Jasper de Goeij in the AD and the provincial newspapers about his Eureka moment

In the ‘Eureka’ section of the Algemeen Dagblad and the provincial newspapers of the same publisher, scientists talk about their greatest moment of insight. This time it was Jasper van Goeij’s turn (UvA-IBED), who tells how he got his most important insight when he once took a look in a pathology lab as an ecologist.

Harm van der Geest on AT5 on the discussion about felling trees for raising the Flevopark dike

The ground in the Flevopark in Oost is subsiding and the water is rising. This means that the ground is already very marshy and to prevent worse, the Water Board is working on plans to protect the park. They have the idea to raise the existing dike next to the water of the Nieuwe Diep, but for that, more than a hundred trees have to be cut down. Harm van der Geest thinks it would be a shame if the natural transition were lost due to the Water Board's plans. According to him, such a piece of marshland also belongs in the Netherlands. "That is attractive to the otter. Otter tracks have already been found around Amsterdam, for example in the Diemerpark. If the marshland is created, there is a chance that the otter will also dock in the Flevopark."

Vincent Merckx in the AD papers about research into fungi

In an article published in the AD, and all regional newspapers of the same publisher, Vincent Merckx talks about the role of fungi in communication between trees and plants. 

Corina Brussaard in the Noordhollands Dagblad about Sunday afternoon lectures in Den Hoorn

Three female scientists from Den Hoorn, including Corina Brussaard, conduct fundamental research into life in the sea and its impact on human evolution. In three Sunday afternoon lectures, the professors provide insight into their scientific activities and explain what they are working on. 

Thomas Blankers in EOS Science on the question of whether spacecraft are too sterile

EOS Science has an article about a recent study of microbes living in the International Space Station (ISS). They ask the question whether spacecraft are too sterile. In the article, Thomas Blankers  speaks.

Kenneth Rijsdijk in the newspaper Dagblad van het Noorden about the importance of hedges

Kenneth Rijsdijk (UvA-IBED) wrote a book about the usefulness of hedges in the landscape. In the past, there were many more hedges in the Netherlands, and according to Rijsdijk, it would be good for both nature and us humans to plant them again. The Dagblad van het Noorden reports on a meeting in Zweelo in Drenthe, where he made his plea for the hedge.

Kenneth Rijsdijk in National Geographic about the aggressive Rodrigues solitaire

The Rodrigues solitaire lived on the island of Rodrigues in the Indian Ocean until the eighteenth century – until the arrival of humans proved fatal. Whether they were males or females, all were extremely aggressive. They had even developed special bone protrusions on their wings to better attack each other. ‘Almost ten percent of the fossils found have healed bone fractures, which is really a lot,’ says earth scientist Kenneth Rijsdijk . 

National Geographic NL/BE - February 2025 

Karline Janmaat in the radio program Vroege Vogels 

Karline Janmaat gave an interview in the radio program Vroege Vogels, dedicated to Frits Portielje (one of the founders of animal psychology in the Netherlands). Karline Janmaat annually researches animal cognition with about 50 students in the park: "I continue Portielje's work, as it were. For example, he observed that great apes roll their eyes when they eat something very tasty. I now also let my students look at this in their research into the eating behavior of great apes."

Astrid Groot in the podcast Net Goed Kennislink 

What does experimental biologist Astrid Groot's moth lab have to do with internet dating? You will hear it in this episode

Harm van der Geest in a documentary on fountainweed in the port of Spakenburg

Is fountainweed a threat to the port of Spakenburg, or should we be happy with the fountainweed? 

Pim de Voogt in De Groene Amsterdammer about PFAS

Weekly magazine De Groene Amsterdammer has an extensive background article about PFAS. It covers, among other things, the discovery of this class of substances, how widely they are used, the problems with them, the environmental pollution, the health risks, and what to do next. One of the experts featured in the piece is environmental chemist Pim de Voogt