Stories of Science

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reading time: 5 min

From Lebanon to TU Delft: Ziad Matar's journey to Veridi Technologies

Perseverance and curiosity can take you far, as Ziad Matar proves. He grew up in Lebanon and always dreamed of studying at TU Delft. In 2020, this dream came true. His studies have taught him a lot about entrepreneurship and have also resulted in valuable friendships and connections. He now runs his company, Veridi Technologies, together with co-founder dr. Richard Janissen.
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reading time: 4 min

How do you ensure that changing norms and values are embedded in technical developments?

Over time, norms and values change. When the internet was first developed, the idea was that all the information that was posted should be kept so that nothing would be lost. At the time, that was an important value. Nowadays, though, we want to give internet users the right to be forgotten, but the system is not geared up to doing this. How do you deal with this discrepancy? These kind of questions are tackled by Ibo van de Poel in his ERC project, in which he and his team are working on a philosophical theory on value change. Ibo van de Poel: “The aim is to create a theory of value change that helps designers develop technical systems that can deal with changing values.”

reading time: 4 min

Laying cables under stress in the Infrarium: The Energy Grid Game

Forty-five minutes of stress in a sea container that has been transformed into an infrarium filled with physical and mental challenges. How do you go about laying energy cables without disrupting industry or energy suppliers? How can you work with others in a small space filled with smoke, flashing lights and incessant noise? What effect do stress and emotions have on decision-making? The Energy Grid Game simulation reveals the challenging decisions that the energy sector will face during the current energy transition. This case focuses on the Port of Rotterdam. The game was designed by Igor Nikolic, associate professor of participatory multi-modelling, and Geertje Bekebrede, associate professor of serious game design. The goal is to allow participants to experience, both physically and emotionally, the urgency, cohesion, mutual dependence and complexity of the energy transition.
Spellen als oplossing voor complexe problemen

reading time: 4 min

Games as a solution to complex problems

Playing a board game in the evening with family or an online game with friends is fun, but games are also used in business and government settings to get a grip on complex situations. Such as promoting safety in the chemical sector or how to open restaurants safely with covid-19 measures. At the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management (TPM), researcher Simon Tiemersma and his team make interactive models that can test fictitious situations, also known as serious games. A Gamelab facility has even been set up for this purpose.
Nuance in de zoektocht naar klimaatoplossingen

reading time: 3 min

Nuance in the quest for climate solutions

With all the uncertainties we are facing, climate engineering (geoengineering) is not a desirable means of combating climate change, but in the future may well be an unavoidable one. Philosopher of technology Behnam Taebi uses an ethics-based approach to try to bring some nuance into the search for technological solutions. Using the Climate Action Hub, he wants to build a bridge between science, citizens and politicians.

reading time: 4 min

Artificial intelligence with a moral compass

The rapid development of artificial intelligence brings its own set of new ethical challenges. In her PhD research, Andreia Martinho is trying to bring the ultra-theoretical world of ethics and the practice of artificial intelligence closer together.
Levens redden met een eerlijk systeem voor rampencommunicatie

reading time: 4 min

Saving lives with a fair emergency communication system

We are all familiar with that uneasy feeling when your phone battery is low, the feeling of nearly being cut-off from communication possibilities. But what if your phone is nearly dead when disaster strikes and the battery of your phone literally can mean the difference between life and death? TU Delft researcher Indushree Banerjee has designed a novel fair emergency communication system that can save lives, by extending the battery life of smartphones.
'De lijntjes werden plots een stuk korter door corona'

reading time: 3 min

'The lines of contact were suddenly a lot shorter because of coronavirus'

TPM student Zara-Vé van Tetterode was chair of the Delft Student Council when coronavirus arrived. She is very positive about the cooperation with the Executive Board during the crisis, but she also sees how coronavirus threatens the mental health of students.
Slimme chatbots als goede raadgever voor angst

Reading time: 4 min

Intelligent chatbots as anxiety counsellors

Chatbots, on eHealth apps, have the potential to support people suffering from anxiety and other mental disorders. However, today’s chatbots still need to be sufficiently developed. For her Master’s thesis, Maria Chiara Mazza investigated how recognising students' linguistic patterns and personality could help improve the workings of personalized-chatbots. Her thesis secured her election as the Best Graduate in the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management.
Zondebokcultuur staat veiligheid chemiesector in de weg

reading time: 3 min

Blame culture an obstacle to safety in the chemical sector

Everyone knows small mistakes can have large consequences. Yet when things go wrong in the chemical industry the results can be disastrous, as the recent incident in Beirut shows. Genserik Reniers, Professor of Safety of Hazardous Materials at TU Delft, wants to put safety on the map better than today, in order for human suffering and economic losses to be minimised as much as possible: ‘There's a lot we can achieve relatively easy.’
Gewoontes doorbreken voor een groene wereld

reading time: 4 min

Breaking habits for a green world

We separate our waste, take shorter showers and there has been an increase in roof-mounted solar panels. Climate psychologist at TU Delft Gerdien de Vries, sees that in the Netherlands we are trying to put our greenest foot forward.
Zo beïnvloeden digitale stemassistenten jouw leven

reading time: 5 min

This is how digital voice assistants influence your life

Voice assistants, like Alexa or Google Home are taking over households, in the USA anyway, where one in four households owns at least one device. These assistants that promise to make your life so much easier seem harmless, but are they really? TU Delft researcher Olya Kudina is not so sure: ‘They do impact our lives and not only in a good way.’
Een betere werksfeer door inzet van simulatiespellen

reading time: 3 min

Using persuasive games to improve work atmosphere

Cultural diversity and a mixture of people with different specialisations in a workplace can boost creativity and effectiveness. It can also lead to misunderstandings, stereotyping and misconception. TU Delft researcher Rens Kortmann studies what persuasive games can do to change that.