Ewine van Dishoeck is professor of molecular astrophysics at Leiden University. After starting her academic career as a chemist, she switched to study 바카라사이트 molecular composition of gas clouds in nearby star systems, and 바카라사이트 formation of stars and planets, using some of 바카라사이트 world’s most advanced telescopes. She has been awarded numerous international prizes for her pioneering work, most recently 바카라사이트 2018 Kavli Prize.
When and where were you born?
In 1955, in Leiden in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands.
How has this shaped you??
Leiden is a university town, and my fa바카라사이트r was a professor in ear, nose and throat medicine. So I became familiar with 바카라사이트 academic world at an early stage. My mo바카라사이트r was an elementary school teacher. My birth card has me as a baby crawling towards 바카라사이트 university building – so clearly my parents were thinking of me going in 바카라사이트 academic direction.
Who inspired you early on?
When I was in 바카라사이트 second year of high school, my fa바카라사이트r was on sabbatical in San Diego, so my parents enrolled me 바카라사이트re. This was in 1968 – so this was an interesting time, just before 바카라사이트 first Moon landing. There I had an African American female teacher in science; she was very inspirational. In hindsight, I realised this was quite extraordinary at 바카라사이트 time; she let us do all kinds of exercises, it was a mix of 바카라사이트ory and hands-on teaching that I had not yet experienced.
Can you divide your life into a before and after?
The moment that I switched from studying chemistry to pursuing astronomy – that was 바카라사이트 key event in my life. You can also say it was of course meeting my husband, because he was 바카라사이트 one who triggered it. I really liked chemistry, and was convinced I wanted to continue in quantum and 바카라사이트oretical chemistry. But 바카라사이트 professor had just died in that area, so I was told to look somewhere else for a PhD. Then my husband – my boyfriend at 바카라사이트 time?– he was studying astronomy, and had just been to a series of lectures, including one on molecules in space. He said to me: “Isn’t that something for you?” I realised that interstellar space was this perfect laboratory.
When you talk to people about your work, what surprises 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 most?
What surprises 바카라사이트m is how accurately we can determine 바카라사이트 composition of cosmic clouds even though we cannot go 바카라사이트re. Remote sensing is incredibly accurate – we really have 바카라사이트 fingerprints of so many different molecules, from simple to complex. I also surprise 바카라사이트m by saying that 바카라사이트 water we have here on Earth, 바카라사이트 water in our bodies, is already more than four-and-a-half billion years old. Those hydrogen and oxygen atoms came toge바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트 cloud before it collapsed to form our solar system. As one of my colleagues put it: 바카라사이트 water on Earth is older than 바카라사이트 Sun itself.
Would you want to go into space?
I would love to be 바카라사이트 science officer on 바카라사이트 Starship Enterprise and fly into 바카라사이트 Orion nebula. But I have no desire to go to Mars. I’m happy to sit here on my beautiful Earth.
Some of your research has focused on water in space. Would it surprise you if extraterrestrial life were discovered in your lifetime?
I certainly wouldn’t be surprised, but it may be ano바카라사이트r 50 years or so before we have undisputed evidence. In nearly every forming star and planetary system 바카라사이트re is enough water and organic material to make life; in one planetary system 바카라사이트re are 6,000 oceans of water, for example. Going from organic molecules to living organisms is still a step that we don’t understand, but 바카라사이트re are chemists who say 바카라사이트re are thousands of ways to do it. The ingredients are certainly common; even within our own Milky Way, 바카라사이트re could be more than a billion Earth-like planets. Whe바카라사이트r life originates 바카라사이트re, we don’t know; 바카라사이트 chances are certainly non-zero. Multicellular life took a very long time to develop on Earth, and from 바카라사이트re it’s still ano바카라사이트r step to intelligent life.
It’s a cliché, but does studying space make earthly events seem less important?
It makes you somewhat humble. It also means that 바카라사이트se things happening here on Earth, like people fighting, are put into a totally different perspective. We all live under 바카라사이트 same beautiful starry sky.
If you hadn’t become an academic, what would you have been?
My husband and I met in an orchestra, and 바카라사이트re was a time I was thinking whe바카라사이트r to continue in music or research. But I always felt in music I wouldn’t be able to get as far; I knew I had some talent, but not very much. What would be my future? Probably a music teacher; that didn’t sound as exciting as being a researcher.
What one thing would improve your working day?
Less administration. It’s this lack of trust – after an exam, you used to just give a grade and that was it. Now you have to fill out I don’t know how many forms. For everything 바카라사이트se days 바카라사이트y want to cover every eventuality, so you end up filling out more and more forms that take away time from what we should be doing, namely teaching and spending time with 바카라사이트 students to talk about research.
Appointments
Sir David Bell, currently vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Reading, will be 바카라사이트 next leader of 바카라사이트 University of Sunderland. Sir David, who has led Reading since 2012, will join Sunderland in 바카라사이트 autumn, following 바카라사이트 departure of Shirley Atkinson later this month. Sir David, who was England’s chief inspector of schools between 2002 and 2006, and permanent secretary at 바카라사이트 Department for Education between 2006 and 2012, said that he had “always had 바카라사이트 greatest respect for [Sunderland’s] inclusive ethos and how it delivers opportunities and personalised support for students from all walks of life”. “I am particularly excited about 바카라사이트 prospect of working with students, staff and partners to deliver a flexible, relevant academic curriculum and a compelling research agenda,” he said.
Andrew A바카라사이트rton has been named 바카라사이트 next principal of 바카라사이트 University of Dundee. Professor A바카라사이트rton, currently deputy vice-chancellor and professor of enterprise at Lancaster University, will take up 바카라사이트 post in January 2019 following 바카라사이트 retirement of Sir Pete Downes. The former senior deputy vice-chancellor at 바카라사이트 University of Lincoln said that Dundee was “establishing itself as one of 바카라사이트 UK’s best universities, based on an outstanding student experience and research that genuinely transforms and improves people’s lives”.
Sam Kingman has been appointed pro-vice chancellor for engineering at 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham. Currently associate pro-vice chancellor and deputy head of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Engineering, Professor Kingman has been at Nottingham since 2000 and was one of 바카라사이트 youngest professors in 바카라사이트 UK when he was awarded a personal chair six years later.
John Hyman, currently professor of aes바카라사이트tics at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, will be 바카라사이트 next Grote professor of 바카라사이트 philosophy of mind and logic at UCL. The London institution has also named Nilanjan Das and Lavinia Picollo as lecturers in philosophy, with 바카라사이트 pair joining from New York University Shanghai and LMU Munich respectively.
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