Even as a child I’ve always been the kind of boy who would take an alarm clock apart, just to see inside. I want to know how things work and why, what makes them tick so-to-speak. When I grew up that fascination never left me and gave me a keen interest in all things technological, medical and biological. And I still want to know first and foremost the ‘how?’ of a story, while most journalists are more concerned with the standard formula of ‘who? what? where? when?’
In 1985, I graduated from the Free University in Amsterdam; uncharacteristically I studied French language and literature. I then had the good fortune to run into a man who recognised my voice as a ‘radio voice’. He told me a voice was needed at Radio Netherlands Worldwide to read the news. I applied for the job and entered the world of broadcasting.
Over the years it became apparent in editorial meetings that usually I was the one to come up with science stories. Or, if they happened to pop-up, I knew how to deal with them. So it was only natural that I got the position of science editor when my predecessor retired. Since that time Radio Netherlands developed into a multi-media organisation. Apart from radio presenter and reporter I became video producer, TV presenter and writer for the web, keeping the focus on science as my subject.
More recently, writing for youris.com gives me a chance to further expand my international contacts. Also I firmly believe science should transcend national boundaries. It makes for better science, and it gives more people a chance to benefit from it.