Non-Work Writings

• 2008, Open letter on Olympics-related anti-China protests
• 2006, Liever geëngageerd dan een Einstein. Socialisme en Democratie (Monthly of the Wiarda Beckman Foundation, the research division of the Dutch Labour Party), 63, 6-9. This was written for the Banning Prize 2006, an essay contest about idealism and individualism. The text of the essay (Het voordeel van de twijfel), along with two other essays and the jury report, can be found here (pdf). A clumsy English translation of the essay is here (pdf).
• Diane Geng, Sara Lam, Wei Ji Ma, Qian Xiao (2006), Beyond the Textbook: A Handbook for Short-term Teaching in Rural China. For the Rural China Education Foundation. The full English text is here (doc). The Chinese version is here (doc).
• 2005, Een warm klimaat voor wetenschap. In: Kaaskoppen en zoete wijn: Nog meer Amerikaanse toestanden, PvdA New York (USA chapter of Dutch Labour Party), 25-29. This is a compilation of essays about progressive ideas from a conservative country. Mine is about the meritocratic attitude in higher education and academic research in the US.
• 2004, Ivanisevic and blitz chess. In: Bij die wereld wil ik horen! 36 columns en 3 essays over de vorming tot academicus, H. Procee et al. eds, Boom Amsterdam, 98-100. Personal stories of encounters and experiences in becoming an academic.
• 2004-6, Articles in China Campus Magazine, magazine for university students in mainland China
• 2002-2003, Column in Natuurwetenschap en Techniek, Dutch popular science magazine
• 06/10/2003, Letter in The Nation, on the involvement of young people in politics.
• 2002-present, columnist for BCN (Behavioural, Cognitive, and Neural Sciences at the University of Groningen) newsletter
• Ming San Ma, Whee Ky Ma, Ilja Nieuwland, and Ronald R. Easley (2002), Why Archaeopteryx did not run over water, Archaeopteryx 20, 51-56. Refutation of a proposal that the pre-bird Archaeopteryx was able to walk over water like the present-day Jezus Christ/basilisk lizard. Publicity:
  • 08/07/2000, Eric Hendriks, de Volkskrant, Bijlage Wetenschap, p.5, Zinkende Jezus
  • Jan 2001, Anne Schulp, Natuur en Techniek, Oervogels doorgerekend - Nat pak voor Jezusdino?
• 10/2002, Transfer (magazine of Nuffic), Titelgevecht (a comparison between U.S. and European higher education and science policies)
• 2002, Review of Doorbraken in de natuurkunde (M. Keestra red.), Nieuw Archief voor Wiskunde
• Feb 2001, CJOpinie 6/21, Van Nobelprijzen en neppagodes (deel 1), (About Nobel prizes and fake pagodas (part 1) - about the Chinese in the USA) (written June 2000)
• 1999, Lijstjes, column in Vergelijkenderwijs. Reflectie op de ideale universiteit, compilation of essays and columns at the occasion of the 77th lustrum of the University of Groningen.
• Dec 1999, CJOpinie 18, and Hua Yi Xie Shang Hui verenigingsblad, Onderwijs in China en de nieuwe wereldorde (Education in China and the new world order)
• 1999, Various Europe-X writings. Europe-X was an informal network of European students aiming to stimulate discussion about educational policy in a European context. We published a report about our findings.
• Articles in Natuurwetenschap en Techniek (2004), "Eureka!" (Leiden University Physics and Mathematics department; 2003), Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Natuurkunde (2002a, 2002b), UnitasNieuws (2000), Diemensies (University of Groningen Psychology Department; 2000)
• 2000-2001, Articles in De Wadmol, HB-Drukwerk, and Amoeba, all periodicals of the Dutch Youth League for Nature Observation (NJN)
• 1999-2001, Articles in CopyRood, Onze Binding, Lava, and Pro en Contra, all periodicals of the Dutch Labor Party (PvdA) and its youth organization (JS)
• 1998-2001, Articles and letters in NRC Handelsblad, Volkskrant, Utrechts Nieuwsblad, UK (Dutch newspapers) about higher education policy
• 1995-2000, Articles in Muon, periodical of the Department of Sciences of the University of Groningen on science-related topics books
• 1994-1995, Articles in Dutch youth maths magazine Pythagoras
• 1993-1999, Chess articles in various magazines and tournament
• Publicity on my views on the future of political youth organizations: Feb 2001, Groninger Studentenkrant 17/5, Politieke jongeren gaan een onzekere toekomst tegemoet
• Publicity on Europe-X: 11/02/1999, UK (Groningen university newspaper), Jongeren willen Europese topuniversiteiten
• Publicity on science outreach (Physics Promotion Team):
  • Feb 2003, Weten.nl, "Marco Borsato krijgt voorbeeld" (about promotion of science in Dutch high schools)
  • 27/03/2002, Uitleg (magazine of Dutch Department of Education, Culture, and Science), p.51 (about Physics Promotion Team)
  • Nieuwsblad van het Noorden, 26/2/2002, Lopen over het water kan natuurkunde leuk maken