Who is afraid of the end of life? Exploring and (re)designing values on (im)mortality.

When it comes to design for the end of life, the social and moral values people hold differ or even conflict immensely. It is important to gain insight into these differences, because technological developments are only accepted if they fit within the moral and social values of people. TU Delft Library, Studium Generale, Filmhuis Lumen and several study associations explore different opinions and unravel the questions that are raised around immortality and mortality in a multidisciplinary program with lectures, debates, movies and an exposition in February and March 2020.

Preparing for the end or for eternity
Is it about adding days or years to your life, or about adding life to your days? Can we even live forever? The answer to mankind’s quest for immortality seems closer than ever. Due to emerging technological developments, death might be something of the past. We can strive for immortality, but as our life is never certain, shouldn’t we accept death nonetheless? And if so, how do we do that? How do we prepare for it? ‘Who is afraid of the end of life?’ explores these questions and a range of opinions on this topic through movies, lectures and exhibitions.

178th TU Delft Dies Natalis: Design for values
The program ‘Who is afraid of the end of life? Exploring and (re)designing values on (im)mortality’ seamlessly fits into the Dies Natalis theme of 2020: Design for Values. Technological developments only become acceptable when they are designed for the moral and social values people hold. To avoid mismatches, including the public debate in these developments is vital.

The program:

• TU Delft Library opens on 11 February with the exhibition 'Preppers Paradise - How to survive the end of life?’ by Art Van Triest. (*)
• Studium Generale organizes events about accepting mortality (with Theater de Veste), on the desire to live forever and the consequences of immortality (with study associations Hooke, LIFE and Variscopic), and a lunch lecture.
• Filmhuis Lumen hosts the film festival ‘Quality of Dying’. TU Delft Library has invited TU Delft researchers to give short introductions to the movies in the festival.
• Cube Design Museum in Kerkrade opens their exhibition ‘(Re)design Death’. You can visit their exhibition in virtual reality at the TU Delft Library.
• In cooperation with study association Stylos you can watch the movie 'The Anthropocene - The Human Epoch' on the 5th of March.
• ‘Who is afraid of the end of life?’ connects members of the Delft institute ‘Design for Values’ and other prominent TU Delft employees to the city of Delft.

(*) Due to the stricter measures taken by the central government to combat the spread of the coronavirus, the TU Delft Library is closed to visitors.

This program was created thanks to:
Partners: TU Delft Library, Studium Generale, Theater de Veste, Filmhuis Lumen, New Media Centre, CUBE design museum and X
Faculties involved: ‘Applied Sciences’ (AS), ‘Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science’, 'Mechanical Engineering' (ME), ‘Architecture and the Built Environment’ (ABE)
Researchers involved: Janna van Grunsven (faculty TPM, Delft Design for Values Institute), Sanne Kirstemaker (faculty IDE), Lotte Asveld (faculty AS), Jan Peter Bergen (faculty TPM in 2020), Bertus Beaumont (faculty AS).
Study associations involved: Stylos (Architecture), Hooke (Nanobiology), LIFE (Life Science and Technology), Variscopic (Clinical Technology)
With many thanks to the TU Delft End of Life Lab.