I dont like to admit it, but i was actually born in Oslo, the place that unfortunately has become the capital of Norway. But i soon managed to escape to the beautiful city of Trondheim, and apart from a couple of periods in Australia (including my first year at school), this is where i spent the next 23 years of my life. I studied physics at the Norwegian Institute of Technology and philosophy at the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of Trondheim - but none of these institutions exist any more, since the University was recently reorganised and renamed to Norwegian University of Technology and Science (NUTS). I also immersed myself in the activities of Studentersamfundet, the unique student house in Trondheim.
Then came the day that i decided to move somewhere else in the world, and, more by a stroke of luck than premeditation, i ended up in Edinburgh, where I spent 4 wonderful years of my life, studying for a PhD and getting involved in lots of other stuff. Like spending almost every Monday night (and lots of other evenings as well) at the Green Tree pub. In 1996 i started in my first "real" job (though many will have their doubts as to how real it is), a postdoc position in Adelaide. I spent three increasingly happy years there, getting involved in even more other stuff, until my contract ran out and i moved to Germany and became a Hamburger. My days as a hamburger lasted only two years, whereupon i relocated to Amsterdam for another two year spell before transferring to Dublin.
For some reason, i am unable to avoid getting involved in various kinds of activism. In my australian days, i was active in Bicycle Institute of South Australia, the Nuclear Issues Coalition of the Conservation Council of South Australia, Everyone for a Nuclear-Free Future and Critical Mass. I have also been known to take part in actions against Shell in Nigeria, while remaining a mostly passive member of the Australian Conservation Foundation
In another previous life, but i used to be active in the UK Green Student Network and ASEED Europe. Among the things i spent my time on, was maintaining the Green Student Network email list and the UK Critical Mass Web pages.
And way back in the mists of time, while i was still in Norway, and apart from the stuff i have mentioned already, i was active in Human-Etisk Forbund (until i left that organisation because i disagreed with too many of its principles and policies) and Folkereisning Mot Krig, the Norwegian affiliate of War Resisters International.
In Hamburg, i eventually got myself involved with ATTAC Hamburg. Amsterdam was a lull, although i was (and remain) an active friend of The Friends. At the moment, i am quite involved with Dublin Cycling Campaign.
Are you really interested in this?
OK, something somewhat less flippant is required. My generic interest in physics is in quantum field theory, and in particular non-perturbative methods. I am mostly working on lattice QCD, where i have been studying renormalisation, and quark and gluon correlation functions - trying to get a better grip on the connection between the lattice and the usual continuum formulation, and perhaps get a grip on the dynamics of "colour confinement": the fact that "coloured" states like quarks and gluons can never be observed, or appear as free particles.
Recently i have been working on QCD-like theories at high density, which
might give us some understanding on what might go on inside neutron
stars. At the moment i am studying quantum and classical fields out
of thermal equilibrium. In addition to this, you might in the future
find me working on Dyson-Schwinger equations and other outlandish
stuff...
I may put up some links here some day to give you something to nibble
on. Although that sentence has been there for 7 years now, so dont
hold your breath!
I am only in physics for the money... My main academic interest is philosophy, especially moral and political philosophy. One day, Ill write a big ecophilosophical dissertation, pulling together all my thoughts on natural philosophy, epistemology, ethics, politics and ecology into one coherent world-view (or perhaps not).
You can get some idea of my views from two talks i gave at the International Student Philosophical Conference in Bourgas, Bulgaria in 1991, on process philosophy, and in 1992, on cultural diversity. And if you understand scandinavian, you can have a look at my diploma thesis on the philosophy of quantum field theory and my dissertation on animal knowledge and morals (no, not our knowledge and treatment of animals, but their morals and knowledge). I have also translated this dissertation to english, for the benefit of the linguistically challenged...
For more philosophy information on the Web, i suggest you visit my friend (and ex-flatmate) Tores page. Alternatively, you could go directly to Stephen Clarks Philosophy at Large pages in Liverpool, with one of the most comprehensive lists of philosophy resources on the Net.
This section is under (de)construction.
And finally, as you may have realised from reading this page, i have taken a strong stand for the abolition of apostrophes from the english language, as well as against the over-use of capital letters.
Back to my front page.
Modified: 3-Feb-2005