Archaeologist Quentin Bourgeois and astronomer Frans Snik nominated for The Young Academy
Every year The Young Academy (a sub-group of KNAW) nominates ten talented researchers to join their ranks. This year two of the nominees are from Leiden University: Quentin Bourgeois and Frans Snik.
Besides proven scientific capabilities, the members of The Young Academy have a broad interest in the practice of science and science communication. Membership is for five years. The new members will be officially installed on 6 June 2017 at a ceremony in Amsterdam. Two scientists have been nominated from Leiden University.
Dr Quentin Bourgeois (Archaeology)
Quentin Bourgeois (1982) conducts research on corded ware culture, a collective name for a number of neolithic cultures that were spread over large parts of Europe some 5,000 years ago. These people made lines of burial mounds, several miles in length, from the Volga to the Rhine. They show connections between people from the Russian steppe to the Veluwe in the Netherlands; these people are not only genetically related, they also have a shared identity. Bourgeois examines the links between them, and recognises a shared origin of present-day cultures and identities. He also works with the National Museum of Antiquities and the municipality of Epe on new ways of presenting the results of this research.
Dr Frans Snik (Astronomy)
Astronomer Frans Snik (1979) develops and uses new optical techniques (such a coronagraphy, spectroscopy and polarimetry) that make it possible to observe and analyse light from distant space. His aim is to see whether there are habitable planets around other stars than the Sun and to discover whether life has evolved there. He enjoys using his expertise for citizen science projects, such as the iSPEX programme, in which citizens measured particulates in the air using their smartphones. Frans Snik is an enthusiastic discussion partner for parties outside science and he also works with artists on a daily basis. In 2014, together with Daan Roosegaarde, he created Rainbow Station, an example of light art at Amsterdam's Central Station.