The Comma, 6 Easy Steps

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Djuddah A.J. Leijen

Who can raise their hand in honesty and say: “I know where to place a comma when I am writing”?

There are a number of simple steps you can follow in order to check the use, non-use, or over-use of your comma. The most common simple rule we all know about the comma is the one that causes the most confusion. We all know that the comma is used to signal a break in the flow of the sentence. The problem with this rule is that breaking the sentence flow is quite complex. However, there are some recurring patterns.

Commas can be used to:

  • Separate extra information from the main idea of the sentence
  • Separate linking words from the main idea of the sentence
  • List things, concepts, events, ideas, etc.
  • Resolve ambiguity.

We can translate these rules to the following 6 cases when checking your comma.

1. Extra information at the beginning of a sentence

E.g.: Generally, most research has failed to make an impact. Continue reading →

Posted in General, Studies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

How Healthy Is a Man? A Woman Can Detect It in 8 Seconds

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Mart Zirnask

Indrikis Krams, a visiting professor at the University of Tartu took pictures of 74 young Latvian men, evaluated their physiques, and came to the conclusion that women see men with stronger immune systems as more attractive.

strengh of immune system

On the left, you see a generalisation of eight young men with the weakest immune systems, and on the right the strongest immune systems. Computer simulation by Indrikis Krams and colleagues.

Wiry, soft-spoken, and slightly weary-eyed animal ecologist Indrikis Krams has come to Tartu from Daugavpils University. He is pondering the enigma of Brad Pitt.

Brad Pitt

“Brad Pitt – his face is absolutely average. I’ve seen faces just like that in the street all the time. It’s really nothing special!” Thanks to films, the veteran cover boy is well known. But if we consider his genes, or more precisely, the strength of his organism, he’s probably not exactly an alpha male. Continue reading →

Posted in Natural and exact sciences, Research | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The City That Gives

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Tak Ki Wong

I came here from Hong Kong as an exchange student for one semester (enough to fall in love with Tartu; not enough to have enough of Tartu) to study English and Philosophy. In Tartu I have met so many lovely people; these people and Tartu have become an important part of my life.

Now I’ve just come back to Hong Kong to join my family for the Chinese New Year celebration. After the celebration, I will (unfortunately) have to start my semester and study(!) at my home university. And I will, of course, have to live the life in Hong Kong (busier; less space; less drinking – !).

Below is the story of a Hong Konger coming to Tartu, written for the UT Student Journalist Contest in autumn 2011 – hope you’ll enjoy!

* * *

Tartu view
Having never been outside Asia, I had a lot of thoughts about Tartu based on some guidebooks before I came. My imagined picture of Tartu was full of beautiful but cold people speaking in an immensely difficult language. I was proven wrong on my first day in Tartu by a curious encounter. Continue reading →

Posted in Student life, Tartu | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Foxy Folklorist Mistaken for a Sex Professor

Posted on January 28, 2012 by Inga Külmoja

How much can you know about a person from her public digital footprints? Someone tweeting as @foxyfolklorist and writing for the blog My Sex Professor, must at least be blessed with a decent sense of humor, which is quite certain:

Thanks to a very drunk Polish gentleman, I now know how to open a bottle of wine using a shoe (apparently the cork needs to be natural).
December 4, 2011 11:49 am via webReplyRetweetFavorite
@foxyfolklorist
Jeana Jorgensen


While many of Jeana’s tweets are hilarious, the issues she tackles in her blog could hardly get more serious:

New post by me: Carrying Multiple Condoms Is Proof Of Prostitution? | My Sex Professor: Sexuality Education http://t.co/Gn3PwGre
January 3, 2012 11:29 pm via Tweet ButtonReplyRetweetFavorite
@foxyfolklorist
Jeana Jorgensen
New post by me: The Problem With Rape Jokes | My Sex Professor: Sexuality Education http://t.co/uvLmqjln via @
December 14, 2011 7:36 pm via Tweet ButtonReplyRetweetFavorite
@foxyfolklorist
Jeana Jorgensen


But then she also studies fairy tales: Continue reading →

Posted in Estonia, Humanities, Research, Tartu | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Estonia and the Euro: A Wedding without Honeymoon

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Kristiina Kruuse

Raul Eamets, Professor of Macroeconomics at the University of Tartu, makes an analogy between last year’s remarkable step for the Estonian economy – the introduction of the euro – and getting married, while admitting the non-appearance of a much anticipated honeymoon, as the timing for the wedding was far from perfect.

Prof Raul Eamets

UT professor of macroeconomics Raul Eamets in his office. Photo by Andres Tennus.

Let’s imagine you’re a doctor and the Estonian economy is coming in for a check-up. What would be your diagnosis?

The condition of the Estonian economy is quite good. Most vital indicators are all right, when we look at the state budget and the debt. But there are problems with immunity – we’re receptive and very dependent on what’s going on around us. Our economy is too small, so it’s not just about our good work. Continue reading →

Posted in Estonia, Research, Social sciences | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

How Georgians Met 2012 in Tartu

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Inga Külmoja

In this interview, Kakhi Sanikidze, a.k.a. Kevin, talks about what Georgian people are like, how Georgian students who study at UT stay close and care for each other, and how Georgians and Estonians are different.

To really see what Kakhi is saying, watch his video on how he and his ten Georgian friends,  Mariam Misabishvili, Mariam Chubabria, Lexo Chanadiri, Tamo Geliashvili, Natia Sharikadze, Eto Gobronidze, Nino Kvirkvelia, Tamta Kupatadze, Nino Kuloshvili, and Shota Kakabadze, celebrated the New Year at the Raatuse dorm:

Inga: During the last minute of 2011, your friends were busy burning pieces of paper with their wishes written on them and drinking champagne with the ashes. There seemed to be some panic – was everyone on time, or will some wishes remain unfulfilled now?

Kakhi: Yes, we have this little tradition – I don’t know where it comes from. Still, it’s popular and fun. We all hope we did it on time but some of us couldn’t burn the paper properly, and some seemed to be late. I think it’s more about whether you believe in your wish – we believe they will come true so we’ll see. Continue reading →

Posted in Events, Student life, Tartu | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Estonian Mafia: The Insider View

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Priit Salumaa

I am honored to be among the co-founders of two influential non-profit initiatives in Estonia: MobileMonday (established in 2007) and Garage48 (established in 2010).
MobileMonday (MoMo) unites Estonian people connected to the mobile sector, while Garage48 is the first and, so far, most successful weekend hackathon (a hacker marathon) in Estonia, where ideas are put into tentative action.

These initiatives and the fact that I have gradually turned into an entrepreneur have given me a certain overview about the goings-on of firms with lofty business plans that are firing up in Estonia, as well as a reason to ponder the problems in this sector.

Priit Salumaa

Photo by Kerly Ilves

Like Mushrooms After the Rain?

At the moment there is a lot of talk about startup companies and it might leave an impression that they’re really common, like mushrooms after the rain. London and Silicon Valley are paying attention to a small, as-of-yet unknown country called Estonia that keeps on delivering good and able teams with really high performance and great ideas. Continue reading →

Posted in Career, Estonia, Tartu | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment