psychologist at the University of Exeter, has questioned the validity of such a statement, suggesting that women are often promoted to management roles only when a company is already struggling. In studying the performance of FTSE 100 companies in Britain in 2003 in the months preceding and following the appointment of both men and women to board positions, she found some interesting trends in the data. When the stock market was down, the companies that were performing relatively consistently appointed men to the board member positions while the companies that were struggling promoted women. After each appointment, the performance of these companies typically increased, although those with the women on board showed a much more dramatic turn around. When the stock market was up, the company performance after appointing a man was relatively stable. For the companies that promoted women under such conditions, their performance was more variable prior to the appointment, after which it was again relatively stable. From these results, Dr. Ryan concluded that it appears that women are more likely to be promoted to higher level positions when a company is performing badly. She says, “In this way, such women can be seen to be placed on top of a ‘glass cliff’, in the sense that their leadership appointments are made in problematic organizational circumstances and hence are more precarious.” What is not clear from this outcome is why such trends occur. Is it because women are perceived to perform better under crisis situations? Do women see such roles as an opportunity to prove themselves? Or are they simply being promoted to ‘scapegoat’ positions? The implications of such precarious promotions form the basis of Dr. Ryan’s ongoing research. From this study, however, it is apparent that the promotion of women to higher positions is often an effect rather than a cause of poor company performance.

WISER - Shouldn't We Be?

2007-10-10T20:46:00.000+02:00

"There are three broad hypotheses about the sources of the very substantial disparities...with respect to the presence of women in high-end scientific professions. ...the first is what I call the high-powered job hypothesis. The second is what I would call different availability of aptitude at the high end, and the third is what I would call different socialization and patterns of discrimination in a search. And in my own view, their importance probably ranks in exactly the order that I just described." Remarks from a speech given by Larry Summers, former President of Harvard University, at the NBER Conference in January 2005.

Although the above-mentioned speech ultimately led to Summers resignation, these sentiments are often shared by many people when attempting to explain the lack of women in high level positions. But rather than focusing on the reasons for the disparity, the first debate of the WISER Festival considered four possible alternatives for promoting women and subsequently increasing the percentage of women in academia. Prof. Janneke Gerards, a professor in constitutional and administrative law at Leiden University, proposed that 40% of scientific board and committee members should be women. She argued that more female representation will not only give alternative perspectives but also result in less gender bias when making decisions. Prof. Mineke Bosch, an associate professor in gender studies at the University of Maastricht, suggested that women should be made more visible by promoting them through collaborations, conferences and communication. Prof. Renate Loll, a professor of theoretical physics at Utrecht University, argued that we should raise our expectations of what women can achieve - 'believe in yourself, and all things are possible.' Prof. Yvonne Benschop, a professor of organisational behaviour at Radboud University Nijmegen, proposed that there should be a national mission for 'gender mainstreaming' by breaking down the 'ivory tower'. The festival participants were asked to vote on which proposition they preferred, with the initial count being in favour of Prof. Gerards. Many participants believed that if there was greater representation of women on boards and committees, then the other propositions would follow. This sparked further debating among the panel members and festival participants, where it was suggested that it is difficult to implement quotas. There was also strong support for 'crumbling the ivory tower' by making changes to the system. However, it was also argued that this requires one to already be in the system in order to be able to make such changes. Towards the end of the session, a second vote was cast, with the numbers then in favour of Prof. Bosch's proposal of creating visibility. This certainly requires less of a paradigm shift, but who is going to promote women? Overall, it was concluded that in one way or another, each of these propositions needs to be addressed in order to have greater representation of women in high level positions. The reasons for the lack of female academics may be multifaceted, but it is also apparent that there is no simple solution for changing the situation either.

Women in Science Education Research Festival - WISER

2007-10-09T22:37:00.000+02:00

Last week, I attended the two day festival 'Women in Science Education and Research - WISER' in Maastricht. As mentioned in an earlier post, women hold approximately 25% of academic positions in the Netherlands, but only 10% of full professors are female. With 50% of university students being female, this begs the question 'Where did all the women go?' Over the two days, various issues were debated and discussed relating to the disproportion of women in academia and what can be done to change the status quo. Rather than trying to summarise the festival in one post, I intend to write a series of entries about some of the more interesting issues that were raised. Stay tuned for more...

H-index

2007-09-13T10:20:00.000+02:00

Universities are continually looking for ways to quantify the research output of their academic staff. With databases such as 'Web of Science' on the Thompson Scientific ISI Web of Knowledge website, it is possible to obtain various statistics related to the number of publications for a given researcher. The factors that universities are looking for are how many articles one publishes, but also how often they are cited as a reference in another publication. The most mind-boggling statistic obtained from this analysis is the h-index. If an author's publications are ranked according to the number of citations with the most cited article listed first, the h-index is the number where the h-th article has been cited either h or more times. Huh? In other words, an h-index of 10 means that there are 10 publications that have 10 or more citations. The 'Web of Science' argues that "This metric is useful because it discounts the disproportionate weight of highly cited papers or papers that have not yet been cited." While this may be the case, it seems that it does not necessarily give an indication of the impact of the specific research or article. For example, an article that has been cited 1000 times has presumably had more of an impact on the scientific community than an article that has only been sited 100 times. So what does the h-index actually mean? Someone who has 50 articles each of which has been cited 50 times (h-index: 50) would appear to be more productive than another person who only has 5 articles that have been cited 500 times (h-index: 5), but does that mean that the first person is a better scientist? By the way, my h-index is 6.

Melt-and-mix Chocolate Coconut Cake

2007-09-01T14:07:00.002+02:00

Looking for a quick and simple chocolate cake recipe? Try this one from Donna Hay's Modern Classics Book 2.

250g melted butter
3/4 cup sifted cocoa powder
1 1/3 cups caster (superfine) sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups desiccated coconut
1 1/2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour into a greased 24-cm round cake time lined with non-stick baking paper and bake for 50 minutes. Dust with cocoa and serve warm or cold with thick (double) cream. Serves 8-10.

Schmap

2007-08-28T16:20:00.001+02:00

One of my photos I had uploaded to Flickr has been used in an online travel guide called Schmap. The picture is of the Copenhagen jazz festival and has been included in the Schmap Copenhagen city guide.

Women in Science

2007-08-24T13:43:00.000+02:00

Last week, I met with a woman from the Dutch Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) to discuss what opportunities there are for female scientists in the Netherlands and how NWO is supporting this. Although approximately 1/3 of PhD students are female, it is clear that for many women, their academic careers stop there. In the Netherlands, women hold approximately 25% of the academic staff positions in natural sciences (including biology, chemistry and physics), but less than 20% in engineering and technology departments. With a few exceptions (most notably Turkey and Portugal), the statistics are similar for other European countries and the USA.

Why are there not more women in academic positions? Having discussed this very question with friends and colleagues, there doesn’t appear to be a simple answer. It seems that many women are put off by the competitive environment and the aggressiveness that is needed to be successful in academia. Others feel that there is a lack of acceptance of female scientists, making it even harder for them to gain the recognition they deserve. Another common deterrent is the limited child-care facilities and support for women who want to have children and work full-time. For many women, there just doesn’t seem to be enough incentive to follow an academic career.

Universities are acknowledging these issues and making more of an effort to support and encourage female scientists and engineers in their education and vocation. At Delft University of Technology, the Delft Women in Science (DEWIS) network was established to provide mentoring and coaching as well as professional and personal development lectures and workshops to female students and staff members. With funding agencies such as NWO offering subsidies for female scientists and engineers, there is clearly an effort to provide more opportunities and better working conditions for female academics. It will be interesting to see if more women take advantage of such opportunities in the coming years.

Update - Second-class Citizen

2007-08-22T10:48:00.001+02:00

After having my right to vote in Australian federal elections revoked, I sent a few emails to the Australian Electoral Commission expressing my disappointment in receiving the cancellation letter and the fact that I would not be able to vote in the upcoming election. The Divisional Returning Officer for my electorate responded to my email, reiterating the legislation but also commenting that he would consider extending my status if I was to apply in writing. Last week, I did just that, and this morning I received an email informing me that my extension has been approved! This means that I will be able to vote in the next federal election, which is expected to take place before the end of the year.

Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova

2007-08-14T14:17:00.001+02:00

One of my all time favourite recipes is another from Nigella's 'Forever Summer' book - Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova. Arguably the most quintessential Australian dessert, pavlova consists of a meringue base topped with whipped cream and fruit. While pavlova is usually a crowd pleaser, this chocolate variety is guaranteed to impress even the toughest critic.

For the chocolate meringue base:

6 egg whites
300g caster sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder, sieved
1 teaspoon balsamic or red wine vinegar
50g dark chocolate, finely chopped

For the topping:

500ml double cream
500g raspberries
2-3 tablespoons coarsely grated dark chocolate

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a baking tray with baking paper.

Beat the egg whites until satiny peaks form, and then beat in the sugar a spoonful at a time until the meringue is stiff and shiny. Sprinkle over the cocoa and vinegar, and the chopped chocolate. Then gently fold everything until the cocoa is thoroughly mixed in. Mound on to a baking sheet in a fat circle approximately 23cm in diameter, smoothing the sides and top. Place in the oven, then immediately turn the temperature down to 150 degrees Celsius and cook for about one to one and a quarter hours. When it's ready it should look crisp around the edges and on the sides and be dry on top, but when you touch the centre you should feel slightly soft. Turn off the oven and open the door slightly, and let the chocolate meringue cool completely.

When you are ready to serve, place on to a large, flat-bottomed plate. Whisk the cream till thick but still soft and pile it on top of the meringue, then scatter over the raspberries. Coarsely grate the chocolate into curls and sprinkle over the top.

Serves 8-10.

Second-class Citizen

2007-08-07T11:57:00.000+02:00

My status as an overseas elector for Australian federal elections has been revoked! All Australians living in Australia must vote, but if you move to another country, then voting is no longer compulsory. I left Australia in 2001 and before doing so, applied to be an overseas elector. This gave me the right to vote in the federal elections via a postal vote that was distributed by the local embassy. However, the overseas elector status is only for a limited time period of up to 6 years. If you have not returned to Australia within that time frame, you have to re-register within the 3 months before the present 6 year term has expired. This extends your overseas elector status for only 1 more year. When I left Australia, I had not expected that I would still be living abroad 6 years later. Consequently, I didn't make any sort of note to remind myself to extend my overseas elector status. Now it seems that it is too late. Last week, I received a letter from the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) Division of Bruce indicating that my registration as an overseas elector has been cancelled, although my enrolment as an ordinary elector is maintained. I am angry and frustrated that the AEC only sends such a letter after the expiration date. Couldn't they have sent me a reminder that my overseas elector eligibility was about to expire so that I could re-register in time? I am sure there are some people who pay more attention to such things, but I also believe that there are many Australians who have been denied the right to vote due to this absurd situation. In the latter case, many names have also been removed from the electoral role, which then requires the person to re-enrol after one month upon their return to Australia. Although I have chosen to live abroad, it doesn't mean that I have cut all ties from Australia - far from it, in fact. So why am I being made to feel like a second-class citizen?

Svante Arrhenius (1859-1927)

2007-07-29T16:53:00.000+02:00

You think you know someone and then they go and do something that completely surprises you. Of course, I don’t personally know Svante Arrhenius, but I am well aware of his research. He is a Swedish physical chemist who studied electrolyte behaviour (similar to me) and proposed that chemical reactions must overcome an energy threshold (activation energy) before they will proceed, as described by the Arrhenius equation (which I often use in my work). To my amazement, I recently discovered that Arrhenius also predicted global warming. In 1896, he published a paper that demonstrated how changes in carbon dioxide levels could alter the surface temperature of the earth. Drawing upon previous work by Tyndall and Fourier (amongst others), his calculations showed that halving the CO2 levels would result in a temperature drop of 4 to 5 degrees Celsius, while doubling the CO2 would increase the temperature by 5 to 6 degrees Celsius. The time frame for doubling the CO2 was expected to be around 3000 years, while recent estimates suggest it will take approximately a century. Although the calculations were not exactly on the mark, the results are surprising close to current global warming predictions. Arrhenius believed that a rise in temperature would help to prevent another ice age, and even went so far to suggest that it was necessary in order to sustain the rapid growth in population. Overall, he seemed to have a positive view on global warming. If he were alive today, would he feel the same way?

Killer Chocolate Mousse

2007-07-27T11:35:00.000+02:00

A friend of mine loves chocolate and so when she and her husband came for dinner last weekend, I knew that a dessert with chocolate should be on the menu. After considering a number of options, I decided to prepare the Mint Chocolate Mousse from Nigella's 'Forever Summer' book. In my desperate search for mint flavoured chocolate, I stumbled across New Tree chocolates from Belgium. These milk or dark blocks of chocolate are flavoured with lavender, blackcurrant, ginger, lemon, bitter orange, cinnamon, coffee, lime blossoms, cactus and guarana (but no mint). In particular, the blackcurrant chocolate caught my eye. The idea of a rich, berry flavoured chocolate mousse sounded like a truly exquisite dessert. Rather than overpowering the mousse with the blackcurrants, I combined this chocolate with normal dark cooking chocolate. The resultant berry flavour was subtle, but with a touch of decadence. I think even Nigella would have been impressed. Here is the recipe:

300g chocolate (mint, blackcurrant or whatever you desire)
2 tablespoons soft unsalted butter
6 eggs
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
garnish (mint leaves, fresh blackcurrants, etc)

Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a bowl along with the butter. Heat in the microwave on medium until melted (approximately 3 minutes). Set aside and allow to cool. Separate the eggs and put the yolks and sugar into one bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until it resembles stiff snow (but not dry) and set aside. Beat the yolks and sugar together then pour into the chocolate. Fold through until thoroughly combined. Add a quarter of the egg whites and beat vigorously until incorporated. Then gently added the remaining egg whites in small amounts and fold them into the chocolate mixture. Pour into a glass bowl (or 6 individual dishes), cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Garnish before serving. Serves 6 - and is extremely rich!

Culinary Chemistry

2007-07-26T10:32:00.000+02:00

Although I had originally intended to post about science on this blog, it wasn't long before I digressed to posting recipes. I enjoy cooking, especially desserts (as you can see), and when you think about it, there is actually a lot of science in cooking. In salad dressing, oil droplets are dispersed in water to form an emulsion. Marinating meat in an acid (fruit juice, wine or vinegar) breaks down the proteins, making the meat more tender. When boiling an egg, the protein molecules interact with one another (coagulate) to form a gel. Jan Groenewold, a physical chemist and former colleague of mine, has recently released a book with chef, Eke Marien, called 'Cook and Chemist'. They explain the scientific principles behind cooking techniques and how they influence texture and taste. Admittedly, it does take away some of the mysticism of cooking, but definitely intrigues the scientist in me. But can science help me to make the perfect souffle? Well, as they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating!

Coffee and chocolate self-saucing pudding

2007-07-08T21:01:00.000+02:00

Another dinner party at our place meant another opportunity to try a new dessert recipe. This time it was a coffee and chocolate self-saucing pudding from the Donna Hay magazine (Issue 32). The recipe is from the 'Skillet Desserts' article, where each dessert is prepared in a skillet or frying pan. Although I did use a small frying pan, I think it should also be possible to make this pudding in another dish with some minor adjustment to the cooking time. Here is the recipe:

Coffee and Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding

For the pudding batter, you need:
1/2 cup (125ml) milk
35g unsalted butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
1/2 cup (150g) plain flour, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, sifted
1 tablespoon instant coffee, sifted
1/4 cup (27.5g) almond meal (ground almonds)
1/4 cup (27.5g) brown sugar

For the sauce, you need:
1/2 cup (55g) brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted
1 cup (250ml) water

For serving, you need:
thick (double) cream or ice cream

Preheat the over to 180 degrees Celsius (355 degrees Fahrenheit). For the pudding batter, place the milk, butter, egg and vanilla in a bowl and whisk to combine. Place the flour, baking powder, coffee, almond meal and sugar in another bowl and mix. Gradually add the milk mixture and whisk well to combine. Set aside.

For the sauce, place the sugar, cocoa powder and water in a 15cm 4 cup (1 litre) capacity non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat. Pour the pudding batter to the frying pan containing the sauce. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until firm to touch.

Serve with cream or ice cream. Serves 4 people.

So what is it that you do exactly?

2007-07-06T09:50:00.000+02:00

When asked the question 'So what do you do for a living?', I sometimes respond by saying 'I'm trying to save the world'. OK, that might be a little bit of an exaggeration, but I do like to think that my work may have an impact on our future lifestyle. Let me explain. My background is in Materials Science and Engineering, and over the last 10 years or so, I have been researching new materials for alternative energy technologies. The aim is to develop efficient batteries, solar cells and fuel cells that will supply us with a clean source of energy and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels (hence, saving the world). More specifically, I study the performance of different electrolyte materials that can be used in these devices. The effectiveness of an electrolyte is dependent on its ability to conduct an electric current, which is directly related to the availability of ionic charges (ions) and how fast they move through the material. The factors that affect the ion mobility include the chemistry and structure of the material and the temperature. By performing a number of experiments, I piece together a picture of how each of these factors affects the overall performance of the electrolyte and what can be done to improve the material. Of course, there is always the desire for faster ion mobility and improved electrolytes, but is there a limit to what can be achieved? Probably, but there are still enough unanswered questions to sustain electrolyte research for at least the time being. So, the end of the world is NOT nigh...well, not yet.

WiTricity

2007-06-13T14:52:00.002+02:00

We live in a wireless world of portable technologies, and yet we are still 'tethered' to the battery chargers that allow us to lead this mobile lifestyle. With limited power from batteries, and the promise of commercially available fuel cells being perpetually 5 years away, a truly wireless society seems far from reality. However, a group at MIT has been working on an alternative source of wireless electricity (WiTricity) that is generated by a non-radiative electromagnetic field oscillating at a very high frequency (MHz). A portable device, such as a laptop or mobile phone, accepts this radiation through a receiver coil that resonates at the same frequency as the emitted magnetic field. Initial experiments demonstrated that 60 Watts of power could be transferred over a distance of 2 meters. Encouraged by these preliminary results, the group at MIT are now investigating ways to increase the projection distances and efficiency while reducing the size of the receiver coils.

The art of science

2007-06-07T15:40:00.000+02:00

A scientist may argue that their research is a work of art. Undeniably, the results can be aesthetically pleasing.

This picture was taken in order to measure the contact angle of a water solution on a Teflon surface.

Summer Pudding

2007-05-28T16:10:00.001+02:00

Last night, we had some friends over for dinner and I decided to prepare Summer Pudding for dessert. Unfortunately, I don't have this recipe in any of my cookbooks, but found a simple one by James Martin, who hosts Sweet Baby James and Saturday Kitchen on the BBC. Using his recipe for Quick Basil and Summer Fruit Pudding, I made four individual puddings, although I think it could easily be made into one large pudding. During preparation, I had to make some minor adjustments: I ran out of the sauce in which the bread was dipped (I think I used too much for the first few pieces). So I made some extra sauce from the fresh berries I had. Also, we forgot to get the basil, but I don't think it was missed. The recipe says to add enough sugar to taste - the puddings were slightly tart, so I think it needs to be at least a tablespoon in each case. Although the puddings were mostly pink on the outside (the areas that weren't, I covered with the extra sauce), the juices had not soaked completely through. However, the final product was very pretty and still delicious!

Bonus Article

2007-05-22T10:27:00.000+02:00

While working on the publications section of my blog, I was searching the 'Journal of Power Sources' database for an article that I published last year with my colleagues at Delft University of Technology and the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands. During an author search of my name, I was surprised to find two articles as I had only published once in this journal. The second paper had just recently been accepted and was submitted by my former colleagues at Case Western Reserve University. As it has been over 2 and a half years since I left Case, I hadn't expected to see any publications coming from that work. However, it is nice to have this bonus article!

I'm going to hospital on Monday

2007-05-12T16:26:00.000+02:00

Having used NMR spectroscopy for some time, it is surprising that I have never actually had any experience with MRI. This Monday, I will finally have the chance to see an instrument up close and personal, thanks to friends who work at the Erasmus MC. Here's hoping that it doesn't turn into an episode of House. More details to follow.