A Physicist's Foray into Finland

Hi! Welcome to my blog. Here, I write down some thoughts and experiences I have had since moving to Finland in October 2023. Writing in a non-scientific context is something I have never done, so please excuse the quality. True to my nature, I am just experimenting here :)

On Buzzwords

Recently, I have been thinking a lot about buzzwords, as in, phrases that have the explicit intent of sounding cool, rather than conveying meaning. This definition does invoke a negative connotation, but I think that is somewhat unfair. At least in scienc...
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On Shopping Centers

If you look up a list of the world’s most expensive buildings on Wikipedia, you will be quite disappointed. Spoiler alert – it’s full of factory buildings and nuclear power plants, with the occasional stadium sprinkled in. But wedged in there, just betwee...
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On Bunkers

It is a dark evening in late October, as every evening is at this time of year. The only two types of weather there seem to be are ‘overcast’, and ‘overcast with drizzle’. Which is fine during the day, but at night, no moon and no stars means that it’s op...
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On Labyrinths

I am once again traversing the 3D labyrinth that is central Helsinki trying to tackle the never-ending to-do list. A welcome respite from being lost is always Kamppi, with its simple, cross-type layout. As I walk past a harmless looking shop called ‘Norma...
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On Lunch

Being a PhD student in physics does many things to a person. Besides obtaining a degree you really don’t care about once you actually have it, there is also a replacement process occurring in the brain, with new understanding pushing out previously establ...
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On Language

“Yes … no … no … yes …” I say, as the man behind the counter presents a variety of different condiments and sauces. He takes each potential option from its place off the shelf and holds it to the window for me to see. I give my answer, and he gets the nex...
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On Christmas

Every One down in Heidelberg liked Christmas a lot… But the German, who lived just north in Finland, did not. The German was disappointed in Christmas, the whole Christmas season! Now, please don’t ask why, no one quite knows the reason. It could be, perh...
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