Leo Cendrowicz

Fascinated by the relief carvings - attributed to Renaissance sculptor Tullio Lombardo - around Saint Anthony’s tomb in Padua

Love the paving stones in Rovinj

Charming Ljubljana’s quirky architecture

Science is never just about equations.
It's a conversation across borders, and across time.
It’s about who we become when we unlock the atom – and what we choose to do next. Sometimes the quietest rooms – like those of Solvay – echo the loudest truths. 🇧🇪💣🧠

From bomb-builder to philosopher of science, Oppenheimer’s Solvay appearances traced the arc of a brilliant, conflicted life.
His legacy wasn’t only written in New Mexico deserts. It was debated in Brussels’ salons - in the magnificent Solvay library, where minds shaped the modern world.

His final Solvay visit in 1964, which he chaired, was entitled ‘The Structure and Evolution of Galaxies’. Photos from that year show a man aged by politics and illness, yet still commanding attention in that year’s event

The 1961 conference, on quantum field theory was quieter, more reflective. Oppenheimer’s contributions weren’t about building weapons, but about understanding the universe. In Brussels, he found space to think, not defend himself.

Then came 1961. By then, Oppenheimer was both revered and controversial. In the US, he was under suspicion, his security clearance revoked. But at Solvay, among European physicists, he remained a respected intellectual.

1948’s Solvay was about quantum physics and the new frontiers of atomic science.
Imagine Oppenheimer debating with titans like Einstein, Heisenberg, Lawrence Bragg, Paul Dirac, Erwin Schrödinger as well as father of H-bomb Edward Teller (who would later testify against him).

Oppenheimer’s first Solvay appearance was in 1948. WWII had ended, and the father of the atomic bomb was returning to Europe, where he had studied — not as a wartime figure, but as a scientist seeking dialogue in a fractured world.

The Solvay Conferences — founded in 1911 by Belgian chemist, industrial tycoon and philanthropist Ernest Solvay — were (and still are) where the giants of physics and chemistry gathered at his stunning Art Nouveau library.
Einstein, Curie, Planck, Heisenberg, Fermi. Bohr… and Oppenheimer.

Two years ago, Oppenheimer hit cinemas like an atomic blast.
But did you know the man behind the Manhattan Project came to Brussels not once, but three times for the world’s most elite scientific gatherings?
(Today is also 🇧🇪 national day)
🧵

Putin’s puppet says he's changing. Belarus’s leader-in-exile says we're being fooled Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya warns the West not to be taken in by the Belarussian dictator after he freed her husband in a prisoner swap last month

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's husband was just freed after five years in jail, but Belarus’s leader-in-exile is still fighting inews.co.uk/news/world/p...

Trump has set the stage for a colossal trade war - and it could spiral out of control Trump has also threatened reciprocal tariffs on any counter measures from the EU - the consequences could not be greater

Trump has announced 30% tariffs on the EU. It may all be performative - claiming spurious grievances and declaring punishments in hopes of securing concessions - but the repercussions of this disruption could be massive: inews.co.uk/news/trump-s...

Let’s be real: the only thing Krypto needs around his neck is a collar with his name and a reminder not to eat the neighbours.
Until then, let him do what dogs do best: save the world, then chase a squirrel.

And who’s taking it off? Unless Kryto’s powers include cape removal, his cunning canine disguise as Clark Kent’s companion won’t work unless someone can remove the red cloak.

Who’s tying it on, anyway? Lois Lane? Batman? Some poor intern?
Krypto’s daily schedule involves frisbee-vapourising, meteor deflection and digging suspiciously large holes –hardly the lifestyle for delicate accessories.

But what of the red cape he sports while fighting crime?
It’s a bold fashion choice.
It may be fastened with a gold collar, but it’ll be caked in mud within three seconds, tangled in tree branches and permanently scented with Eau de Chien.

Superman (2025) director James Gunn wants levity after the bleak, portentous Zach Snyder movies.
The trailer shows Krypto as a white-furred terrier - Superman’s Snowy? - fast, strong and flight capable. No indications if he has laser eyes, like his two-legged master.

Krypto is a controversial character.
He was created in 1955, during a goofy comic book era.
Daft plotlines include Superman growing a lion’s head, Batman and Robin time-travelling to ancient Babylon, and Jimmy Olsen marrying a gorilla.

The new Superman movie is out this week, and this time, the Man of Steel is accompanied by #Krypto the #Superdog.
He looks cheerful and fun.
But what's dogging me is why he wears a cape.
As any dog - or even Superdog - owner can tell you, capes are a terrible idea.

Exclusive: King Baudouin Stadium could be torn down, insider reveals Belgium’s dilapidated national football stadium in Heysel is in desperate need of "emergency renovation" and may ultimately have to be demolished.

🚨 The King Baudouin Stadium in Heysel, home of Belgian football for almost a century, may have hosted its last ever game for the Red Devils
It needs major repairs and may be torn down - with new sites already being considered
Me with @dennisabbott.bsky.social: www.brusselstimes.com/belgium/1653...

Hugh Dow starts exploring cemeteries, beginning with Laeken.
Breandán Kearney looks at sustainability in Belgian brewing.
Hughes Belin tries some new food and drinks - and visits the Frietmuseum.
And Geoff Meade returns to the Berlaymont as the Eurocrat HQ opens its doors to the hoi polloi.

Angela Dansby takes a weekend in Hasselt, which fancies itself as a fashion city.
And she reports from the coast on the hallowed tradition of horseback shrimp fishermen (and fisherwomen).
Also at the coast is photographer Jorge Gutierrez Lucena, who offers a perspective on the dunes and piers.

Antoine Courtens's memorable buildings in Brussels are receiving renewed recognition in this centenary year of Art Deco as @goodclimate.bsky.social‬ writes.
Simon Taylor reports on how Renaissance polyphonists created new sounds as the KBR museum reopens.

On the edge of the forest, the Tournay-Solvay Park in Boitsfort is a hidden gem in Brussels. David Labi ventures into the green idyll and admires its restored château.
David visits the new Brussels galleries that celebrate Art Nouveau and Art Deco.
www.brusselstimes.com/magazine/161...

As universities in the US face unprecedented threats from the Trump administration, Philippe Van Parijs, a veteran of both Harvard and Leuven universities, looks at how Belgium has dealt with academic freedom.

Belgium’s ambitions for wind power are tangled in red tape, but as Dafydd Ab Iago reports, the country is slowly building its wind capabilities.
Meanwhile, as technology catches up with snail mail, Derek Blyth wonders how the Belgian postal service can survive the modern era.

Staying in Liège, @dennisabbott.bsky.social meets the Dardennes brothers, whose award-winning movies, mostly set in the Seraing neighbourhood, have shone a light on gritty personal dramas - including the recent Jeunes Mères
www.brusselstimes.com/magazine/160...

We have commentaries on the challenges Belgium faces to rebuild its defences after decades of decline, from retired Belgian army Lieutenant-General Marc Thys and Egmont fellow Wannes Verstraete.