Personal details
My background is in physical chemistry and biophysics.
After I obtained in 1972 a bachelor degree in physical chemistry at
the Free University of Amsterdam, and studied philosophy for half a year, I switched to physics. In 1979 I obtained my masters degree in experimental physics at the
Biophysics Department of the same university.
My experimental work involved studying the protection of phage nucleic acid
against gamma radiation and determining the intrinsic viscosity of a bacterial protein. I wrote a thesis on Fröhlich's model for the
special properties of biomolecules.
In 1979 I worked as a student assistant at the
physiology department of the medical school at
the Free University, developing software for signal (correlation)
analysis of blood pressure and blood flow of blood
exiting the heart.
From 1979 until 1983 I worked as a software developer
for Unisys in Amsterdam.
While 'between jobs' I wrote my first paper on
thermosynthesis in 1983. I also did some experimental work in this field at the biochemistry department of the University of Amsterdam, in the lab of Prof. Karel van Dam. From 1984 to 1990 I worked as assistant at ACTA, the school of dentistry of the University of Amsterdam. At the Materials
Science department I investigated the corrosion of dental NiCr alloys, work for which I obtained my PhD.
Thereafter I published additional papers on thermosyntheis.
In 1995 I moved to Scotland, where I worked for a few years at the geology department at the University of Glasgow
(with prof. Michael Russel) and at the biochemistry department at the University of Edinburgh (with Dr. David Apps).
From 1997 until 2000 I worked as a software developer. In 2001 I moved to the US. From end 2004 until the present I have worked at the Geology Department of Washington State University with prof. Dirk Schulze-Makuch.