Dr. Victoria Grinberg

- professional PhD astrophysicist #XraysAreTheBestRays
- published author & artist
- #ClimateCrisis & Astronomers for Planet Earth
- science communication #VicisAstro
- artwork #VicisArt
- book recs #VicisBooks
- foodie & chef #ViciCooks
- living between Zuid-Holland (50%), Süddeutschland (20%) & on the road (30%)
- she/her

Housekeeping:
- private account, not speaking for my employer
- most posts expire after 12 months
- direct messages from non-mutuals are blocked & ignored

Professional website:: https://www.sternwarte.uni-erlangen.de/~grinberg/
Author page with the KOSMOS-Verlag: https://www.kosmos.de/en/unsere-autoren/victoria-grinberg#description
Astronomy & Climate Crisis at the LISA Symposium:: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8jnr_Hlu_w&t=2394s
Astronomers for Planet Earth: https://astronomersforplanet.earth/

Public Key

npub1l8tgkj42v7td3mxhm6yx4pqczn04tndswqt63vcxsh8kaeg62mps8hz0m7

NIP-05 Address

vicgrinberg_at_mastodon.social@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqs0n45tf24x09kcantaazr2ssvpfh64ekc8q9agkvrgtnmwu5d9dscpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0ds0tat92

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1l8tgkj42v7td3mxhm6yx4pqczn04tndswqt63vcxsh8kaeg62mps8hz0m7

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Published at

2026-03-18T14:05:12Z

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Event JSON

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Last Notes

2026-03-24 08:25:00 UTC

It's gonna be a long day, but at least I got to start it by petting Micky, the ESA/ESTEC cat.
#CatsOfMastodon #ESA #estec
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/283/190/704/640/022/original/c491ebdd903cff3d.jpg

2026-03-19 12:56:06 UTC

Great blog by Pat Thompson on academic writing:
▶️ https://patthomson.net/2026/03/08/getting-comfortable-with-being-uncomfortable/
"Academic writing is a form of thinking. It’s not the transcription of thoughts already completed, but a process of thinking itself. One of the ways we make writing harder than it needs to be is by writing as though our argument has arrived fully formed, rather than being wrestled into shape over several drafts."
This is why you *need* to write yourself, even and especially when writing is hard!
#AcademicChatter #PhD

2026-03-17 14:29:01 UTC

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heh :D And congratulations, too!

2026-03-17 14:10:40 UTC

It's not about numbers, but still, they play some role. Here a nice one for me: sometimes during the last week, I've passed the 4000 citations limit.
#astrodon #XraysAreTheBestRays
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/244/906/067/849/149/original/436ac7c76576e695.png

2026-03-15 06:40:45 UTC

Ich kann's mir leider immer noch nicht anschauen, weil Geoblocking, aber hier die ZDF-Reihe "Geheimnisvolles Universum", bei der ich als eine der sprechenden Expert*innen mitmachen durfte:
▶️ https://www.zdf.de/dokus/geheimnisvolles-universum-100
(Die Reihe wurde auf Englisch aufgenommen, daher gedubbt, dh ich spreche da nicht mit meiner Stimme, falls ihr die aus den Podcasts kennt...)
#astrodon #WissKomm #astronomie

2026-03-10 19:52:18 UTC

Someone asked me (rhetorically) why I post here. Also: do I want followers?
Of course it's more fun with more people. But I don't post in a way that aims to increase follower numbers:
* I post in two languages (& boost in more).
* I generally boost too much.
* I do not focus on one topic (science, politics, food, random photos, outreach, insiders clearly for astro/research colleagues, train complains, books, museum visits, etc.)
For me, it's about the random encounters. 1/3

2026-03-06 15:03:49 UTC

Fast and tasty! Daily fresh! 🐥
#photography #UrbanPhotography #amsterdam #heron #birds
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/182/830/353/701/102/original/cc05aaf1cddcbd49.jpg

2026-03-03 12:34:30 UTC

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"People are always the ends, not merely the means. [...]
When we employ a graduate student to perform some work, it absolutely must be because the graduate student will benefit from that work, not merely because that work needs to get done."
3/6
#astrodon #astrophysics #science #AcademicChatter

2026-03-03 12:33:06 UTC

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"Practice of astrophysics cannot be learned from reading. [...] If you want to become an astrophysicist, it isn’t sufficient to read or take classes. You have to do it, and doing it requires doing novel things, that haven’t been done before, and which connect to important scientific questions in the literature."
2/6
#astrodon #astrophysics #science #AcademicChatter

2026-03-03 12:32:22 UTC

I talked about David W. Hogg's "Why do we do astrophysics?" in our seminar today. Thank to @npub1s06…hd76 who posted about it here first!
I can only encourage everyone working in or interested in science and/or fundamental research to read it, it has broad relevance and the crucial parts, to me, are not even the LLM ones, but the ones that define the basis on which LLM use in astro is discussed.
▶️ https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.10181v1
A few quotes:
1/6
#astrodon #astrophysics #science #AcademicChatter

2026-03-01 07:41:17 UTC

There is the kind of positive news framing that sets my teeth on edge - taking a bit of positive development and turning it into a full "things are going in the right direction" proclamation. It's dangerous, in more than one of way, and often disrespectful to people who made the change happen.
1/5

2026-03-01 07:21:49 UTC

Good morning from the local gang!
#Leiden #parakeet #Birds
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/152/702/729/794/488/original/1ad73f1ba47bb536.jpg

2026-02-22 18:54:27 UTC

Sometimes it's back to the basics - pan fried oyster mushrooms (mushrooms, olive oil, salt, pepper, a few drops of lemon juice and a tiny bit of garlic) with a side salad.
We had the mushrooms +salad for a first time in a restaurant back in (high) school times and since then the dish makes a regular appearance on the menu.
#ViciCooks #cooking #kochen #vegan #food
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/115/785/672/226/505/original/5c3d8664b4766d97.jpg

2026-02-20 07:24:44 UTC

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we actually still learning a lot of new things about our own galaxy's structure and don't fully understand it! It's generally just hard to know more about the galaxy we are stuck jn vs the ones we see from the outside: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/01/The_best_Milky_Way_map_by_Gaia

2026-02-20 07:19:59 UTC

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2026-02-08 09:50:08 UTC

Partner and I have a recycling system for uniqlo merino wool sweaters. He wears them for years until they end up in the wrong laundry and get washed too hot, at which point I inherit the shrunken down sweaters and wear them again for years.

2026-02-05 11:11:02 UTC

Having a #fairphone is fun: I've never experienced so much bonding over a device.
People go "oh, you also have a fairphone?" and start a conversation 💚 And you suddenly feel extra connected to them.

2026-01-31 08:16:01 UTC

Wenn ihr in der Nürnberger Gegend seid und gerne was über schwarze Löcher lernen wollt - ich halte am 29. April einen Vortrag am Nürnberger Planetarium:
https://bz.nuernberg.de/programm/planetarium/astronomie/vortraege/schwarze-loecher-schwere-kost-leicht-verdaulich-00960-20261
Eventuell gibt es auch eine Signierstunde 😊
#astrodon #astronomie #nürnberg #WissKomm

2026-01-30 18:52:38 UTC

Polenta, or, to be precise, mămăligă (I found Romanian cornmeal in a speciality shop a while ago!) with roasted butternut, Brussel sprout and onions with fresh thyme served with feta and sour cream.
One of my currently favorite winter meals. Even better if you manage to get one of the really strong Romanian cheeses... But feta is lovely, too.
#ViciCooks #vegetarian #recipe #cooking #kochen #food
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/985/549/764/590/302/original/b326ddd49932d375.jpg

2026-01-30 17:57:14 UTC

I was always upset that my PhD advisor would read printouts of my paper drafts and correct my LaTeX by hand in the margins. I mean, not even seeing the code...?
Now I'm reading paper drafts by my PhD students and collaborators as PDFs and also correcting their TeX code because I cannot stand wrong font for maths or wrong spaces between numbers and units. I wish I could stop, but I just can't...
It's all my PhD advisor's fault! *shakes fist in the direction of her old institute*

2026-01-29 16:25:18 UTC

The most important bit of info at work today 😻
#CatsOfMastodon #esa #estec
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/979/313/554/925/242/original/d85b22e0bc406797.jpg

2026-01-27 08:23:20 UTC

Two minutes of zen.
(An old video of a kinetic artwork that partner made during the pandemic lockdowns, found while installing the new phone.)
#art #mastoart #woodworking
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/966/084/375/140/331/original/f39892337e22bf40.mp4

2026-01-22 11:47:51 UTC

RE: https://mamot.fr/@ploum/115923251561577968
Everyone who ever plans to be teaching and is forced to make their students take exams (especially in the academic environment but also outside) should read this.
There is SO much to learn and think about from this post, not just about chatbots but so much more.
#note1ay5…ak7n

2026-01-21 19:23:19 UTC

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ich weiß nicht so recht, ob ich mich an die anderen der Haarteppich-Bücher wagen soll. Ich liebe ja das experimentelle an dem Buch, die anderen klingen eher nach 08/15 Romanen ... Lasse mich aber vom Gegenteil überzeugen!

2026-01-21 18:59:22 UTC

I'm so late with my 2025 reading wrap up 🙀
🥳 53 books - finally more than 52!
Some statistics:
24 by women, 18 by men
22 in translation
29 in German, 24 in English
18 countries (Albania, Argentina, Austrialia, Austria, Canada, China, Ecuador, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, South Africa, Sweden, UK, Ukraine, USA) that the authors are from
28 new to me authors (not counting anthologies)
Book discussions welcome :)
#ViciReads #bookstodon #reading #books #buecher #lesen
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/934/561/145/930/002/original/b402e0bd20f6dbd6.jpg

2026-01-09 10:26:06 UTC

It was a bit of an adventure with the local post office in Santiago, but all seven postcards from this trip are now on their way to their owners (one in the USA, one in Spain, two in Germany and three in the Netherlands). Let's see if they arrive... 😬
The 8th one stayed with our host in El Chaltén.
#VicisArt #aquarelle #watercolor #watercolour #ink #MastoArt
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/864/648/860/383/254/original/c64542118951417e.jpg

2026-01-04 22:13:01 UTC

Today I learned that when iceberg debris - clear bits of ice diamond - reach the shore of the glacier lake, the waves playing with them make a lovely trickling sound, almost like music, while the ice glitters in sunlight, sequin-like.

2026-01-04 18:46:50 UTC

Ich bin voraussichtlich am 23. und 24. April in Berlin. Wenn eurer Verein, Hackerspace etc. also einen Vortrag über schwarze Löcher oder/und Röntgenastronomie haben will, meldet euch.

2026-01-04 11:13:13 UTC

Up, up, and down again.
El Chaltén - day 3
1/9
#Patagonia #ElChalten #nature #hiking #photography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/836/525/089/551/782/original/69c21ccf16448369.jpg

2026-01-01 11:48:50 UTC

I feel this is a good advice to start the new year with: When attacked, defend yourself fiercely. Hit it in the face.
#Patagonia
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/819/680/584/900/279/original/98f79c2f985d82df.jpg

2025-12-30 12:17:45 UTC

To the glacier and back.
El Chaltén - day 2
1/9
#Patagonia #ElChalten #nature #hiking #photography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/808/469/524/555/901/original/e41e199ba2d2e5db.jpg

2025-12-29 23:53:05 UTC

There are less than 10000 Andean condors, the largest birds of prey, left in the world. They live up to 70 years, pair up for life and care for their chicks for years... Absolutely amazing (and very ugly when being face to face with them as happened to us today on a hiking trail 😅) birds!
Today, we had the luck to see four of them (partially very, very) close - three in this video.
#Condor #Nature #Birds #AndeanCondor #Patagonia #PuertoNatales
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/805/542/975/615/559/original/e361d4f709c1eb98.mp4

2025-12-27 13:04:06 UTC

Made more friends!
(Now looking like half a cat myself, covered in white hair head to toe...)
#CatsOfMastodon
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/791/665/555/000/769/original/5f607b28d9bfbbac.jpg

2025-12-25 11:56:24 UTC

Made two new friends yesterday, only had to lean out of the window of our accommodation in El Calafate 🐶🐶
#Patagonia #ElCalafate #DogsOfMastodon
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/780/072/110/838/705/original/e5c20e30f08e59ec.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/780/071/934/279/559/original/ab66838b5e24cd6e.jpg

2025-12-24 22:06:22 UTC

Zu sagen, ihr müsst besser in Nachbarschaftsnetzwerke eingebunden sein, ihr solltet mehr Freunde haben, die euch unterstützen könnten - das mag wahr sein, es ist aber auch schrecklich vorbei an der Lebensrealität vieler. Weil vielleicht sind es dir Netzwerke, die tiefe Wunden hinterlassen haben. Vielleicht gibt es die Freunde, aber am anderen Ende der Welt, weil mensch wegen der Arbeit umziehen musste, immer wieder. Vielleicht lebt mensch irgendwo, wo es die Gleichgesinnten eben nicht gibt oder-

2025-12-21 11:40:05 UTC

Good morning from a tiny wood house El Chalten!
#Patagonia #TinyHouse #Argentina
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/757/353/521/154/890/original/e10a08839a06ae60.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/757/353/472/895/544/original/50c6c8f1188dd115.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/757/353/174/317/528/original/c07dc9ac26408e61.jpg

2025-12-19 10:15:09 UTC

#FensterFreitag
#Patagonia #ElCalafate
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/745/700/777/439/761/original/4b41e780ef40f45b.jpg

2025-12-18 17:36:25 UTC

52!
It's the first time since 2020 that I managed to read a book for every week of the year. I'm really happy and proud I did.
I need reading to quiet my mind - but also reading is one of the things that are gone when I'm in certain bad places mentally.
Getting back into the reading habit (although what I read did change) is hard work, but it's paying off. More reading, less scrolling. I need to remind myself of this. And if I slip, try again. Let it go and try again. And again.

2025-12-18 11:13:54 UTC

Dear internet,
we need to have a serious conversation. Why didn't you tell me how stinkin' cute coatis are?
I'm disappointed in you...
Bonus 1: in German, the #coati is called "Nasenbär", i.e., "nose bear"
Bonus 2: one of them did get into out backpack while on the train in #Iguazu Falls National Park and stole a chipa (cheese bread) that he proceeded to loudly eat in the bushes
#Argentina
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/740/263/273/481/609/original/f3f471436841cc7d.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/740/263/201/070/675/original/c97eb07167e4253e.jpg
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https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/740/263/238/129/490/original/bbee6e12da1a4dca.jpg

2025-12-04 11:01:55 UTC

The Argentinians know how to celebrate university graduation 😳
(It's that loud through the windows!)
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/660/949/120/105/257/original/03c49c0899a97417.mp4

2025-11-29 16:07:06 UTC

Look at the beautiful mug shelf partner made 🤩
Lighting isn't perfect and some of the cups are in the dishwasher, but I can't wait to show the shelf off!
#woodworking #furniture
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/633/834/024/920/186/original/6e22f79b84f58845.jpg

2025-11-15 16:34:53 UTC

Another one of the new to me #Leiden guerilla #art cobble stones.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/554/675/738/787/636/original/6c75d6b8c64ce732.jpg

2025-11-04 14:39:02 UTC

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no, teaching a summer school in Argentina!

2025-11-04 13:46:07 UTC

✅ yellow fever vaccination
✅ krentenbollen
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/491/728/159/268/214/original/9d141ee4ebd0d060.jpg

2025-11-01 11:38:20 UTC

~*~ We are all stardust. But so is garbage. ~*~
Ich bin sehr froh, den stardust Racoon im letzten Augenblick noch im Buch untergebracht zu haben 🦝
#astrodon #astronomie #FediBookFair
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/474/235/554/828/083/original/e3748b4ae7da2460.jpg

2025-10-27 22:13:58 UTC

Dear bluesky folks - I would love to be able to interact with you, but to do this, you'll also need to build a bridge from your side, too.
My bridge only brings my posts to bluesky, to bring yours to the fediverse/mastodon, you need to turn to follow.
See https://fed.brid.gy/
And for more info: https://fed.brid.gy/docs#bluesky-get-started
💚

2025-10-05 18:57:47 UTC

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Praline-making: the resuts, part 2
#ViciCooks #cooking #food #chocolate #praline #truffle
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/323/078/353/677/745/original/468e25f2dc34968d.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/323/081/940/421/077/original/7bb63a98241962e3.jpg
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https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/323/081/942/889/454/original/533b643b41fc58ed.jpg

2025-10-05 18:54:03 UTC

Praline-making: the resuts, part 1
(with many thanks to my amazing friend, a hobby chocolatier who knows how to make this and to her partner - winks - who has to deal with the mess we left in the kitchen after 8 hours of work!)
#ViciCooks #cooking #food #chocolate #praline #truffle
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/323/062/365/286/515/original/0b356c4d48c091c7.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/323/062/531/727/443/original/1cc1db3b76da6cc5.jpg
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2025-09-30 08:28:38 UTC

It's that time of the year - my first citation from 2026 has arrived!
#astrodon #academia #ads #astrophysics #astronomy
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/292/297/924/064/552/original/8f6d656557216fcb.png

2025-09-24 10:40:48 UTC

I made notes on Robin Wall Kimmerer's "The Serviceberry - An Economy of Gifts and Abundance", which was one of the first #books this year. But somehow never came around to make posts - perhaps because it did not feel right in the middle of winter.
Now, with the fall upon us, it seems the right time.
A biologist's and Native American's thoughts on economy - and alternatives and gifts. Hugely relevant but in a quiet way, one that makes you make small changes in everyday life.
1/7
#VicisBooks
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/258/785/619/361/540/original/eac9c1a93d580f46.jpg

2025-09-16 16:53:15 UTC

Timeline-cleanse: Fly through 3D map of stellar nurseries made by #ESA's #Gaia mission:
▶️ https://youtu.be/cejvjP-a77k
Especially from ~1 min on: just turn on the volume, put the video on full screen and enjoy.
More info: ▶️ https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Gaia/Fly_through_Gaia_s_3D_map_of_stellar_nurseries
#astrodon #nature #astronomy

2025-09-12 14:57:52 UTC

Science takes time ...
Hartle & Thorne, 2025:
▶️ https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.05436
"The research for this paper was completed in 1972, and Jim and I began writing it in that same year but then got distracted for several decades by other projects. In 2000, Jim completed a first draft and gave it to me with some public fanfare on the occasion of my 60th Birthday Symposium. I then let it languish until Jim‘s 80th Birthday Symposium in 2019 ..."
(found via colleagues on LinkedIn)
#astrodon #physics
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/191/902/834/379/387/original/0eba547b99ac9fc4.png

2025-09-06 16:12:28 UTC

#Leiden #Pride.
Yep, that's an #ESA boat 🏳️‍🌈🛰️🚀
1/3
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/158/223/930/903/936/original/2b97116ebbff5f24.jpg
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2025-09-05 11:05:31 UTC

Freedom is a heavy load, a great and strange burden for the spirit to undertake. It is not easy. It is not a gift given, but a choice made, and the choice may be a hard one.
-- Ursula K. #LeGuin, "The Tombs of Atuan", Book #2 of #Earthsea

2025-08-28 20:57:29 UTC

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sorry, that's not astrophysics, so totally not my expertise!

2025-08-28 12:34:11 UTC

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the most massive elements are not supernovae - this graphic here summarizes it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_element#Origin_of_the_elements
The heaviest natural elements actually either get produced when two neutron stars collide or during a certain phase in the life (or rather the dying process) of low mass stars. That Uranium on Earth? All from old low mass stars.
And if you have a lot of free time, here a review article from 2020: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsta.2019.0301

2025-08-28 12:05:49 UTC

Is there something you always wanted to ask an astrophysicist? Here is your chance.
I will try to answer as many questions as I can today. And if I enjoy it, we may repeat this later.
Some background: I'm a high energy astrophysicist working on black holes, neutron stars, accretion and massive stars with a pretty broad knowledge of the whole astro field (I did teach it at uni level), but little to no experience with hobby observing or astrophotography.
#AskAnAstrophysicist #AMA #astrodon

2025-08-19 07:54:06 UTC

All the books I've read and don't remember in detail, have been firmly pressed into the foundation of who I am.
You can't tell the individual books apart under the weight of the later experience, but they are there, shaping who I am, planting the seeds of today's thoughts and decisions.
Every hero rising against injustice. Every warning of old science fiction books. Every friendship. Every moment of forgiveness. Every sacrifice for a better world.
They all are there, making me me.

2025-08-16 07:53:03 UTC

I'm adding to my book wishlist at least five times as fast as I read - and to my unread pile at least twice as fast 😬

2025-08-15 13:50:54 UTC

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oh, adding this to my wishlist (in German translatio, though ...).

2025-08-13 15:45:43 UTC

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hummus is what we had it with today :D

2025-08-13 12:28:28 UTC

~ Mediterranean cucumber & tomato #salad ~
I loooove a simple but delicious salad!
Cucumbers (they do not have to come from your mother-in-law's garden, though mine did!), tomatoes and a red onion, all in small cubes. Add olive oil, mint chiffonade (fancy way to say leaves cut in thin ribbons), salt, pepper and, here comes the drink, a good portion of sumak. Don't skip the sumak.
This is our favorite side with Börek, but it also works in so many other combos.
#ViciCooks #kochen #food #essen
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/021/426/243/660/238/original/47eee5c83bd3f4ee.jpg

2025-08-01 19:24:40 UTC

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As a side, we went with another very strong dish, the bulgur from #Ottolenghi's (excellent + highly recommended) recipe for chermoula aubergines:
▶️ https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/jun/12/chermoula-aubergine-bulgar-recipe-ottolenghi
It does (though one may not necessarily expect it from a side punctuated by little taste explosions of olives & sultanas) work perfectly with the lemony fishy sauce - but it looks nicer on an extra plate for the photo (even though the plates are from [high school] student times) 😅
2/3
#ViciCooks #food #kochen #cooking
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/955/134/324/136/414/original/3899754ca5c9125c.jpg

2025-08-01 18:41:37 UTC

Let's celebrate Friday with some food! "Uri Buri" fish:
▶️ https://koechlkocht.com/rezept/fischfilets-leider-g/
we first tried the recipe during the worst of the pandemic, as part of a New Years cookout and absolute fell in love. So easy to make, such an explosion of taste, so forgiving when it comes to which fish you get (which is not easy in Southern Germany). We loved it so much that we bought his (the cooks, not the blogger's) full cookbook.
1/3
#ViciCooks #food #kochen #cooking
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/954/942/337/579/762/original/99cf7f7406fba7e9.jpg

2025-08-01 13:59:32 UTC

When I was an exchange student in Amsterdam (almost 20 yrs ago), I would buy corn at Cuypmarket (it was less of a tourist trap then) on Saturday & have corn on the cob multiple days for lunch or dinner: pop two ears into the oven (then: a tiny electric one I bought for student housing), turn them after ~10 minutes & done after another 10. Add butter and coarse salt and have perfect summer/early fall bliss.
I still do it the same day today, minus the Cuypmarket...
#ViciCooks #food #vegetarian
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/953/858/102/943/050/original/782b40d3f2667cd0.jpg

2025-07-31 13:13:20 UTC

All art has been contemporary.
#Art #Munich #SMAEK
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/948/014/886/222/390/original/3c51e4f999130bab.jpg

2025-07-24 08:09:30 UTC

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ah, so the service that you mentioned does not really exist ... I assumed you wanted to link to something.

2025-07-24 07:30:58 UTC

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confused - I'm not sure where the citation is from? Does this refer to the photo above?

2025-07-23 18:44:10 UTC

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"The connecting train cannot wait".
I'm going to need 3.5 hours for something that does need 1h 40 by car. Stuck in a train that has no working bathroom and in a train station that has no shelter and no bathroom currently. Yes, I love trains. But I HATE that there have been not enough investments into Deutsche Bahn for the last decades.

2025-07-23 18:20:59 UTC

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Also not a single working bathroom in the whole train...

2025-07-23 17:34:46 UTC

Ich habe 5 min zum Umsteigen in Ulm und wir sind 6 min zu spät los (länger Umstieg ist dann die 65 min...); gestern wurde auf der Strecke keins der Abendanschlüsse erreicht 😬

2025-07-23 15:55:36 UTC

And we can't even remember who they were...
#AboutToday
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/903/348/622/081/377/original/047071546174be4d.jpg

2025-07-23 06:23:40 UTC

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And we have a newly minted PhD!
(And I learned a ton about cross-cultural advising. Ask me offline if you want to know more...)
#PhD #AcademicChatter #astrodon #GermanPhDHats
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/901/105/567/369/533/original/0981e0fc2e045687.jpg

2025-07-22 13:07:48 UTC

#AboutToday
The best reason for returning to an old institute...
#astrodon
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/897/030/142/924/143/original/200907eb7873a695.jpg

2025-07-10 08:01:52 UTC

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ah! sorry, sometimes hard to tell online with folks whom I don't know well!

2025-07-10 07:59:32 UTC

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I'm not quiet sure if you mean this as a joke or ...?

2025-07-09 21:28:11 UTC

🤬 reading a book mentioning how Einstein "received a letter from a young colleague, Karl Schwarzschild... who in a few months would lose his life at the Eastern Front."
Schwarzschild was 6 years older than Einstein, a professor since 1901 & director of the Potsdam observatory. Also, he did not die at the front (as a consequence, yes, but not at).
You can bet my trust in the book overall is now close to zero (i really wanted to like it, it's written by a colleague, another physicist) 🙄

2025-07-03 07:38:29 UTC

Did not have the time to do any other art during the vacation, but at least I made a card for our lovely hosts here in Killarney!
#VicisArt #aquarelle #ireland #watercolour #watercolor
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/788/157/223/508/019/original/61d286d11f9e96ff.jpg

2025-06-30 19:10:48 UTC

Timeline cleanser: Ring of Kerry in the rain.
#ireland #photography #LandscapePhotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/773/868/825/722/126/original/bd036614918dc9a8.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/773/869/032/739/181/original/619ebcdda7aeec0c.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/773/869/038/540/574/original/7aa689d85f2d8690.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/773/869/077/581/005/original/f6e59127c2bd8f64.jpg

2025-06-24 10:09:21 UTC

#ArXiv is a rebel movement gone mainstream.
-- Licia Verde at #EAS2025, from her speech accepting Jocelyn Bell Burnell Inspiration Medal from the European Astronomical Society on behalf of ArXiv
#OpenScience

2025-06-21 20:04:08 UTC

I hate it that mastodon does not allow you to turn off replies. I'd love to scream something into the world and I don't want anyone replying to it.
And before I get a lot of mansplaining how it's people's right to reply: this is not even something controversial, just something I have no power to deal with any word-like feedback, no matter how well meant. And screaming out would help.

2025-06-21 06:02:03 UTC

München-Empfehlungen?
Kontext: Ich habe, vor mehr als 15 Jahren, in München studiert. Kenne die Stadt also gut von früher, war aber ~7-8 Jahre nicht da. Komme die letzte Juli Woche für ein paar Tage und Suche nach Geheimtipps für tolle Läden für Keramik, Einrichtung, Kunsthandwerk oder Schmuck & Kleidung (gerne fair trade / lokales / handgemacht), gut kuratierte Buchläden, tolle Cafés/Restaurants, Ausstellungen (die großen Museen kenne ich!), Theater, die noch nicht in Sommerpause sind.

2025-06-15 18:37:47 UTC

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like this?
#VicisArt
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/688/828/162/433/434/original/d860a7b38a3f195a.jpg

2025-06-15 15:23:33 UTC

Yes, we are made of stardust. But so is garbage.

2025-06-08 15:56:40 UTC

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A much taller guy reaching over my head in the American Bookstore in the Hague for Ursula K. LeGuin's "The Dispossessed" (a store recommendation - I just love this store) and me grabbing the chance to tell him that he is in for a threat with this book. #Momentaufnahme #VicisBooks

2025-06-08 14:13:38 UTC

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The "win!" feeling when you are in an exhibition, look at a painting and ask yourself "haven't I seen this in Potsdam?" and indeed, are correct. #Momentaufnahme

2025-06-08 13:37:04 UTC

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The unexpected oliebollen stand at Leiden train station and the (failed) attempt to eat hot krentenbollen on the train, without distributing sugar everywhwre. #Momentaufnahme
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/648/008/554/992/389/original/4350536482b67f46.jpg

2025-06-08 13:33:32 UTC

The intense cotton candy smell of someone's perfume when sharing the space in front of a painting in the Kunstmuseum Den Haag. #Momentaufnahme

2025-05-28 19:23:01 UTC

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it really confused me because the map shows two dashed border lines so I had to look up why...

2025-05-28 19:17:50 UTC

#TIL that the exact border between Italy and France is still undecided around the Mont Blanc. France thinks the whole mountain is French, Italy that the border runs exactly along the mountain peak 🏔️
#Alps #MontBlanc

2025-05-26 18:30:02 UTC

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France, day 6: they don't joke when they say that Alaskan malamutes shed (and are super friendly and super talkative!)
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/575/551/309/321/459/original/38f89e937e4d34b1.jpg

2025-05-26 18:26:39 UTC

France, day 5: rest day
#urlaub #lesen
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/575/530/854/254/072/original/c4d9698dc4260336.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/575/532/889/726/989/original/80c9adb4e5e95213.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/575/532/932/449/432/original/892267d7dd17eaf8.jpg

2025-05-26 08:37:58 UTC

Recommend me your favorite (yes, this is about personal experience) open street maps app for android? Feel free to explain why you prefer that one.
My use cases are:
* going places by foot, bike (almost exclusicely in Netherlands) or public transport
* finding interesting places (restaurants but also shops, museums, etc.) when travelling
My phone is getting old so something that is no eating a ton of battery woukd be great.

2025-05-24 17:22:03 UTC

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France, day 3: on the side of the road.
#photography #flowers #bloomscrolling #alps #Alpen
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/563/955/723/757/978/original/29dd53227b8baca4.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/563/955/722/766/837/original/aa676c8c03cccf1f.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/563/955/926/408/195/original/3b2252fc90ac5d28.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/563/955/932/256/364/original/bcb90cc1c1ded32d.jpg

2025-05-24 17:18:45 UTC

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France, day 3: Lac de Buclet
#photography #alps #Alpen #LacDeBuclet
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/563/926/465/174/478/original/49d7867e241016ee.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/563/926/664/015/770/original/8d251e1fd3c50fab.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/563/927/668/080/428/original/f4de3f5ea42c7b32.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/563/932/415/101/989/original/24235cf8e403497e.jpg

2025-05-24 17:05:04 UTC

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France, day 3: welcome to the magic forest.
#photography #roadsign #unicorn #GuerillaArt
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/563/891/053/014/452/original/30e68ae4fbb026f9.jpg

2025-05-24 17:03:16 UTC

France, day 3: 30000 steps
#photography #alps
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/563/886/899/832/676/original/553bed465fdfe08d.jpg

2025-05-23 17:53:59 UTC

France, day 2: #FensterFreitag
#photography #grenoble
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/558/421/303/486/609/original/57562c0a689e9127.jpg

2025-05-22 12:56:06 UTC

We crossed the borders from Netherlands to Belgium to Luxemburg to France today with only the road signs making us aware that there is the (imaginary, human-made) border at all.
I don't want to live, again, in a world where there are more borders.

2025-05-13 16:42:22 UTC

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yay, congratulations!