BREAKING: In court documents filed last week, Trump administration officials confirmed they terminated $7.5B in clean energy grants in October “based solely” on political criteria—focusing on states with Democratic leadership who voted for Kamala Harris in 2024.

RIP, Ralph Wijers. In memoriam, in Dutch: www.astronomie.nl/nieuws/in-me...

In memoriam Ralph Wijers, astrofysicus (1964-2026)

astronomie.nl

www.icthealth.nl/nieuws/nieuw... Gemist detail in dit bericht is dat dit innovatieve vak werd ontworpen en geleid door @harcel.bsky.social

Nieuw Honoursvak leert studenten AI en ondernemerschap in de zorg | ICT&health

Studenten van het LUMC en de Universiteit Leiden leren in het nieuwe Honoursvak Healthy AI hoe zij innovaties voor de zorg kunnen ontwikkelen.

icthealth.nl

Nice, I made an AI think so hard that its internal messages to keep on thinking pulled me over its free limit. I have only given it one prompt.

A museum should absolutely have a good museum cafe. Or at the very least a nice place to sit and contemplate. Attention to the atmosphere of the cafe is something that sets a museum apart, for me.

Of course it's all small number statistics, but basically everyone I know who has received a VENI from NWO is an assistant professor. In my experience, this used to be "the grant for postdocs", which usually was the stepping stone to get a tenure track job. What's this shift all about?

Unbelievable, but today is the day I found Bookstor in The Hague. A lovely book store with an amazing selection. But also: a great, cozy coffee shop with very good coffee. The combination is heaven.

Unpopular opinion: being a postdoc shapes you as a scientist. Aside from job insecurity, this an essential phase of an academic career that should not be sidestepped by making people assistant professor right out of their PhD.

A Dutch language writeup of last semester's honors class on implementing AI in healthcare: www.lumc.nl/actueel/2026...

Nooit meer Jekkers op het podium. Dank Harrie. Het was Zo mooi!

Who's on Roost? :)

JOUW OUDERS HEBBEN NIET GEWERKT VOOR HUN OVERWAARDE DOMME GANS. En jij hebt al helemáál niks gedaan voor dat geld. Bovendien ben je al 50. Waar heb je die erfenis voor nodig? Nog een mooiere Seatsensofa waar je de hele dag op ken legge zappe? www.ad.nl/binnenland/b...

Blijf met je tengels af van de erfenis waar mijn ouders zo hard voor hebben gewerkt

Angela de Jong kent ze, mensen die graag veel meer belasting zouden betalen en verlangen naar een azc in de achtertuin. Zelf zit ze alleen net wat minder onbaatzuchtig in elkaar. ‘Hogere erfbelasting?...

ad.nl

Causal analysis is over-rated. Also, the term is confusing (especially for the general audience), as it gives the impression that we figure out causal connections, which only under very rare conditions is true.

If red cards are redder for some than for others, that is yet another red flag for FIFA. Go Red Devils!

Somehow, I really want to visit a Smithsonian museum again.

Happy birthday, USA. Perhaps this would be a good opportunity for some reflection?

I work a lot with (and on) AI. Still, Claude did just impress me when I fed it a character based puzzle, on an image even. Here's the image. Can you find out what Claude suggested should be the first step?

Another full week of immersion in AI and medical technology for first year med school students has passed. This was the third year in a row meaning almost 1000 students have now followed the program. I feel exhausted, but also accomplished and proud.

Every once in a while, someone passes away completely unexpectedly. Even though you weren't very close it comes as a surprise and makes you think back at your interactions. I owe you more than I have ever expressed. RIP, Reinier.

Very nice to see the new logo and tag line of the Institute I work for at LUMC. I identify with this, more so than with the department name (an organizational level in between me and the Institute, interestingly).

Apparently, from today onwards, I will receive fewer calls that my phone classifies as "suspected spam caller". Good, then I have less noise to ignore.

Avi Loeb gets appointed by Trump. It makes so much sense, yet I didn't see it coming. Another punch in the face of American science...

Ethan Siegel@startswithabang.bsky.social · last mo.

I got contacted by a journalist to comment on Avi Loeb's appointment to lead US research into UFOs. I told the unfiltered, inconvenient truth about what it means to the best of my knowledge. Scroll past Avi's bloviating and see if you agree: www.alternet.org/trump-ufos-m...

For the 300th anniversary of Gulliver's Travels, we will be basing our July 2026 set on this classic tale. Join us on July 14 at a location near you!

"With any other teacher I've had this year I would have fallen asleep today, but you made this a very fun and engaging class. Thanks!" That's the type of feedback I like!

Wat een heldin! www.mareonline.nl/opinie/vaarw...

Vaarwel Rechtsgeleerdheid, hallo Cliteur-kunde: waarom mijn prof niet zo moet zeuren

Terwijl het ‘linkse multiculturalistische establishment’ zogenaamd de vrijheid van meningsuiting wil omleggen, staat Paul Cliteur in volle collegezalen zijn flagrante generalisaties te verkondigen. Om...

mareonline.nl

The matter-of-factness with which students just plan other activities during course hours and ask for a make-up assignment is so disturbing. Why am I the one who needs to accommodate the personal schedule of some 320 students? #AcademicSky

Ik vraag me dan al snel af... Hadden ze er niet iets daarvoor uit kunnen springen? nos.nl/l/2620694

Vliegtuig vol parachutisten stort neer in Frankrijk: elf doden

Over de toedracht van het ongeluk is nog niets bekend. Een ooggetuige zegt dat het vliegtuig plotseling neerstortte.

nos.nl

I'm opposed to piracy. I'm very willing to pay for my books. But if you publish them under a very restricting DRM, that I can only read with a particular device, then what do you expect will happen...?

If you're into puzzles, B(e/a)tles and puns, you might just like this wonderful set: puzzledpint.org/events/april... I should really try one of these events sometime soon!

April 2026 – The Beetles

This event’s theme is The Beetles and is brought to you by Bob Becker of St. Louis, Missouri, USA.

puzzledpint.org

Look at that! I got a DIY #terrarium for Father's Day! It also has a cute little Ficus Ginseng tree, so it is also a bit of a bonsai. Very cool!