feed.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xml:lang="en"><generator uri="https://jekyllrb.com/" version="4.4.1">Jekyll</generator><link href="https://psaltisa.github.io/feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" /><link href="https://psaltisa.github.io/" rel="alternate" type="text/html" hreflang="en" /><updated>2026-02-28T12:42:16-04:00</updated><id>https://psaltisa.github.io/feed.xml</id><title type="html">Thanassis Psaltis</title><subtitle>Assistant Professor of Physics at Saint Mary&apos;s University
</subtitle><entry><title type="html">Any season is a good season</title><link href="https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2026/Zen-seasons/" rel="alternate" type="text/html" title="Any season is a good season" /><published>2026-01-16T00:00:00-04:00</published><updated>2026-01-16T00:00:00-04:00</updated><id>https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2026/Zen-seasons</id><content type="html" xml:base="https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2026/Zen-seasons/"><![CDATA[<blockquote>
In spring, hunderds of flowers; in autumn, a harvest moon;<br />
In summer, a refreshing breeze; in winter, snow will accompany you.<br />
If useless things do not hang in your mind,
Any season is a good season for you. <br />

-The gateless gate
</blockquote>

<center>
<div class="row justify-content-sm-center">
        <img class="img-fluid" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/69/247469-050-DDBDAA1F/Autumn-and-Winter-Landscapes-Sesshu-Toyo-15th-early-16th-century.jpg" alt="" title="Winter Landscape, by Sesshū, c. 1470, in the Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo, Japan." data-zoomable="" />
				<div class="caption">
				     Winter Landscape, by Sesshū, c. 1470, in the Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo, Japan.
				</div>
</div>
</center>]]></content><author><name></name></author><category term="article" /><category term="philosophy" /><category term="art" /><summary type="html"><![CDATA[In spring, hunderds of flowers; in autumn, a harvest moon; In summer, a refreshing breeze; in winter, snow will accompany you. If useless things do not hang in your mind, Any season is a good season for you.]]></summary></entry><entry><title type="html">Canadian Subatomic Physics Long Range Plan</title><link href="https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2025/CINP-LRP/" rel="alternate" type="text/html" title="Canadian Subatomic Physics Long Range Plan" /><published>2025-11-30T00:00:00-04:00</published><updated>2025-11-30T00:00:00-04:00</updated><id>https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2025/CINP-LRP</id><content type="html" xml:base="https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2025/CINP-LRP/"><![CDATA[<p>The Canadian Institute for Nuclear Physics (CINP) has just submitted its Long Range Plan (LRP) for 2027–2034. The document offers a thorough look at the current state of nuclear physics research in Canada and outlines key priorities for the years ahead.</p>

<p>For me, the standout recommendations are clear: increasing the NSERC Subatomic Physics envelope to ensure students and postdocs receive at least a living wage; strengthening support for an inclusive and diverse Canadian nuclear-physics community; and expanding resources for nuclear theory.</p>

<p>You can read the full LRP on the CINP <a href="https://cinp.ca/subatomic-physics-long-range-plan">website</a>.
Thank you to all the colleagues that contributed to this report!</p>]]></content><author><name></name></author><category term="nuclear-physics" /><summary type="html"><![CDATA[The Canadian Institute for Nuclear Physics (CINP) has just submitted its Long Range Plan (LRP) for 2027–2034. The document offers a thorough look at the current state of nuclear physics research in Canada and outlines key priorities for the years ahead.]]></summary></entry><entry><title type="html">Starry night in Nova Scotia ✨</title><link href="https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2025/starry-night-NS/" rel="alternate" type="text/html" title="Starry night in Nova Scotia ✨" /><published>2025-08-21T00:00:00-03:00</published><updated>2025-08-21T00:00:00-03:00</updated><id>https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2025/starry-night-NS</id><content type="html" xml:base="https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2025/starry-night-NS/"><![CDATA[<center>           
<video autoplay="" loop="" controls="" width="100%" height="100%"> <source src="/assets/vid/NS_stars.mp4" type="video/mp4" /></video>   
</center>]]></content><author><name></name></author><summary type="html"><![CDATA[]]></summary></entry><entry><title type="html">Media Sampler 6 - Social media and ultra-processed content</title><link href="https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2024/media-sampler-6/" rel="alternate" type="text/html" title="Media Sampler 6 - Social media and ultra-processed content" /><published>2024-07-28T00:00:00-03:00</published><updated>2024-07-28T00:00:00-03:00</updated><id>https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2024/media-sampler-6</id><content type="html" xml:base="https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2024/media-sampler-6/"><![CDATA[<p><em>“Media Sampler” is a series of posts, where I make a selection of articles, videos and podcasts that I recently came across in the Internets and found interesting!</em></p>

<h2 id="articles">Articles</h2>
<hr />

<ul>
  <li>
    <p><a href="https://davidepstein.substack.com/p/communication-really-happens-in-the" target="\_blank">Communication Really Happens in the Carpool…</a> by David Epstein</p>

    <p>This article highlights the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and spontaneous interactions in fostering innovation. With remote work, creating intentional opportunities for idea exchange is crucial. Examples include NASA’s “Monday Notes” and proactive information sharing among hospital interns. Encouraging diverse reading and idea cross-pollination can also enhance creativity and innovation.</p>

    <blockquote>
      <p><i class="fas fa-quote-left"></i> “And most people say, ‘Well, I don’t have time to read outside my field.’ I say, ‘No, you do have time, it’s far more important.’ Your world becomes a bigger world, and maybe there’s a moment in which you make connections.”</p>

      <p>-Arturo Casadevall</p>
    </blockquote>
  </li>
  <li>
    <p><a href="https://www.afterbabel.com/p/degrading-effects-of-life-online" target="\_blank">On The Degrading Effects of Life Online</a> by Jon Haidt
and Freya India</p>

    <p>An article about how social media makes us worse people. There is some discussion regarding efforts in the UK to limit children’s smartphone use, highlighting initiatives by individuals like Daisy Greenwell and Clare Reynolds, and the UK’s Age Appropriate Design Code. It examines the negative impact of social media on children’s mental health and development, sharing disturbing testimonies from teens. Good read to understand the issue with social media use and young people.</p>

    <blockquote>
      <p><i class="fas fa-quote-left"></i> Every social media app is toxic. There are a lot of nasty people on there — and nasty stuff. The TikTok For You page and Instagram Reels are the worst for showing really gruesome videos, like people getting seriously hurt or their arm being cut off.</p>

      <p>-Charley, age 17</p>
    </blockquote>
  </li>
  <li>
    <p><a href="https://aeon.co/essays/how-soviet-communist-philosophy-shaped-postwar-quantum-theory?utm_source=rss-feed" target="\_blank">Quantum dialectics</a>
by Nigel Warburton</p>

    <p>This article discusses how Soviet Marxist philosophy influenced postwar quantum theory, particularly through the work of physicist David Bohm. It explores how Soviet ideology shaped scientific discourse and contributed to the development of Bohm’s interpretation of quantum mechanics, which emphasized a deterministic universe in contrast to the prevailing Copenhagen interpretation.</p>

    <blockquote>
      <p><i class="fas fa-quote-left"></i> It was not enough just to interpret the world, Marx claimed. Philosophers must also seek to change it</p>

    </blockquote>
  </li>
</ul>

<h2 id="video">Video</h2>
<hr />

<center>
<div id="video-container">
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/41Jc75tQcB0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</div>
</center>

<h2 id="podcast">Podcast</h2>
<hr />

<iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/7a2FN6zr7Fe21oUPdQburu?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe>]]></content><author><name></name></author><category term="lists" /><category term="media-sampler" /><summary type="html"><![CDATA[“Media Sampler” is a series of posts, where I make a selection of articles, videos and podcasts that I recently came across in the Internets and found interesting!]]></summary></entry><entry><title type="html">My top 5 favourite books of 2023 📚</title><link href="https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2023/favourite-books/" rel="alternate" type="text/html" title="My top 5 favourite books of 2023 📚" /><published>2023-12-23T00:00:00-04:00</published><updated>2023-12-23T00:00:00-04:00</updated><id>https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2023/favourite-books</id><content type="html" xml:base="https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2023/favourite-books/"><![CDATA[<p>As the pages turn and the year winds down, it’s that time again to share the
books I liked the most this year. You can always see my recommendations from
previous years: <a href="/blog/2020/favourite-books/">2020</a>,
<a href="/blog/2021/favourite-books/">2021</a>, and <a href="/blog/2022/favourite-books/">2022</a>. Happy reading!</p>

<hr />
<h3 id="the-scarcity-brain-by-michael-easter"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Scarcity-Brain-Craving-Mindset-Rewire/dp/0593236629">The Scarcity Brain</a> by Michael Easter</h3>

<p>Michael Easter’s dive into the intricacies of the human mind grappling with scarcity struck a chord with me. “The Scarcity Brain” is not just a book; it’s a journey into the psychology of decision-making and resilience in the face of limitations. Easter’s insights linger, urging us to ponder the profound ways scarcity influences our daily choices. I have also read his previous book, “The Comfort Crisis”, which was really well written.</p>

<center>
    <div class="row justify-content-sm-center">
        <div class="col-sm mt-3 mt-md-0">
            <img class="img-fluid" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_792452-T2/images/I/71MUP+7QjfL._SL1500_.jpg" width="30%" alt="" title="" />
        </div>
    </div>
</center>

<hr />
<h3 id="atlas-of-ai-by-kate-crawford"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Atlas-AI-Planetary-Artificial-Intelligence/dp/0300264631/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3JW83Y2DZP3HU&amp;keywords=atlas+of+ai&amp;qid=1703156959&amp;s=books&amp;sprefix=atlas+of+ai%2Cstripbooks-intl-ship%2C343&amp;sr=1-1">Atlas of AI</a> by Kate Crawford</h3>

<p>This was definitely the year of AI, so I couldn’t not include a book about it.
Kate Crawford’s “Atlas of AI” is a must-read map through the complex landscape of artificial intelligence. From the ethics to the societal impact, Crawford’s exploration is both comprehensive and eye-opening. This book serves as a guidebook for those curious about the intricate role AI plays in shaping our world.</p>

<center>
    <div class="row justify-content-sm-center">
        <div class="col-sm mt-3 mt-md-0">
            <img class="img-fluid" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_792452-T2/images/I/61Xe0C3QBOL._SL1500_.jpg" width="30%" alt="" title="" />
        </div>
    </div>
</center>

<hr />

<h3 id="improv-wisdom-by-patricia-madson"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Improv-Wisdom-Dont-Prepare-Just/dp/1400081882/ref=sr_1_1?crid=15P2JBLCZMNPO&amp;keywords=improv+wisdom&amp;qid=1703157020&amp;s=books&amp;sprefix=improv+wisdom%2Cstripbooks-intl-ship%2C216&amp;sr=1-1">Improv Wisdom</a> by Patricia Madson</h3>

<p>Patricia Madson’s “Improv Wisdom” is a gem that brings the principles of improvisational theater into the spotlight. Madson’s insights into spontaneity, adaptability, and navigating uncertainty provide a practical framework for dealing with life’s unpredictable twists. A delightful guide for those seeking to infuse creativity into their journey.</p>

<center>
    <div class="row justify-content-sm-center">
        <div class="col-sm mt-3 mt-md-0">
            <img class="img-fluid" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_792452-T2/images/I/71H8O9RxKdL._SL1500_.jpg" width="30%" alt="" title="" />
        </div>
    </div>
</center>

<hr />

<h3 id="zens-mind-beginners-mind-by-shunryu-suzuki"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Mind-Beginners-50th-Anniversary/dp/1611808413/ref=sr_1_1?crid=B3JUTC102HCD&amp;keywords=zen+mind%2C+beginner%27s+mind&amp;qid=1703157072&amp;s=books&amp;sprefix=zen%27s+mind%2Cstripbooks-intl-ship%2C231&amp;sr=1-1">Zen’s Mind, Beginner’s Mind</a> by Shunryu Suzuki</h3>

<p>Shunryu Suzuki’s classic, “Zen’s Mind, Beginner’s Mind,” invites readers to embrace life with the curiosity of a beginner. Through Zen teachings, Suzuki imparts timeless wisdom on approaching life without preconceptions, fostering mindfulness and clarity. A meditative journey for those seeking a deeper connection with the present moment.</p>

<center>
   <div class="row justify-content-sm-center">
    <div class="col-sm mt-3 mt-md-0">
        <img class="img-fluid" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_792452-T2/images/I/71WAUxYxZ1L._SL1500_.jpg" width="30%" alt="" title="" />
    </div>
   </div>
   </center>

<hr />

<h3 id="peak-by-anders-ericsson"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Peak-Robert-Pool-Anders-Ericsson-audiobook/dp/B01F4A98WQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=PX6C4AIKRNYA&amp;keywords=peak+ander&amp;qid=1703157135&amp;s=books&amp;sprefix=peak+ander%2Cstripbooks-intl-ship%2C239&amp;sr=1-1">Peak</a> by Anders Ericsson</h3>

<p>Anders Ericsson’s “Peak” is a captivating exploration into the science of expertise. Ericsson demystifies the path to mastery through real-world examples and compelling research. This book offers valuable insights for anyone striving to elevate their skills and reach new heights in their pursuits.</p>

<center>
    <div class="row justify-content-sm-center">
        <div class="col-sm mt-3 mt-md-0">
            <img class="img-fluid" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_792452-T2/images/I/91HjeD691KL._SL1500_.jpg" width="30%" alt="" title="" />
        </div>
    </div>
</center>

<hr />]]></content><author><name></name></author><category term="lists" /><category term="books" /><summary type="html"><![CDATA[As the pages turn and the year winds down, it’s that time again to share the books I liked the most this year. You can always see my recommendations from previous years: 2020, 2021, and 2022. Happy reading!]]></summary></entry><entry><title type="html">The Einstein vs Oppenheimer Chess Game</title><link href="https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2023/einstein-oppenheimer/" rel="alternate" type="text/html" title="The Einstein vs Oppenheimer Chess Game" /><published>2023-08-18T00:00:00-03:00</published><updated>2023-08-18T00:00:00-03:00</updated><id>https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2023/einstein-oppenheimer</id><content type="html" xml:base="https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2023/einstein-oppenheimer/"><![CDATA[<center>
<div class="row justify-content-sm-center">
        <img class="img-fluid" src="/assets/img/einstein_oppenheimer.jpg" alt="" title="J. Robert
		Oppenheimer and Albert Einstein. © Alfred Eisenstaedt/The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock." data-zoomable="" />
				<div class="caption">
				     J. Robert Oppenheimer and Albert
    Einstein. © Alfred Eisenstaedt/The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock.
				</div>
</div>
</center>

<blockquote>
  <p><i class="fas fa-quote-left"></i> Chess grips its exponent, shackling the mind and brain so that the inner freedom and independence of even the strongest character cannot remain unaffected.</p>

  <p>-Albert Einstein</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I enjoy playing chess a lot. I learned to play when I was a kid and picked it
up again during grad school. There is an interesting game flowing in the
internet between Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer, that supposedly took place at
Princeton in 1933, when they were both working there. The game was first
published in Freude am Schach (The Pleasure of Chess) by Gerhard Henschel in
1959, but it is not officially confimed that it actually took place.</p>

<p>The game began with one of the most common openings, the Spanish (Ruy Lopez),
demonstrating that both Einstein and Oppenheimer had tipped their toes into
chess theory. The first few moves flow naturally, with Einstein’s 5. Bb3
revealing his intent to apply pressure on the f7 square and focus on the kingside.</p>

<p>As the game progressed, Einstein let Oppenheimer capture his e pawn 6. Nxe4,
but responded by moving his kingside rook in the middle of the board. A few
moves later 10. Nxe5, Oppenheimer chooses to retreat his knight, instead of
exchanging, but that allows 11. Qf3 to create a strong attack in the f7 square.</p>

<p>Oppenheimer blunders 11 ..f6, trying to kick out the knight, but Einstein
finds 12. Qh5+, which starts a serious attack on the black king. Einstein
sacrificed his kinght in 13. Nxg6, to get the rook, explointing the pinned
knight in e7, and gets a large advantage.</p>

<p>After some exchanges, we get to a very nice move by
Einstein, 21. Nc4. Oppenheimer captures the knight, but then exchanges his
queen for a rook, and the game is completely lost for him, with no viable
options for his king. After 24. Bxe7, J. Robert Oppenheimer resigns and Albert
Einstein gets a well-deserved victory.</p>

<p>While this chess game might not be as celebrated as the scientific achievements of both players, it offers a fascinating glimpse into the strategic minds of two remarkable physicists. The game’s intricate tactics, sacrifices, and brilliant positional maneuvers mirror the thought processes that guided their groundbreaking research in physics.</p>

<p>It is worth noting that Einstein’s connection to chess extended beyond this game. He had the privilege of knowing Emanuel Lasker, the longest-reigning World Chess Champion in history. Lasker’s presence and teachings undoubtedly influenced Einstein’s approach to the game, adding an extra layer of depth to Einstein’s engagement with chess.</p>

<center>
<iframe src="https://lichess.org/embed/game/oFrYqSJT?theme=auto&amp;bg=auto" width="600" height="397" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</center>]]></content><author><name></name></author><category term="article" /><category term="physics" /><category term="chess" /><category term="history" /><summary type="html"><![CDATA[J. Robert Oppenheimer and Albert Einstein. © Alfred Eisenstaedt/The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock.]]></summary></entry><entry><title type="html">Journeying Through Stars - My Adventure into Nuclear Astrophysics</title><link href="https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2023/INPC/" rel="alternate" type="text/html" title="Journeying Through Stars - My Adventure into Nuclear Astrophysics" /><published>2023-07-15T00:00:00-03:00</published><updated>2023-07-15T00:00:00-03:00</updated><id>https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2023/INPC</id><content type="html" xml:base="https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2023/INPC/"><![CDATA[<p>Last September I had the pleasure to visit South Africa for the first time to attend the
International Nuclear Physics Conference (<a href="https://inpc2022.org/">INPC</a>) in
Cape Town. I presented my <a href="https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ac7da7">work</a> on
nucleosynthesis in neutrino-driven ejecta. The conference included an outreach
workshop, organized by Gillian Arendse from iTHEMBA, with educators from the
Cape Academy for Mathematics, Science and Technology
(<a href="http://www.camst.co.za/">CAMST</a>). My friend and collaborator Prof. Christian
Diget prepared a short lecture regarding the <a href="https://bindingblocks.org.uk/">Binding
Blocks</a> educational program for students
between 16-19 years old. Christian asked me to help him with a demonstration
of an educational game to help students understand the hot CNO cycles and
I immediately accepted. We met the educators at the CAMST and had a lovely
evening with them. In the video below, I am giving my personal views about
nuclear astrophysics, and why I followed this path of research.</p>

<center>           
<video controls="" width="100%" height="100%"> <source src="/assets/vid/INPC-outreach.mp4" type="video/mp4" /></video>   
</center>
<div class="col three caption">                                                                                                           <i class="fa fa-video"></i> INPC Interactive workshop (Fall 2022).                                                                </div>

<blockquote>
  <p><i class="fas fa-quote-left"></i> <i> What we do in nuclear [astro]physics,
is that we study how the different elements in the periodic table
are created. Everything that we see in our everyday life, is made [out] of
some substance, some [chemical] elements. For example, you have calcium
in your bones, you have iron in your red blood cells [and Christian
was saying that iron is very stable]. All these different elements,
with a few exceptions, like hydrogen and helium, all of this different
material that we see and make all this exotic and this beauty in
the world and the rest of the universe are created in stars. Like
the stars that we see in the night sky, they create inside their
hearts the different elements that make up ourselves. What’s really
amazing, and one of the reasons I decided to follow this research, is
that I learned that all of us are connected, because we are made of
exactly the same material and we are coming from the same source. The material
that makes up the Solar system comes from a huge cloud, a nebula [same as the
one that Christian told us from the children’s book] we are made of the same
substance, 4.5 billion years ago. We might live in very different places, you
are in South Africa and I am in Germany, but we are connected; not only [with]
humans, but we are also connected to the trees and the animals and the
beautiful mountains of South Africa. We are all made out of exactly the same
material. What I am doing for my research is that I am trying to understand
why some elements are more common that others. We have lots of oxygen, lots of
carbon, but we don’t have not lots of gold [it would be nice to have lots of gold!].
I am using big laboratories, like iTHEMBA, to try to recreate what happens
inside stars, how stars create these different elements. And they are paying me to
do that, and to travel to nice laces like South Africa for conferences!
Pretty cool deal right?</i></p>

</blockquote>

<div class="row justify-content-sm-center">
    <div class="col-sm mt-3 mt-md-0">
        <img class="img-fluid" src="/assets/img/INPC-1.JPG" alt="" title="Explaining the interactive activity" data-zoomable="" />
				<div class="caption">
				     Explaining the interactive activity.
				</div>
    </div>
    <div class="col-sm mt-3 mt-md-0">
        <img class="img-fluid" src="/assets/img/INPC-2.JPG" alt="" title="Group picture with the educators from CAMST" data-zoomable="" />
				<div class="caption">
				    Group picture with the educators from CAMST.
				</div>
    </div>
</div>]]></content><author><name></name></author><category term="article" /><category term="nuclear-astrophysics" /><summary type="html"><![CDATA[Last September I had the pleasure to visit South Africa for the first time to attend the International Nuclear Physics Conference (INPC) in Cape Town. I presented my work on nucleosynthesis in neutrino-driven ejecta. The conference included an outreach workshop, organized by Gillian Arendse from iTHEMBA, with educators from the Cape Academy for Mathematics, Science and Technology (CAMST). My friend and collaborator Prof. Christian Diget prepared a short lecture regarding the Binding Blocks educational program for students between 16-19 years old. Christian asked me to help him with a demonstration of an educational game to help students understand the hot CNO cycles and I immediately accepted. We met the educators at the CAMST and had a lovely evening with them. In the video below, I am giving my personal views about nuclear astrophysics, and why I followed this path of research.]]></summary></entry><entry><title type="html">Media Sampler 5 - Tsundoku and capitalism math</title><link href="https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2023/media-sampler-5/" rel="alternate" type="text/html" title="Media Sampler 5 - Tsundoku and capitalism math" /><published>2023-06-20T00:00:00-03:00</published><updated>2023-06-20T00:00:00-03:00</updated><id>https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2023/media-sampler-5</id><content type="html" xml:base="https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2023/media-sampler-5/"><![CDATA[<p><em>“Media Sampler” is a series of posts, where I make a selection of articles, videos and podcasts that I recently came across in the Internets and found interesting!</em></p>

<h2 id="articles">Articles</h2>
<hr />

<ul>
  <li>
    <p><a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-four-day-workweek-reduces-stress-without-hurting-productivity/" target="\_blank">A Four-Day Workweek Reduces Stress without Hurting Productivity</a> by Jan Dönges, Sophie Bushwick</p>

    <p>There is a very active movement that supports a four-day workweek and recent
research, as discussed in this article, shows that it promotes both the
productivity and the well-being of workers. A similar reading is the book
<a href="https://www.strategy.rest/?page_id=8645">Shorter</a> by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang.</p>

    <blockquote>
      <p><i class="fas fa-quote-left"></i> The kinds of results that [the researchers are] reporting are more substantial than many of those [wellness] programs. Because again, a lot of what these programs are doing are helping people tolerate the situation that they’re in rather than changing [that situation]. It’s a much more profound thing to do—to change the nature of work—than it is to help people put up with what they’ve got.</p>

      <p>-Michael Leiter</p>
    </blockquote>
  </li>
  <li>
    <p><a href="https://pudding.cool/2022/12/yard-sale/" target="\_blank">Why the super rich are
inevitable</a> by The Pudding</p>

    <p>A fun and interactive post with some simple capitalism math, based on the
“Yard-sale model”. I found very interesting the results of the simulations
when redistribution was included in the system.</p>

    <blockquote>
      <p><i class="fas fa-quote-left"></i> We believe that this purely analytical approach, which resembles an x-ray in that it is used not so much to represent the messiness of the real world as to strip it away and reveal the underlying skeleton, provides deep insight into the forces acting to increase poverty and inequality today.</p>

      <p>-Bruce M. Boghosian</p>
    </blockquote>
  </li>
  <li>
    <p><a href="https://www.openculture.com/2022/11/the-virtue-of-owning-books-you-havent-read-why-umberto-eco-kept-an-antilibrary.html" target="\_blank">The Virtue of Owning Books You Haven’t Read: Why Umberto Eco Kept an
“Antilibrary”</a>
by Open Culture</p>

    <p>This is an article I found to justify my love for buying books at a higher
rate than I read them. The video with Umberto Eco going through his personal
library to find a book is amazing!</p>

    <blockquote>
      <p><i class="fas fa-quote-left"></i> The titles lining my own home remind
me that I know little to nothing about cryptography, the evolution of
feathers, Italian folklore, illicit drug use in the Third Reich, and
whatever entomophagy is.</p>

      <p>-Kevin Meems</p>
    </blockquote>
  </li>
</ul>

<h2 id="video">Video</h2>
<hr />

<center>
<div id="video-container">
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Lk6QU94xAb8" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</div>
</center>

<h2 id="podcast">Podcast</h2>
<hr />

<iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/5B0iBgaktGONqOszrTVtyl?utm_source=generator&amp;theme=0" width="100%" height="352" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe>]]></content><author><name></name></author><category term="lists" /><category term="media-sampler" /><summary type="html"><![CDATA[“Media Sampler” is a series of posts, where I make a selection of articles, videos and podcasts that I recently came across in the Internets and found interesting!]]></summary></entry><entry><title type="html">(Stellar) Fusion Cuisine</title><link href="https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2023/fusion-cuisine/" rel="alternate" type="text/html" title="(Stellar) Fusion Cuisine" /><published>2023-05-25T00:00:00-03:00</published><updated>2023-05-25T00:00:00-03:00</updated><id>https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2023/fusion-cuisine</id><content type="html" xml:base="https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2023/fusion-cuisine/"><![CDATA[<p>Few days ago <a href="https://xkcd.com/2778">xkcd</a> posted one of my favourite sketches
that will definitely end up in a future talk (professional or outreach). In
it, the main stick character is experimenting with fusion cuisine by heating
four cups of heavy water (which is like the regular water, but with deuterons
instead of hydrogen <sup>1</sup>H.) The process of converting hydrogen into
heavier elements is what powers the stars we see in the night sky! Iron is the
endpoint of that process in the cores of the stars, since heavier elements are
mainly created by neutron captures.</p>

<center>
    <div class="row justify-content-sm-center">
        <div class="col-sm mt-2 mt-md-0">
            <figure>

  <picture>
    <source media="(max-width: 480px)" srcset="https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/6/67/cuisine_2x-480.webp" />
    <source media="(max-width: 800px)" srcset="https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/6/67/cuisine_2x-800.webp" />
    <source media="(max-width: 1400px)" srcset="https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/6/67/cuisine_2x-1400.webp" />
    <!-- Fallback to the original file -->
    <img class="img-fluid" src="https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/6/67/cuisine_2x.png" data-zoomable="" />

  </picture><figcaption class="caption"></figcaption>

</figure>

        </div>
    </div>
</center>]]></content><author><name></name></author><category term="art" /><category term="nuclear-astrophysics" /><summary type="html"><![CDATA[Few days ago xkcd posted one of my favourite sketches that will definitely end up in a future talk (professional or outreach). In it, the main stick character is experimenting with fusion cuisine by heating four cups of heavy water (which is like the regular water, but with deuterons instead of hydrogen 1H.) The process of converting hydrogen into heavier elements is what powers the stars we see in the night sky! Iron is the endpoint of that process in the cores of the stars, since heavier elements are mainly created by neutron captures.]]></summary></entry><entry><title type="html">The birth of the elements</title><link href="https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2023/birth-of-the-elements/" rel="alternate" type="text/html" title="The birth of the elements" /><published>2023-02-28T00:00:00-04:00</published><updated>2023-02-28T00:00:00-04:00</updated><id>https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2023/birth-of-the-elements</id><content type="html" xml:base="https://psaltisa.github.io/blog/2023/birth-of-the-elements/"><![CDATA[<p>In the vast and endless space,<br />
A wondrous tale we often trace.<br />
Of elements that form our race,<br />
And in the stars, they find their place.</p>

<p>Born in the heart of a star,<br />
Elements fused, a cosmic czar.<br />
In the furnace where they war,<br />
A mighty force, and then they soar.</p>

<p>Hydrogen and helium, the first two,<br />
In the star’s womb, they renew.<br />
Carbon, nitrogen, oxygen too,<br />
All formed in the stars’ debut.</p>

<p>Supernovas explode, elements endowed,<br />
Scattered and bestowed, in the universe, they crowd.<br />
Iron, gold, and silver galore,<br />
All formed in the stars’ core.</p>

<p>A tale of creation, a cosmic inspiration,<br />
Of the elements, for our admiration.<br />
In the stars, their formation,<br />
A wondrous cosmic revelation.</p>

<p>Oh, the mystery of the universe,<br />
Of the stars, an endless verse.<br />
Of elements, the essence of our birth,<br />
A cosmic tale, of infinite worth.</p>

<p>p.s. This is a short poem written by <a href="chat.openai.com/">ChatGPT</a>. I was playing around with it and found this interesting.</p>]]></content><author><name></name></author><category term="art" /><summary type="html"><![CDATA[In the vast and endless space, A wondrous tale we often trace. Of elements that form our race, And in the stars, they find their place.]]></summary></entry></feed>