Secrets of numbers
Numbers are just amazing, as a child numbers are one the first things you learn. You try to count as far as possible, the first goal is to reach 10, then 20, then 50, finally you reach 100. Thanks to our computers you can find many cool things about large numbers!
A hobby scientist's view on quantum computing
The story goes as follows, during the last couple of decades many scientists, universities, and tech giants like IBM, Microsoft, and Google have invested largely in building this advanced machine called a quantum computer. Such a computer will be able to perform quantum computations, which rely on qubits instead of ordinary bits. The major challenge when you want to use such a qubit is that it is very unstable, and stable qubits are essential to have a proper quantum computer.
Random encounters with Ramsey numbers
It is was the second time yesterday in a one week time and the fourth in a one month time that I came across Ramsey numbers. In the beginning I thought it was just a coincidence.
Sir Roger Penrose - looking into black holes
On October 6th 2020 Sir Roger Penrose was awarded, jointly with Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez, the nobel prize for physics for their groundbreaking discoveries concerning black holes.
José van Dijck: "I draw inspiration from the relationship between technology, user and ideas"
José van Dijck is a University Professor of Media and Digital Society at Utrecht University. Her research concerns media, social media and media technologies.
CWI researchers develop new mathematical framework to explain the emergence of large blackouts
Mathematician Bert Zwart of the Dutch National Research Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science (CWI) and his colleagues, Tomasso Nesti (CWI) and Fiona Sloothaak (Eindhoven University of Technology) have now proposed a new explanation on how large electric power blackouts can occur.
"A digital app can help reconstruct the virus transmission contact network"
Directly or indirectly networks played a crucial role during the Corona health crisis. During this online event the speakers shed light on the relevance of networks in combating the epidemic, each one from a different point of view, namely from that of the exact sciences, medicine, communication and social sciences respectively.
Verbonden tegen Covid-19 – Structure, contacts, emotions and behavior
On Tuesday 31st of May the KNAW organized the webinar "Verbonden tegen Covid-19 - Hoe netwerken pandemieën verspreiden en bestrijden" (Connected against Covid-19 - How networks spread and combat pandemics).
Aida B. Paalman-de Miranda: a topologist from Amsterdam
On 11 May 2020 Prof. dr. Aida Beatrijs Paalman-de Miranda passed away. Aida (Ietje) Paalman-de Miranda was professor of mathematics between 1966 and 1997 at the Korteweg-de Vries Institute, the mathematics research institute of the University of Amsterdam.
The Mysterious R explained in simple terms
During the Corona pandemic the reproduction number 
appeared in much of the media. While it is not at all obvious what this quantity measures exactly, it is obvious that making it smaller than 1 really is crucial in controlling the spread of the virus. So what is this really?