Hora Est
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Category: Hora Est
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Propositions
A Ph.D is the proof of its holder’s stubbornness.
Fabio Sebastiono,
mechanical engineer
Patience under stress is the foundation of success.
Sheng Li,
health engineer
Allowing passing on the right improves traffic flow.
Sander Dorenbos,
physics engineer
In the scientific community, quoting yourself is seen as pathetic, but quotes of others are presented as truth.
Martijn Carel Westhoff,
physics engineer
The distribution of population over the earth is not only temperature dependent but also moisture dependent.
Xiaosong Ma,
mechanical engineer
All models are wrong; some models are useful.
Jeanette Hussong,
materials engineer
Sound Bites
“I must admit I’m not looking forward to the moment when I’ll have to actually use one either, but when it comes down to it I’d rather have a bag to urinate in than nothing at all. The ‘bag toilet’ is a cheap alternative to a conversion operation which is set to cost millions. And this is better for me as both a Dutch train user and a taxpayer as the cost of converting the trains would surely be reflected in the price of my next season ticket and in the dividend to be paid to the treasury.”
Dr Caspar Chorus, associate professor in the Transport and Logistics research group, in NRC Handelsblad.
“Of course they’re not real people, so a discussion on the theory of relativity would be tricky. For every question we have around three answers: one unpleasant answer, for challenging patients to face their fears; one pleasant answer; and a neutral one. If the avatar asks someone their name and that person replies ‘none of your business’, then the avatar will say: ‘Right, let’s talk about something else then.’”
Dr Willem-Paul Brinkman in Trouw about using avatars in virtual therapy for conquering phobias.
“We are getting better and better at determining the positions of the satellites themselves. This means that the next generation of satnav equipment will even be able to see which lane you’re in. Relative distances – between two transmitters – can be measured to the nearest decimetre or even centimetre.”
Satellite navigation researcher Dr Christiaan Tiberius in NRC Handelsblad
Proposition
When PhD students regularly give lectures on their research, this enhances the progress they make towards gaining their PhD, both in terms of duration and quality.
Marian Bosch-Rekveldt,
mechanical engineer
Defence
“Personally, I have found that it can help enormously to explain to others what I am actually doing. Often that is the moment when the penny actually drops, where true comprehension starts. In my opinion, PhD students are ‘protected’ from teaching too much and too often, the pretext being that ‘you should concentrate on your research, so you can finish it more quickly’. It is my assertion that that strategy is counterproductive. Teaching takes up time, of course, but the act of explaining also helps you make great strides in your research.”
