I just finished an application for a scholarship to do my Ph.D. in Freiburg starting next year. So yes, after some eight months out there in the world I clearly felt I like the thought of going back to science a lot. I’m actually really excited about it, because the project tackles some philosophical and practical questions at the same time, and is set up in a very multiple methods kind of way, ranging from physiological measurements to open („qualitative“) interviews, all of which suits me perfectly. The title still sounds quite technical though, in English it would be something like this: „Importance of Cognitive and Psychophysiological Processes for the Effectiveness of Exposure Therapy in Agoraphobia and Panic Disorder“.

But this just for background, what want I want to write about here is the experience I had writing the application, because I feel it illustrates and supports constructivist concepts of a „narrative self“ which I like a lot.

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• A vegetarian’s guide to talking to carnivores http://j.mp/omeLUu thoughts on moralizing and justification, and typical fact claims rebuked #
• Bill Clinton #vegan for health reasons, and enthusiastic about it http://j.mp/mQFGp5 „I also have, believe it or not, more energy“ #
• Memory should be treated „as a form of trace evidence“ http://j.mp/oIIfNE legal system follows social science on eyewitness testimony #
• Head and feet evolved for running http://j.mp/p9Bqnv persistence hunting and barefooting #
• Great Recession is a Great Contraction: global economy is „overleveraged“, and creditors (i.e. savers) have to lose money http://j.mp/oCWYvg #

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Time to look back to Berny an my climbing of Mt. Kilimanjaro, too. As I hoped and expected, the pain is mostly forgotten, the excitement and memories of the amazing views is still vividly there. I almost feel I could do it again, while I remember strongly feeling the opposite immediately after coming down…

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Before things get too far behind, here some commented pictures from my first „back to Kenya“ trip — most of these have also been on facebook, but of course without the little stories in between…

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• Policies can make politics: US stops deporting non-criminal illegal immigrants http://j.mp/nQXL1K at least the federal government… #

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• #travelinsight 72: I hate taxi drivers who scare you of their own city and countrymen for business. And love the „dangerous local quarters“. #
• #travelinsight 71: When traveling, you sometimes need a lot of luck! Miraculously always had it so far, quite a lot in one day recently. #
• #travelinsight 70: My #1 important technical advance ever: washing machine. No, don’t tell me you need the wheel for that! #
• #travelinsight 69: One time a teacher, always a teacher? Seems so. Explaining physics to the children in my Kisumu guest family #
• Uups. The mountain messed up my calendar — the peak was August 1 of course, otherwise how would I have internet now? #
• The power of compromise applied to science http://j.mp/mR6XQ1 you don’t think evolution and creation work together? They do #
• August 2, 2011, 6:15am http://twitpic.com/5zw5aw Uhuru Peak. Didn’t think it was going to be that hard… More pictures on my blog soon. #

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In a way, this was the beginning of traveling again: still based in Kagondo, exploring the immediate surroundings. I was invited by a very lovely young priest to visit him in his parish — the big island „Bumbire“ and some 80 small surrounding islands in Lake Victoria.

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After some two weeks of traveling again, it is time to finally put here the last last pictures from Kagondo. At least until the next visit, which might be in September, and hopefully soon again after this year!

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• Addicted to Urban Dictionary http://j.mp/qpZB26 All the reasons I love English in one place. And contemporary culture, of course. #
• Norway should open our eyes to how irrational „Muslim Terrorist“ profiling is http://j.mp/pIAzBH 2010 saw 3 muslim & 160 separatist attacks #

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• Verbraucherschutz-Portal startet mit überlasteten Servern http://j.mp/njWlRY ist doch ein guter Start?! #
• Wow I love the iPhoto facebook uploader! Life can be so easy. And here are some pics from Kisumu, lions and all http://j.mp/oLgLWA #
• Wirtschaftliche Sanktionen gegen Menschenrechtsverletzungen: Europa liefert nicht mehr für Hinrichtungen in USA http://j.mp/qgyfnW #

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