50 years ago, in 1971, Stuart Kauffman published his initial ideas on autocatalytic sets. A look back…
Read more
Author: Wim
Beethoven’s 250th Birthday
250 years ago this month, Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, but lived in Vienna most of his life. Here is a photographic & historical exploration of his time in Vienna.
Read more
Sunset over the Bodensee
A nice sunset over the Bodensee, as watched from Bregenz.
Read more
Whim of the Week – 75
That blockhead feeling…
Read more
Oh Vienna…
Impressions of Vienna, with appropriate music….
Read more
My Erdős number is 3
A formal proof that my Erdős number is equal to 3.
Read more
A Watermelon in the Desert
Sandia peak is an impressive vertical wall of granite rising above the city of Albuquerque, NM, USA.
Read more
Jurassic Joy
The Jurrasic, a geological period during the time of the dinosaurs, was named after a beautiful mountain range.
Read more
The Father of Genetics
Gregor Mendel: From humble monk to the father of genetics.
Read more
Little Birds
These little birds are comfortably huddled together in their nest just outside my window.
Read more
Dutch Deserts
Desert-like landscapes in a rainy country? Yes, thanks to the ice ages!
Read more
Modeling Pattern Formation
Cellular automata are simple yet powerful mathematical models that generate patterns closely resembling those found in nature.
Read more
The Power of Preservation
The Alpine ibex almost went extinct. But thanks to some kind kings, it is thriving again today.
Read more
Kahlenberg Sunset
Now that you know why sunsets are red, here are some impressions of a gorgeous one I witnessed recently.
Read more
Why Are Sunsets Red?
What is it that turns everything red during a sunset? Here’s the answer…
Read more
Singapore’s Hidden Biodiversity
Ecosystem networks, keystone species, and biodiversity preservation. Cute monkeys, flying lizards, and fish living out of the water.
Read more
The Beauty and Science of Nature
Intro to a new article series aiming to stimulate a reconnection with our natural world.
Read more
Earthquakes Update
My yearly update on global earthquake statistics.
Read more
A History of Autocatalytic Sets
Last August I presented a brief (12min) talk about the history of research on autocatalytic sets, a concept originally introduced by Stuart Kauffman. This talk was presented during the Stufest, a 2-day workshop held at the Santa Fe[…]
Read more
Madelbrot Zoom
Having a bit of a cold this weekend, and didn’t have the energy to do anything more useful. So I created this fun and colorful Mandelbrot zoom. Enjoy!
Read more
The Evolution of Robustness
In Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection, the key phrase is “survival of the fittest”: those organisms that are best fit to carry out the tasks of living in their world are the ones that survive. But[…]
Read more
Alessandro Volta’s Home Town
Had a cloudy afternoon to spare in Como, Italy. As it turns out, this is the home town of Alessandro Volta (1745-1827), the famous Italian scientist who invented the electric battery, and after whom the unit of electric[…]
Read more
The Tooth of Time
One of the main reasons evolution can be difficult to grasp, or even accept, is the time scales involved. Biological evolution does usually not occur right in front of our eyes (other than in laboratory experiments), but happens over[…]
Read more
Kurt Gödel: A postcard from Vienna
Kurt Gödel was one of the greatest mathematicians of the 20th century. He made many important contributions to mathematical logic and philosophy, but is best known for his incompleteness theorems. Loosely speaking, the theorem states that the dream[…]
Read more
Whim of the Week – 74
What’s in a name…
Read more