[PhD, MSc, Author, Journalist]
- Simon Olling Rebsdorf (b. Odense, Ansgar’s Parish, 1971).
- Living in Hald Ege, Denmark.
- My congenial wife, Charlotte, and our cherubs, Dirch and Vigga, are my soul travelling companions.
A regular over-inflated narcissist, I like dealing with complex matters. Autonomous, curious and passionate, I live rather intensely and enjoy creating stuff and try to realize an entrepreneurial mindset. Trying to stay open-minded, I insist on an explorative attitude to life and work. I have ventured to synthesize some sort of armchair-philosophical understructure of my self actualization.
Author of academic books on the development of modern astrophysics, on the concept of creativity as well as numerous peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals on topics such as higher science education and didactics, histories of physics and astronomy, organic food systems, potential paradigms/heterodox theories, and the concept of time.
Current position: ESERO Denmark Manager and project manager at the House of Natural Sciences. Working professionally for increasing the scientific literacy as well as the interest and motivation for science and technology has been guiding my career choices.
Previously, I have worked as Publishing Editor at Aarhus University Press, administrative head of a university pedagogy unit of higher science education at Aarhus University, postdoctoral fellow at Science and Technology, Aarhus University and Chicago University, high school physics teacher at Mercantec, information consultant at the International Centre for Research in Organic Farming – among other positions.
One result of the PhD was a monograph on the development of modern astronomy.
Interests/activities:
- Author – some books and papers (publications)
- Performing musician – musician in Pernille Dahl Trio (upright and electric bass)
- Music composition
- Once the talking head in humorous natonal radio science show (Bremsesporet, B.T.)
- Creative writing
- Armchair philosophy – in particular the concept of time, predictive processing, consciousness, mind and body, science and religion, fate and free will, brain-machine interface, artificial intelligence, and long-term thinking.
- Math and physics geek – number theory, topology, Einstein’s field equations, spacetime as a manyfold, gravitation, …
- Music aficionado, consuming music is a dear hobby – most genres are welcome
- Science communication enthusiast
- History of science and technology devotee
- Book aesthete – reading before writing is difficult to practice
- Argumentative online discussion freak, e.g. active in the closed SoMe group “STOP pseudoscience”
- I love puzzles, logical and creative riddles and personality tests
- Handyman – I love wood building – but shouldn’t do it for a living
- Runner – I run the local woods to stay in shape
- Affinity for drawing – architectural drawings, geometry, free hand.
MOOC Certificates
Introduction to Philosophy by The University of Edinburgh (Coursera). Certificate earned at Tuesday, December 11, 2018 – get certificate .
Philosophy and the Sciences: Introduction to the Philosophy of Cognitive Sciences by the University of Edinburgh (Coursera). Certificate earned at January 28, 2019 – get certificate.
Grants/awards
- Jury Member, Young Researchers, 2013
- Special consideration for position of trusts, September 2011, Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries
- The Faculty of Science Research Fellowship, March 2003-August 2004, Aarhus University.
- The Carlsberg Foundation Research Fellowship, September 2001-February 2003.
Favourite Quotes
- The unexamined life isn’t worth living /Socrates
- If you judge, investigate /Seneca
- Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory/Franklin Pierce Adams
- Superstition brings bad luck /Umberto Eco [R. Smullyan in 5000 BC, 1984]
- In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice.. /Unknown
Memberships
- Board of Directors Member, Hald Ege Høj, Fri- og Efterskole, 2018-
- Member of Danish Humanist Society, working for a society in which every view of life is equal, 2018-
- European Space Agency Advisory Committee on Education
- The Long Now Foundation, fostering long-term thinking, 2018-
- Hald Sø Boat’s Guild
- Winter Bather’s Guild at Hald Sø
- The International Society for Philosophical Inquiry (Fellow, Social Network Administrator)
- STOP pseudoscience, member of closed SoMe discussion group
- Life-time member of a number of intellectual societies – a crazy collecting hobby of mine involving puzzle solving: Profundus, Leviathan, EPGSIG, Polymaths and Polymathy, SPIQR, ISI-S, Glia, ISPE (fellow), CIVIQ, Magnus, UberIQ, Torr, EliteIQ, Poetic Genious Society, Callidus, Synapse, Top One Percent, and Mensa (since 1993). Former memberships: Intertel (2017-18) and International High IQ Society (2017-18). Numericore test.
