IMPORTANT: I just noticed that my response rate has dropped down to 66%, but this is only because the CS website has apparently decided at some point to stop forwarding requests to my regular email without telling me; however, historically, I have responded to , and tried to accommodate, every single (reasonably non-generic) surfing request, it's just that at some point I was no longer notified of them. Recently, the forwarding function seems to work again, but if you want to be absolutely sure that I see your request on time I advise you to send a copy to my regular email, which is my full first and last name, no dots, at gmail. That way you can be positively sure of a response within 24 hours. Hope to see you soon!

Autobiographical definition: I have spent a lot of time finding new genes driving circadian rhythmicity in fungi. Not having been able to find a suitable way to leverage that experience right away, I'm currently living hand-to-mouth trying to show struggling undergrads how atoms (and occasionally, matrices) work. Right now, I have no concrete ideas about my future any more distant than the next paycheck, but it will probably involve some combination of instruction and experimentation in the natural sciences.

Operational definition: I tend to be fairly outgoing and relaxed, with a healthy dose of awkward mixed in. Usually though, the thrill of meeting new and exciting people is enough to bring me out of my shell.

PHILOSOPHY

Experience is the sole currency in the bank account of life. Everything else is an asset to be cashed in, and the value of your life, all said and done, is the average of the exchange rates you've negotiated.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I used to be quite active as a host back in Hanover (which, for its size and location, saw a remarkably large and diverse stream of passers-through) and tried to surf as much as possible while exploring the US and Canada (2009-2011). After a long transitional phase, I finally have my own apartment again, this time in the heart of Europe, and I would love to show my new hunting grounds to any interested travelers.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

So far, I've hosted thirty-plus people in Hanover, and stayed in over a dozen of North American cities. Each one has been a unique and valuable experience, respectively turning an otherwise boring night into an adventure and turning an otherwise non-descript place into a home.
Couchsurfing in Europe seems to have been less of a success so far, which is probably not due to cultural differences but because the nature of the site and how people interact with it has changed over the last couple of years. It seems that they have been evolving towards a more facebook-style of communicating, which I'm not sure I'm a fan of, or fit in very well with. However, if you like the old-school couchsurfing model, send me a nice, somewhat personalized request (preferably directly to my regular email address, see note at the top of my profile) and I will be almost certain to host you.

Interests

Chemistry. Clouds. Talking to strangers. Climbing mountains. Thought experiments. Mythology. Trivia of all kinds. The ambiguity of language. Cities and how their physical spaces shape experience. Psychopharmacology. Mental arithmetics. Good beer. Shitty beer. Found objects.The singularity. Sleeping and dreaming.

• cooking
• beer
• modeling
• trivia
• traveling
• hunting
• surfing
• rock climbing
• chemistry
• genealogy
• languages
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Used to watch movies like it was my job (just under a thousand during my 3.5 years on Netflix, mostly semi-obscure 'foreign'/indie titles); right now I don't.

My musical taste tends to vacillate between widely divergent niche genres that I become obsessed about, abandon and then periodically revisit. Past infatuations have included '80s industrial and '90s psytrance, Scandinavian metal and Andean folk.

A sortable list of books I own is at http://www.librarything.com/catalog/Qualibus - not wholly representative but it might give an idea of my interests. [I don't own these books anymore because I couldn't afford shipping them all transatlantically, so I'm really happy I made this list!]

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Something amazing happens every day.

Okay, every couple of days.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teaching: I have few marketable skills, but I know a little about a lot, so if you have a conversation with me you might come away with some random factoids (and their contexts!). Theory-wise, I can explain, in clear and simple terms, anything about molecular orbital theory or evolutionary genetics or any topic on the spectrum of emergent complexity that spans those two, especially organic reaction mechanisms and selectivity, I have seen a good chunk of Europe and, more recently, America (North and South) (and, more recently still, more of Europe) so I can share information and recommendations about that. I'm reasonably conversant in a couple of Germano-Roman languages if you want to practice. I also have some talent for getting "the hang" of a place even when just passing through so if you host me I might be able to teach you something about your own city.

Learning: Under the right conditions, most anybody I meet is a tremendous source of new insights. Just by the fact that you're not me, there is so much I can learn from you. [One exception: I have recently discovered I have an unusually low tolerance for woo, pseudoscience and conspiracy theories. Please don't tell me about chemtrails and we'll get along.]

What I Can Share with Hosts

I've slept on a lot of couches, both when travelling and when actually homeless, and I've learnt how to be a graceful guest. If I have money, I'll invite you on a pubcrawl that will make you reconsider how well you know your own city. If I don't, I can clean, do dishes and cook (kind of). Titillating late-night conversations and random adventures are complimentary.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Guatemala, Hungary, Italy

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belgium, United States

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