Science Talk with Naz

Guest: Vaibhav Shrivastava, Ph.D. - a Postdoctoral Researcher at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences For more detailed insights into Vaibhav Shrivastava, Ph.D. work, you can explore: UgentResearch: https://research.ugent.be/web/person/vaibhav-shrivastava-0/publications/en explore the project FERTIMANURE: https://www.fertimanure.eu/en/ 00:59 – Exploring linear vs. circular systems in fertilizer production 04:32 – The importance of producing and using bio-based fertilisers 06:10 – A look into the origins of the circularity concept 08:50 – Defining bio-based fertilisers within the circular economy framework 10:03 – Challenges related to wastewater | Phosphorus limitations, nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and mineral extraction from waste 13:00 – The main challanges in implementing circular fertilizer production systems 17:13 – Personal motivation behind choosing this research field 20:40 – Discussing terminology around nutrient recovery products and insights from four years of fieldwork 26:40 – Associated practical challenges of fertilizer application in field 28:00 – Future directions for developing nutrient-recovered products 29:06 – Key skills aspiring researchers should cultivate 31:02 – Reflections on maintaining a healthy work-life balance 32:49 – Advice for incoming PhD students 36:50 – Outlook on further research goals and directions

Bo Vangsø Iversen – Associate Professor in Soil Physics and Hydropedology at Aarhus University Prof. Vangsø Iversen's Research Gate Prof. Vangsø Iversen's at LinkedIn 01:47 Soil Science in the 21st Century 03:57 The International Master in Soils and Global Change (IMSOGLO) – Why this program is particularly relevant today 09:09 IMSOGLO graduates preparing for a reunion 12:05 How IMSOGLO fosters valuable professional connections 17:01 The role of international master's programs in exposing students to diverse problem-solving approaches 18:35 Denmark’s approach to sustainable agriculture as a country with extensive agricultural land use 20:50 Denmark’s policy: Setting aside 15% of agricultural land from production 24:40 Adapting to climate change: Farmers' responses and the importance of social dynamics in research 31:23 Mapping Agricultural Subsurface Drainage Systems Using Proximal and Remote Sensors – Collaboration with Prof. Ellen Van De Vijver at Ghent University 41:18 "Learn to code…" 44:10 An unpaid promotional moment for IMSOGLO 🙂 47:55 "Do what you find interesting…" 50:25 Discussing work-life balance and healthy habits 55:28 A friendly marathon competition with Prof. Bo 58:15 Addressing eco-anxiety 1:05:30 The government's role in promoting sustainable lifestyle choices 1:06:24 Advice for incoming PhD students

Dr. Qiusheng Wu is an Associate Professor and the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Geography & Sustainability at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He also serves as an Amazon Visiting Academic. Dr. Wu specializes in geospatial data science and open-source software development, with a research focus on utilizing big geospatial data and cloud computing to study environmental changes, particularly in surface water and wetland inundation dynamics. He is the creator of several widely used open-source Python packages, including geemap, leafmap, and segment-geospatial, which are designed for advanced geospatial analysis and visualization. Explore his open-source contributions on GitHub: https://github.com/opengeos Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=vmml4_0AAAAJ&hl=en ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Qiusheng-Wu-2 Prof. Wu on social media YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@UC6V9oXSB3T1XSBsbqtYvKMg X (former Twitter): https://x.com/giswqs 01:44 Two key turning points: Career choice and starting a YouTube channel 06:38 The importance of creating free content and providing open-access resources globally 11:10 Prof. Wu’s experience in acquiring skills in geospatial sciences 15:30 How the COVID-19 lockdown highlighted the need for online knowledge sources 16:58 Key implications of remote sensing data 19:06 Why a background in remote sensing is more crucial than just data analysis skills 21:39 The importance of frequently updating teaching materials & their alignment with job market demands 26:29 The era of rapid change: ‘…you need to be irreplaceable by AI’ 28:25 Google Earth Engine Explorer/Code Editor/Timelapse & their applications / The power of Cloud computing 37:56 How Big Data & AI are shaping geospatial science 42:08 ‘For students who want to pursue a career in geospatial studies…’ 43:14 The role of ‘coding skills’ in geospatial sciences 46:18 Essential skills and key advice for aspiring researchers 55:39 ‘I learned most of what I know from social media…’ 57:27 How to stay curious 1:00:20 Advice for incoming students

Jean-Pierre Grootaerd - dedicated voluntary member at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Ghent University and the Public Observatory Armand Pien. He’s also an active member of the Eurospace Society, the organization founded by astronaut Dirk Frimout to encourage young people’s interest in space exploration. Jean-Pierre is a passionate self-taught-and-made astronomer. His lifelong fascination with astronomy and space travel began in childhood and has stayed with him ever since. Note to the listening audience: Jean-Pierre, a native Dutch speaker, gave the interview in English, and I think he succesfully delivered his message. Due to tight timing - I had to compromise the voice editing, but it's overall good. Also, we rather had a nice talk and hence some questions came up during the episode which is not hard to guess 😉 Stars Shine for Everyone project website: https://www.ssvi.be/ Jean-Pierre on social media: LinkedIn: / jean-pierre-grootaerd-600a91a6 Instagram: / kijkerbouwvsrug 01:00 - Introduction to Jean-Pierre 02:31 - Staying Curious & Passionate: "difficulties can be wonderful" 05:46 - Stars Shine for Everyone: story behind how this project began 10:41 - Meeting Bruno Ernst in 2014 14:33 - "You CAN'T be whoever you want to be" 15:00 - Decision to Start: Partnering with Bresser’s CEO 17:00 - First Telescope Delivery: A memorable milestone 19:20 - The role of local supporters in project growth 21:27 - Small-World Story and the Importance of Cooperation 28:08 - Telescope Demo and Office Tour: A look inside Jean-Pierre's workspace and equipment 44:25 - Jean-Pierre’s Work at CERN: Insights into his role and projects 49:25 - Nobel Laureates' Signatures on Telescopes: The story behind these signatures and their significance 51:20 - Why SSVI Focuses on Community, Not Individuals: Discussing SSVI's educational approach and its community-centered focus 55:43 - "There Are a Lot of Good People..." 1:03:16 - Why Giving Up Isn't an Option 1:06:00 - Choose Friends Wisely 1:14:00 - Advice to My Younger Self and the Next Generation 1:15:43 - Staying Curious and Open-Minded 1:17:26 - Recent "Wow" Moments 1:19:12 - Women and Girls in Science 1:21:55 - Finding/Creating Meaning in Life

Prof. Kim Calders specializes in Earth Observation and Terrestrial Ecology at Ghent University in Belgium. His research interests include terrestrial and UAV-based LiDAR, the measurement and modeling of full 3D vegetation structure, its relation to airborne or spaceborne remote sensing signals, and radiative transfer modeling. For more detailed insights into Prof. Calders' work, you can explore: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kim-Caldershttps://scholar.google.be/citations?user=D0Z7jcsAAAAJ&hl=en 00:27 – Intro 01:10 – Terrestrial laser scanning: laser/LiDAR, active vs. passive remote sensing & point clouds 04:36 – How 3D laser measurements are revolutionizing forest studies 06:41 – Demonstration of LiDAR technology (see YouTube video) 07:35 – Ongoing research and global collaborations 10:19 – Discussion on 4D monitoring of vegetation structure (StrucNet) 14:23 – StrucNet: Possible implementations and future directions 18:17 – Is Space Twin linked to astronomy? 20:36 – Skills required in terrestrial research e.g. data mining, climbing... 24:18 – Why 'passion' is essential in research 26:30 – How greenery improves body and mind 30:01 – Dealing with eco-anxiety 32:14 – Advice for aspiring academics

Jaya Nepal is a Postdoctoral researcher at the Sustainable Cropping Systems Laboratory at Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He recently graduated with PhD in Soil and Water Sciences from the University of Florida, also obtained his MSc in International Agricultural Development from the University of Tokyo. He has a broad research experience in the field of soil science and agronomy. 01:31 Jay’s research background 03:43 PhD work at Florida university: sandy soils in Florida 06:15 What/How is it made/Why C nanomaterials 12:05 Difference between Biochar & C nanomaterials 14:00 Opportunities and challenges with C nanomaterials 18:26 Brief talk about NASA & Space 19:20 Limitations & challenges of using biochar in agricultural soils 23:18 Majors findings from Jay’s PhD research: C nanomaterials & biochar as soil amendmends in sandy soils 28:00 Use of C nanoparticles & Biochar at the current state of the world 32:20 About Jay’s current research at Cornell 35:25 About dream research project 39:00 Living in different countries 41:41 Farmers & academic bubble 43:45 Skills to become a successful researcher 47:20 Hobbies… 48:38 Social media & Academia: information gap 52:27 Advice for my younger self & for starting PhDs Connect with Jay on socials: Twitter/X: @mejayxoxo18 / https://twitter.com/mejayxoxo18 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mejayxoxo18/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mejayxoxo18/ Link to Jay's research findings relevant to the talk: Carbon nanomaterials are a superior soil amendment for sandy soils than biochar based on impacts on lettuce growth, physiology and soil biochemical quality: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452074823000319 Water-dispersible carbon nanomaterials improve lettuce (Latuca sativa) growth and enhance soil biochemical quality at low to medium application rates: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11104-022-05852-0 Link to Jay's review on biochar application in agriculture: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2023.1114752/full For the list of all publications, visit Google Scholar/Research gate: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=pPEAk-wAAAAJ&hl=en https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jaya-Nepal Link to Johannes Lehmann’s lab at Cornell who do pioneering work with biochar (Jay mentioned this during podcast): https://lehmannlab.cals.cornell.edu/ Nano clays to convert desert into farming land (something Jay mentioned about in the podcast), BBC article: https://www.bbc.com/future/bespoke/follow-the-food/the-spray-that-turns-deserts-into-farmland.html YouTube Videos:

Professor Reimund P. Rötter (University of Göttingen) is a distinguished researcher with over 25 years of expertise in agronomy, agricultural systems modeling, and agroecology across Europe, Africa, and Asia. Professor Rötter's work focuses on developing and identifying solutions to the complex challenges presented to humanity such as global food security, increasing resource scarcity and the environmental effects of agricultural production under current changing climate. He has done substantial work on his research area and namely some of his mainly impactful contributions include research on genetic yield gaps, modeling the multi-functionality of landscapes, assessing agricultural impacts and adaptations to climate change, and, last but not least, reduction of global wheat production under rising temperatures. This also makes him a perfect fit into today's episode on discussing "Crop modelling and its impact on addressing Climate Change" 00:00 - Introduction 01:29 - What is a model / Common misconception about modeling 03:19 - No modeling without experimentation, no experimentation without modeling 09:10 - Data quality and modeling (rubbish in = rubbish out) 13:15 - How to generate a reliable model 15:35 - Thoughts on why models failed to predict Covid19 cases 19:46 - GHG emission scenarios and human behavior 22:22 - "Why" and "How" (crop) modeling is essential in addressing Climate Change / Future crop production trends / Limitations of Global Climate models 30:50 - Adaptation options / Plant breeding / Response diversity 46:05 - How AI is transforming (crop) modeling and agriculture 47:49 - "ChatGPT can become our individual agent…even for modeling..." / Digitalization, AI, and the future of agriculture 55:11 - Why reform is needed in teaching programs in agricultural sciences / The power of collaboration 56:56 - Advice for young researchers

Postdoctoral researcher - Enrique Apolo Apolo. Enrique's fields of interest include AI, precision agriculture, proximal plant sensing, satellite imagery, machinery, robotics and electronics. Enrique's Ph.D. title is “Development and Assessment of AI models based on deep learning algorithms to determine agronomic traits in fruit tree orchards and field crops.” Link to discussed Ph.D. thesis in this episode: https://idus.us.es/handle/11441/141305 00:00 Intro 01:02 Academic background (Enrique’s) 02:52 Citrus growing farmers in Spain & Yield prediction with AI 05:14 Measuring key crop parameter with A.I. & Robots 09:14 Learning A.I. from scratch / Drone imaging at Wageningen 13:55 Crop yield or disease prediction by AI & Drones / challenges with Farmers 17:04 Use of mobile phone for RGB imaging / Yield prediction apps 20:34 Drone imaging vs. Satellite images 26:10 Can farmers afford Drone imaging / Market for up-to-date Agro services 29:45 Why Robotics & AI are very advanced in greenhouses, not fields 33:55 Is there less or more use of AI by farmers / Farmers scared of AI? 36:26 Can AI replace humans? How soon? 38:55 “ChatGPT is a good tool, … but it might be a problem for lazy people…” 41:05 “It’s compulsory to have basic knowledge in programming for incoming PhDs…” PhDs TikTok video Enrique mentions about Brazil:

Çağrı Akyol - a Postdoctoral researcher and project manager at Ghent University, dealing with; Energy and resource recovery from waste streams, Biogas biorefineries, Nutrient recovery and recycling. Also, he shares a lot about renewables and alternative fertilizers on his LinkedIn 🙂 0:00 Intro 01:10 Biogas & biomethane in EU Gas Package / about EU's 35 bcm binding target 04:47 Can Biogas & biomethane replace fossil fuels? 05:55 Russian natural gas cutoff & EU's interest in renewable energy sources 07:44 About the Nutri2Cycle project 11:49 Linear vs. Circular economy 15:12 About bio-based fertilizers and an ongoing debate on the "bio-based fertilizer" term 18:18 Bio-based fertilizers from anaerobic digestion 22:13 "... in Flanders, you can't directly apply digestate to the soil..." 23:13 About microplastics in human blood, breast milk, soil, and tap water 28:40 Current challenges in water & wastewater treatments (chemicals, sludge, etc.) 32:50 About Gent University's research contribution to alternative fertilizers 34:01 Synthetic N fertilizers vs. bio-based N fertilizers impact on the environment 36:10 "Farmers are really keen to use bio-based fertilizers because..." 38:38 Can bio-based fertilizers alone close the current P fertilizer demand? 40:11 Agricultural practices with less nutrient loss 40:57 Future of bio-based fertilizers & renewable energy 45:28 Advice for young researchers (PhDs) 49:03 Good researcher skills 51:12 Shall one create or look for meaning? Çağrı's research works: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Cagri-Akyol-2 Çağrı on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/çağrı-akyol-08024763/ Nutri2cycle project that Çağrı mentions: https://www.nutri2cycle.eu/ BioDEN post on Gent University research: https://www.biogas-e.be/sites/default/files/2023-01/BioDEN_Newsletter - EN.pdf Article on P cycle: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S095937800800099X?casa_token=bhwP0IV-zF0AAAAA:ZVA8ZJxP2JAPPxDOLAyCv24zAUdQwxHslOKLsToDLTcAEYTLZXYresChMntM_k_5g2gDtTFx Special Thanks: I want to thank Dr. Maxim Dorodnikov (Georg-August-Universität Göttingen), who introduced me to P cycle and to "peak phosphorus curve". Thanks to him, I was able to address in this episodes one of the critical issues - P limit. And special thanks to Prof. Sophie and Dr. Eugenio (BOKU) who buit in me interest and core basic understandings of GHG emissions & soil microbiology. Also, thanks to IMSOGLO project organizers & all lecturers (Prof. Finke & Prof. Wim, Prof. Sauer & Dr. Stephen, etc., and my friend ALEX who taught me almost everything). This list is just a brief one, I will try to put more names in next episodes. Host: Nazerke Amangeldy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazerke-amangeldy-9ba760206/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/annazeka_ Science Talk with Naz: Website: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/science-talk-with-naz/ Instagram:...

Angela Guerrero is a robotics engineer at the Soil Steam International AS. Angela did her Ph.D. research on "Variable-rate nitrogen fertilization by using proximal and remote sensing" at Gent University (link below to Angela's Ph.D. thesis work). 00:00 Intro 00:40 What Soil Steam International AS do 03:29 Working as a "Robotics Engineer" 05:31 How robotics are improving agriculture 10:44 Robotics and the future of farming 15:25 About Angela's Ph.D. research 18:50 From mechatronics engineering to precision farming 21:45 Precision agriculture 25:30 Challenges in precision agriculture 28:16 Advice for all Ph.D. students 31:19 "There has been a lot of moving..., but it has been the best experience..." 37:20 About cultural stereotypes 39:24 Will AI make people jobless 40:24 "We have to think about climate change GLOBALLY" 43:08 Advice to my younger self 43:50 Meaning of life Angela's Ph.D. work: https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/8... Angela on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-pa... Other articles published by Angela: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/... Host: Nazerke Amangeldy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazerke-a... Twitter: https://twitter.com/annazeka_ Science Talk with Naz: Website: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/science-talk-with-naz/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sciencetalkwithnaz/ https://syndication.twitter.com/srv/timeline-profile/screen-name/annazeka_?creatorScreenName=annazeka_&dnt=true&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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&frame=false&hideBorder=false&hideFooter=false&hideHeader=false&hideScrollBar=false&lang=en&origin=https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/science-talk-with-naz/&sessionId=d6ab73a0e0f14a314075674cd31fd21b6a089dd7&showHeader=true&showReplies=false&siteScreenName=annazeka_&transparent=false&widgetsVersion=aaf4084522e3a:1674595607486

Description given by Le Wagon: "More than a Bootcamp. Join a global tech network for life. By joining Le Wagon, you are joining a supportive community of alumni, teachers & tech recruiters. Benefit from life-long access to the course material, and to our network job offers." (source: https://www.lewagon.com/) Special note for listeners: I use AI to edit the sound/video of my episodes. Sometimes AI also can't get rid of all the noise, so please don't mind it. I don't earn anything from my podcast, and it's pure pleasure to me to speak with amazing people. As a kid, I was raised to share what I have with others, and I still keep doing it, but now in a larger context - I want to share information/what I know/what I learned with others. It costs me my own money, extra effort, and time. So, if you like the podcast - please share it, like, and follow. That will make me motivated and put extra work into improving my content! Host: Nazerke Amangeldy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazerke-amangedy-9ba760206/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/annazeka_ Science Talk with Naz: Website: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/science-talk-with-naz/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sciencetalkwithnaz/

Sophie Zechmeister-Boltenstern is a Soil Science and Soil Microbiology professor at the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna. Head of Soil Research Institute at BOKU. Expertise: Biodiversity and function of soil organisms and their interactions; Biology of the Nitrogen Cycle; Climate change and greenhouse gases; Metabolism of gases in soils. Awards: Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher (2019): identified by Clarivate Analytics as one of the world’s most influential contemporary researchers (top 1% ranking), and more in the link below. Description of the episode: Besides the explanations given on specific field (soil microbiology) questions, Prof. Sophie also shares her experiences in the academic world. The episode contains very valuable messages and advice for young scientists (the link for the book recommendation is below). 0:00:00 Intro 0:01:21 what we know about the N cycle 0:05:44 "I find everything interesting about N cycle ..." 0:09:54 responses of soil microorganisms on drying & rewetting events 0:18:07 greenhouse gases under drying & rewetting events 0:22:14 how well do we understand greenhouse gas emissions from soils 0:31:15 about biochar 0:41:24 about CH4 sink & C sequestration 0:44:35 extreme events / Regenerative Agriculture / burning fields (etc.) 0:52:06 how to write a good scientific paper? 1:00:00 to all beginner scientists 1:04:44 advice to my younger self 1:09:04 if I would not become a scientist ... 1:12:40 "being sad or scared doesn't help anything... if everyone acts in their small worlds - we can make a change!" 1:19:10 the meaning of life The book title: "Writing Science: How to Write Papers That Get Cited and Proposals That Get Funded." The link to the book: https://amzn.eu/d/6Y5NdSh Guest: Prof. Sophie Zechmeister-Boltenstern Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.at/citations?user=Xys1BdUAAAAJ&hl=de Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Sophie-Zechmeister-Boltenstern-39275272 The source of academic qualifications and achievements: https://forschung.boku.ac.at/fis/suchen.person_uebersicht?id_in=4224&menue_id_in=101&sprache_in=en Host: Nazerke Amangeldy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazerke-amangedy-9ba760206/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/annazeka_ Science Talk with Naz: Website: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/science-talk-with-naz/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sciencetalkwithnaz/

Christoph Noller - Ecologist and Soil Scientist. He is a Ph.D. student at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna. Christoph has worked a lot on contaminated soils with heavy metals such as arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), etc. Description of the episode: In this episode, we discuss heavy metals, their influences on the human body, isotopes, soil microorganisms, and the ways of recovering contaminated soils, sources, etc. Christoph also mentions diseases such as Japanese diseases "itai-Itai", Minamata, cancer, etc. 0:00 Intro 0:49 What are heavy metals (HM)? 4:39 Sources of heavy metals (HM) 7:14 The biggest problem of soils being contaminated by HM 8:34 HM: Japanese "Itai-Itai", minamata, cancer and other deseases 10:27 Lead causing IQ reduction in children 12:00 "Everybody can understand what I do..." 13:51 "Children eat a lot of soil... so they also have the biggest problem..." 17:07 Ways of recovering heavy metal contaminations 19:58 Washing & separating soil / Removing clay 21:20 Using plants to remove heavy metals 22:00 Difficulties 24:10 About "Hyperaccumulator plants." 28:37 About stable isotopes, finding human origin country by their teeth, using isotopes for testing champagne quality, 37:39 Heavy metals influence soil microorganisms 39:16 "Soil quality is very subjective ..." 42:26 About building the "Urban garden" 47:00 "I can't think of only a positive future..." 48:13 Advice to my younger self: "Start programming..." 49:25 "I kind of like that life is complex..." 51:00 The meaning of life (explanation with a meme) Guest: Christoph Noller on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christoph-noller-959a85222/ Host: Nazerke Amangeldy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazerke-amangedy-9ba760206/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/annazeka_ Science Talk with Naz: Website: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/science-talk-with-naz/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sciencetalkwithnaz/

Episode description: In this episode, we talk about AI & machine learning in Soil Sciences, IMSOGLO, the Past/Future of Soil Sciences & Soil Modelling, Inspirations, Books, Advice, and more topics. In between the questions, Prof. Finke shares his experiences and always gives simple and funny examples to make his ideas rather deliberate. So, surely you can also listen to this episode to make your day feel better! About our guest: Prof. Peter Finke is a Full Professor at the Department of Environment, Ghent University, and IMSOGLO program director and academic coordinator at Ghent University. On Google Scholar, there are 158 articles, 6 books, and many other works of Prof. Finke that are available in the link below. Perhaps, better to put Prof. Finke's own description from his LinkedIn account (link below) about his work: "These days I aim to develop and extend soil formation models that assist in the quantification of effects of global change on soil properties (and vice versa)." 0:00 Who is Professor Peter Finke 1:20 The "simple motivation" for organizing the IMSOGLO program 7:08 Why Aarhus, BOKU, Gottingen Universities? / "We also asked others, but... " 10:59 Why do IMSOGLO have only two majors? 13:40 Will machine learning / AI / soil modeling / bioinformatics be included in IMSOGLO? 19:35 What has changed after the 2007 interview? 27:42 The International Union of Soil Sciences 29:56 How to become a member of Soil Science unions 31:28 Soil Modelling is essential? Why? 35:00 Two futures of Soil Modelling (Prof. Finke's Ph.D. story) 39:35 Future of Soil Mapping 41:37 Can Advanced Modeling and Digital Soil Mapping replace/reduce fieldworks in the future? 47:08 "I can name two people who inspired me..., and one of them invented the Precision Agriculture..." 51:00 The lessons I learned from these two people 54:40 I read "The Lord of the Rings" in one weekend! 1:00:05 What skills are essential for students in the future? 1:04:00 "Think very clearly what is driving you... be careful! ..." 1:11:30 Don't trust the politicians! 1:19:37 Science is better than an opinion. Why? 1:22:40 Advice for all students / "Sleep minimally 6 hours, and..." 1:26:30 For "Procrastinator Students." 1:29:24 Belgium style of preparing for an exam (with beer) 1:30:48 The meaning of life is a movie... 1:33:34 My meaning of life is not fulfilled; something is missing... 1:36:00 How/Where to find me online Prof. Peter Finke's Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.be/citations?user=ncSTvSQAAAAJ&hl=nl Prof. Peter Finke's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterfinke?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAAAKM6c4BwnTWAVi61as2BRBJmxPepPj3J_8&lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_search_srp_all%3BCPde2ngQSPypM00jEo%2F5HQ%3D%3D About the IMSOGLO program: https://imsoglo.eu/ The International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS): https://www.iuss.org/ Host: Nazerke Amangeldy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazerke-amangedy-9ba760206/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/annazeka_ Science Talk with Naz: Website: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/science-talk-with-naz/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sciencetalkwithnaz/

Stefan J. Forstner, a Ph.D. at the Austrian Research Centre for Forests (BFW). Stefan is a young scientist who has already published the research works he has been involved in since 2018. Currently, he is working on the "Digital Soil Map of Austria". In this episode, you get to know about Stefan's past and present research works. Most importantly, he was very open and supportive of the idea of making this episode! I can't thank enough people who are very open to sharing their knowledge and responsive to my offer! This podcast would not exist without these people. And science keeps evolving, and knowledge keeps being shared (instead of buried with one) thanks to people like Stefan and all my previous guests, including my future guests. 00:35 Soil Mapping & 70 years-long "Digital soil Mapping of Austria." 08:24 "Digital" vs. "Traditional" soil mapping 10:27 Why soil maps are essential 20:17 Sources to learn "Digital Soil Mapping" 21:36 Long-term simulation of nitrogen decomposition in the forest (the article link is below) 29:41 Why did Phosphorous limitation occur in the forest? 36:11 2040 "society collapse prediction" and Phosphorous limit in 2040 38:48 Australian bio-toilets 41:16 Does humanity have a future? 44:42 My personal story of "taking action" (more on bio-toilet) 49:04 Why Simulated Soil Drying and Rewetting experiments are cool! 56:23 China changing weather artificially 58:00 A problem with cover crops (sorry for the warning signal) 59:09 Challenges with soil microorganisms 1:06:24 Does Climate Change scare you? 01:08:10 do "Tai Chi"! 01:10:20 My favorite thing about science... 01:12:25 About the meaning of life 01:13:31 Where and how to find me online After a few days later, Stefan also added some information (on one of my questions) in my LinkedIn comment section. So, I decided to copy and paste the comment as it is for people who will find it interesting: "I just realized that I did not answer (at least) one of your questions: Overall there are a little less than 12k soil profiles for about 1.3 Mio hectares of agricultural area in Austria. So 1 profile for every 100-110 ha on average. Each profile was judged by the soil mapper to be representative for one "soil form" (= the mapped polygons = areas with the same soil type + similar site characteristics, as I tried to explain). Soil forms ("Bodenformen" in German) can cover from 100 to over 2500 ha each. But still on average 1 profile was dug for every 100 ha. This partly explains why mapping is still ongoing after ~70 years... (but we will finish it within a foreseeable future ;))." The end of the comment. Sources to learn "Soil Mapping" suggested by Stefan: ISRIC Official website link for ISRIC: https://www.isric.org/ ISRIC spring school: https://www.isric.org/utilise/capacity-building/springschool Agricultural Soil Map of Austria (unfortunately in German only): https://bodenkarte.at/ Articles discussed in this episode: 1. https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=b1T2h8kAAAAJ&citation_for_view=b1T2h8kAAAAJ:roLk4NBRz8UC 2. https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=b1T2h8kAAAAJ&citation_for_view=b1T2h8kAAAAJ:u-x6o8ySG0sC How to find Stefan Online? Stefan J. Forstner's Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=b1T2h8kAAAAJ&hl=en Stefan J. Forstner's's LinkedIn: 1. https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefan-j-forstner-433601a1 2. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Stefan-Forstner-2 Science Talk with Naz: Website: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/science-talk-with-naz/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sciencetalkwithnaz/ Host: Nazerke Amangeldy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annazeka_/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazerke-amangedy-9ba760206/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/annazeka_

In this episode we discuss greenhouse gases and their natural sources such as forest and soil, where we cover related topics as well (forest management systems, greenhouse gas measurements, tree species etc.) At the same time, we cover the most common topics about PhD reaserch as publishing papers, peer reviewing, sources of stress etc. 0:00 who is Anike Berane / What does she study 0:43 what are "natural greenhouse gases." The role of soil & forest 3:48 trees are dangerous? 6:32 carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) & methane (CH4) - greenhouse gases 11:45 Anike's Ph.D. research project. Different forest management systems / german forest history / relations between forest soils and greenhouse gases 16:30 the most "Climate Change" resistant tree 18:00 what are "forest management systems." 20:58 how greenhouse gases measured in forest 22:12 difficulties during fieldwork: wild pigs / weather 23:34 Ph.D. = independence (Anike's experience) 25:54 "peer review" & "publishing scientific papers" / advantageous of anonymous peer-reviewing 28:44 why you may develop "stress" or "depression" in your PhD 34:35 Ph.D.: with extension vs. without extention 37:26 is climate change real? / how to fight against "human-influenced climate change"? main greenhouse gas emitter countries 45:28 what calms you down when you are stressed out? 46:30 advice to my younger self (Anike) 47:07 my favorite thing about science... 48:20 how does curiosity feel 49:35 where to find Anike online? Science Talk with Naz: Website: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/science-talk-with-naz/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sciencetalkwithnaz/ Guest: Anike Berane Twitter: https://twitter.com/berane_a University: https://www.uni-goettingen.de/de/640837.html Host: Nazerke Amangeldy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annazeka_/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazerke-amangedy-9ba760206/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/annazeka_

In this episode, we discuss languages, political sciences, and history. We demystify some common stereotypes about Americans, Russians, and Kazakh people. Joshua also shares his volunteer experiences with immigrants fleeing their countries. During the conversation, many topics come up in the discussion like Ukraine, rigorous teaching methods, and some book recommendations on history. 1. The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt 2. Understanding Power: The Indispensable Chomsky by Noam Chomsky 3. Media Control: The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda by Noam Chomsky 4. Sapience: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. 5. Guns, Germs and Steel:The Fate of Human Societies by Jared Diamond 6. Michel Foucault a french philosopher. Link for the suggested books by Standford University press on Foucault: https://stanfordpress.typepad.com/blog/2016/10/5-books-for-foucaults-birthday.htm 0:22 Who is Joshua Dufour 4:48 More about volunteering works in remote places / Joshua became a meme 7:49 Research background. (Languages, Political Sciences, History) 13:30 Why learn Russian? Education. Politics. Corruption 16:46 How many languages do Joshua speak / Learning Russian in Russia 21:38 What language is more difficult to understand: Kazakh vs. Russian 22:31 Cultural differences between Russia & Kaz / Personal space doesn't exist in Kaz. Asia is a big family 28:16 Stereotypes. All Americans are rich / Russians are spies (KGB agents) / About "Borat" movie 33:30 Volunteer experiences in non-profit organizations. About asylum seekers / Islamophobia (Surya & Uyghurs in China) / Ukraina today 40:50 Why do we always have wars in human history? 46:56 Why learn History? 49:10 Schools in Russia & Kaz 54:49 Hitting students / Jesus Professors / Criticizing Professors 58:32 Meeting monks in Russia / Austranofts in Kaz deserts / Being a teacher in Buddist Monastery / Foods 1:09:20 Books on History, Political Sciences (Hannah Arendt / Noam Chomsky / Noval Yuval Harari / Michael Fuko / Jared Diamond) 1:15:19 What I did to change the world 1:19:19 Three lessons I learned from my experiences of Eating sheep's head / Being a foreigner / Education 1:24:47 My life in a movie genre would be ... 1:25:56 How can we make the world a better place?! 1:30:23 What is the meaning of your life? What drives you in life? 1:31:27 How to balance multiple tasks & keep learning 1:33:48 What scares you the most in life? 1:36:40 The best advice for my younger self! Homophobia in Russia 1:40:33 More advice: "Not only pursue your dreams ... but also don't give up on them." Science Talk with Naz: Website: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/science-talk-with-naz/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sciencetalkwithnaz/ Guest: Joshua Dufour Instgram: https://www.instagram.com/dufourjosh/ Host: Nazerke Amangeldy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annazeka_/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazerke-amangedy-9ba760206/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/annazeka_

In this episode, we discuss the student life after being accepted for a certain PhD position. We discuss everything starting from a first experience until some of the expected multi-tasks e.g. teaching, publishing papers etc. You can get a general description of a PhD first-year experience such as becoming an independent researcher, building a healthy relationship with your supervisors and more. So, please enjoy the episode. - Becoming a PhD - Independence in PhD - How to handle PhD journey (from personal experience only) 00:00 Intro 00:10 Who is Ubaida Yousaf 00:47 Ubaida's master's experience in 3 words 03:28 About Ubaida's PhD research project & work aspects 06:00 Soil microorganisms & importance of identifying C pools 07:54 How PhDs start & be familiar with an imposter syndrome 09:22 "You have to do everything on your own ... you will become a completely different person ... " 10:17 New city & new position 11:26 Asking for help 12:59 Do lab skills matter for PhD? 14:43 Teaching / helping Professors / publishing papers ... 15:58 " ... management is something you learn ... since you need to manage so many things ... " 16:40 How to handle multiple tasks (for PhD) 17:37 Burnout 19:42 Comparing yourself to others 21:12 Dealing with stress 22:26 Essential skills for PhD 25:55 Building better interructions with supervisors 27:22 About introverts & social skills 29:56 Work life balance 31:45 Joining groups & finding groups 33:29 Hiddend parts of PhD (technicalities) 34:20 How demanding is PhD? 36:09 Team vs. individual work in PhD 37:42 Art is a language of emotions 39:19 About travelling 42:31 What scares you the most in life? 43:24 Advice for my younger self 43:43 "Science is heaven for thinkers!" Science Talk with Naz: Website: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/science-talk-with-naz/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sciencetalkwithnaz/ Guest: Ubaida Yousaf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ubaida-yousaf-3b4886109/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ubaida_yousaf/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Ubaida-Yousaf/100004032330631/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXGNcUz8JJNs-1zDoAg8R6Q/ Host: Nazerke Amangeldy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annazeka_/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazerke-amangedy-9ba760206/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/annazeka_

In this podcast we discuss in detail about the application processes for PhD and master’s degrees. Covering all the steps such as: 00:07 Why reach out to PI 06:55 Funding is important? 11:34 PhD interviews 23:45 Interview at Columbia University 33:25 Unexpected question 38:43 Reference letters 46:30 Why PhD? 46:52 Networking, books, listening ... 51:41 After pressure, I wanted to enjoy my life 55:14 For my younger self: "Focus!" 56:27 My favourite thing about science Science Talk with Naz: Website: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/science-talk-with-naz/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sciencetalkwithnaz/ Guest: Patrick Zoé Cito Namulisa: https://linktr.ee/patrickcito Host: Nazerke Amangeldy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annazeka_/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazerke-amangedy-9ba760206/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/annazeka_

In this podcast we discuss in detail about the application processes for PhD and master’s degrees. Covering all the steps such as: 00:35 Who is Patrick Zoé Cito Namulisa 01:43 What is an IMSOGLO? 02:56 IMSOGLO master experience (Patrick) 04:26 Master application processes 06:11 Columbia University & where/how to start your application 07:40 PhD in US vs Europe 08:50 Why most students fail emails 09:52 Get in touch with supervisors 13:00 CV 16:24 Do your interests (hobbies) matter? 17:32 Webpage 20:56 Mistakes to avoid 24:03 Why PhD is more demanding? 28:43 Motivation letter 33:44 Structure your ideas 48:02 Define your interest in reaserch projects Science Talk with Naz: Website: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/science-talk-with-naz/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sciencetalkwithnaz/ Guest: Patrick Zoé Cito Namulisa: https://linktr.ee/patrickcito Host: Nazerke Amangeldy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annazeka_/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazerke-amangedy-9ba760206/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/annazeka_ Part 2 will come soon!