Visiting Cambridge

I finally made it to Cambridge, where I had a veeeery good time.

Today I'm in Cambridge (UK), visiting Bob Carlyon, John Deeks and Hedwig Gockel at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit. Be careful, doors have ears here, and you don't really want to wake up the sleeping tiger...

"Hedwig, do you know the story of the guy who got flattened by an angry subject..."

Before getting to work, we relaxed in the beautiful garden of the CBU (I was lucky enough to be there on the *one* day of summer).

Thursday lunch is "Bleepers' lunch" (or blunch), people bleep while they lunch... and the tradition is that newcomers must bake something. Look at the delicious cake I made for this occasion: poppy seeds, lemon drizzle and lots of mulberries! Rosy is cutting it for me.

Time for some serious stuff. Got a ride on the local TDT (the TDT has ears as well...).

Then I sat in one of the three booths. This one is called "The Large Booth". Pretty imaginative!

But the curious people of Cambridge also wanted to see my brain. So they popped me into the scanner! I even made a video: that scanner is extremely loud! (Disclaimer: you may not want to try this at home)

"Lay flat and don't move." Will try...

Okay, how did I do? What's my brain like? ... why do they look so concerned!?

I didn't have time to visit Brian's lab, and I should soon be off to London. But maybe I'll have another chance to see Brian a bit later.

Hope everything's fine on the other side of the pond!

Boys Town

I've been so busy with my travels I forgot to write about my trip to Boys Town.

Now I don't know what it says about Nebraska, but this was the most happening place in town. 

Groningen, Netherlands

I am in Groningen, Netherlands, now. I have done a lot of things here:

I am collaborating with the group at UMCG in Groningen. We are running a very complex experiment, and they needed my expertise. Here, I am programming the TDT system for the experiment.

Testing the stimuli on myself first. Headphones nicely calibrated.

Wow, free-field needs to be turned down.

Testing the microphone, I needed a hand there.

They sure make everything Dutch-sized here, the grid of the anechoic chamber turned out to be more challenging for me than anything else.

Relaxing at the hospital after a successful experiment.

Doing the Bob

Martini Tower of Groningen. 

I will miss this little town, I had a good time here.  I'm leaving soon for England.  You'll hear from me there.