My favorite scene in (one of) my favorite movie, Cinema Paradiso, goes on as follows: After leaving his hometown of…
On self-fulfilling prophecy
Can a psychic claims his/her self-fulfilling prophecy as true, i.e. your knowledge of the prophecy makes you behave in a…
Changing times in The Netherlands?
Some days ago I was invited to the wedding reception of my friend, who is married to a local politician…
When did astronomy start to be different from astrology?
It happens very often to those who claim to study astronomy: newly acquinted people came up to you and ask…
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Captain Picard is not French
Captain Jean-Luc Picard is French, he has french-sounding name and claims to be born in Labarre, France. So why does…
What does “Summer of ’69” means?
Whenever Bryan Adams' ``Summer of '69`` is played on the airwave or some drunken girls on the pub sing the…
“Quantum of Solace” is actually gramatically correct
Weeks ago I was thinking that ``Quantum of Solace'' is not a gramatically correct sentence. Now I stand corrected. My…
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Gore and nudity in my latest talk
Today I just gave my student colloquium, which is part of the compulsory things we have to do as Leiden…
A bad workman always blames his tools
``A bad workman always blames his tools'' means somebody always blames something for his own incompetence. This is an equivalent…
The back of an envelope: Symbol of mathematical prowess?
From left to right: Milton Humason, Edwin Hubble, Charles St. John, Albert Michelson, Albert Einstein, William W. Campbell, and Walter…
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Tri L. Astraatmadja 