LECTURES

I was once asked to develop and teach a science course for fine arts students. They needed a single science credit to get their BFA. I quickly realized that I had to make it broad, and relevant to their interests. And not too hard! It turned into a real learning experience for myself as I had to expand my knowledge on both the science side, and the art side. Initially I had mostly mature students in the class and I believe the course was successful for them. After five years teaching multiple terms I was burnt-out, and stopped. However, while I don't miss the marking, I do miss the lecture preparation. It was an good excuse to dig into topics outside my research specialties, and to organize my thoughts.

Since then I have been traveling a lot, especially on cruise ships. The onboard lectures are a frequent highlight but I have come to want more. For the last few years I've started preparing talks myself, focusing mostly what I think I should know before embarking. Or, in many cases, looking into questions that only became obvious while traveling. I expect to continue to do so whether or not I ever get a chance to deliver any.