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Category: Opinion

New Op-Ed: Updating the Olympic Charter is a dangerous game

New Op-Ed: Updating the Olympic Charter is a dangerous game

I feel weird about posting anything on Ex-Twitter nowadays. Truthfully I’m not overly comfortable with most of the self-promotion game, but I’m always grateful when someone else shares their work and even better if they share a bit of the self behind the name. So that’s what I try to do too, even though it feels unnecessarily egotistical. But now, in the death spiral of what used to be Twitter… god. I find it problematic to say the least. I…

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Interview: the (un)sustainability of the Olympic Games

Interview: the (un)sustainability of the Olympic Games

I had the opportunity to talk about mega-events and (un)sustainability, particularly in context with the upcoming Paris 2024 Games. The journalist, Théo Nepipvoda, gave me plenty of time and space, which is always a nice feeling. I thought that I would be a small contribution to an article, and didn’t know that it would end up as such a large interview, so that’s a pleasant surprise. Click here for the article. Merci Théo pour l’opportunité !

Cancel the summer of super-spreader mega-events

Cancel the summer of super-spreader mega-events

This being a personal academic blog, obviously I tend to share more of my successes rather than setbacks or failures. That said, I think it’s important to share some of the more challenging moments too, so that’s what this one will be about. Back in 2015, I was fortunate enough to have a commentary on mega-events and public health published in The Lancet – certainly a highlight for any early career academic. With a number of high profile mega-events back…

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Ambizione submission, rejection, and acceptance data: twelve years of great and tough news

Ambizione submission, rejection, and acceptance data: twelve years of great and tough news

I have a year and a half left of funding for my current project, so this means two things: 1) get busy publishing and 2) find a new gig. The Swiss National Science Foundation has a lot of generous offerings, and I’ve got some ideas that I think are important and would like to bring into the world. I’m going to apply for an Ambizione grant, which appears to be the appropriate funding instrument for my level. I’ve heard that…

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A quick example of pernicious Russophobia

A quick example of pernicious Russophobia

I’ve been attacked from all sides for making comments about contemporary Russia and Russian politics. I’ve been told that I’m in the pocket of Putin, or at the very least a naive “useful idiot”. Simultaneously, that same comment led others to tell me that I am Russophobic, a blind westerner who does not understand anything, and that I am contributing to anti-Russian views. One of the biggest challenges I have is to criticize what I think needs to be criticized,…

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4 points on the compass: a brief mental health orientation for PhD students (and others!)

4 points on the compass: a brief mental health orientation for PhD students (and others!)

Since I won’t be hosting a session on mental health and the academy at this year’s Swiss Geosciences Meeting, I thought I would sketch out here the ideas that I was planning to share. These are 4 basic principles that helped me when I was going through some emotional challenges during my PhD. Some of them are adapted from the University of Zurich’s excellent Stress Management course, and others were honed over time in conversation with other graduate students and…

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The Battle for Mindshare: Duelling in 2018?

The Battle for Mindshare: Duelling in 2018?

There is something fascinating happening in Russia that, I think, also has applications on how we can interpret current affairs in the USA. A quick summary: On August 23, Alexey Navalny publishes an analysis of corruption in the procurement of foodstuffs for the Russian National Guard. It’s impressively detailed, meticulously sourced, brilliantly presented (they even included good English CC:subtitles for those who don’t speak Russian). In a normal system, this level of well-researched accusation would require some sort of response. At least…

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