TEDxDelftSalon was back in theatre De Veste on Sunday 28 May (from 3PM) with three live speakers and a surprise act. The theme is “Boost Your Senses”.
Check out the pictures on Flickr.
Our Salon speakers:
Karthik Mahadevan- Designing for artificial intelligence
Rachel Smets – Your next step (in life)
Our entertainment – Trio blame it on the drummer
Kelly Hamers – The influence of synthetic biology on our everyday life
“13 {95388bbb2e9df0f2b3d26445fc24fe82185b1b567dbb094bc3a45074083d0a2b} of the Dutch workforce suffers from burnout symptoms,” Hidde de Vries said. In the United States it is around 53 {95388bbb2e9df0f2b3d26445fc24fe82185b1b567dbb094bc3a45074083d0a2b}. “Why have we not found a way yet to deal effectively with work stress?”
For most of his career De Vries has had strong ties with marketing and communication, beginning with obtaining his bachelor’s degree in this field. After attaining his diploma he became an account manager for a printing company, but after a couple of years he went back to the field of communication and public relations. His main focus was to help various brands garner more awareness, and even founded his own agency. He currently works for Google, and has founded a new company called 7 Day Recharge.
De Vries searched for the antidote after almost suffering from a burnout himself. His company had not managed to survive the economic crisis, and though he managed to close it without debt, he felt like he was indebted to himself. He found the antidote to be composed of three elements: “Energy, focus and happiness.”
“Use your energy to focus on one thing, something that makes you happy,” he said. De Vries tried various methods to help get more energy and stay better focussed through a combination of healthy nutrition, yoga and mindfulness. He settled on a series of good practices, healthy breakfast, regular breaks and no electronic appliances after 9 pm. By balancing these three elements and taking care of himself, he had more energy and better focus. Soon he found himself reinvigorated. “And I am still a workaholic.”
“When I was a child, I listened to stories from a pastor who would visit our school each year to tell about the poor children in Suriname,” Karen Kammeraat said. “So I donated year after year, and still I kept seeing pictures of poor children.” So she decided something had to change.
Kammeraat studied at TU Delft, where she majored in Industrial Design Engineering. After finishing her studies she started out working for a company where she helped build a database containing rules and regulations for exporters and producers in developing countries. Her affinity with the developing world has only grown since then, working as a freelance consultant in Tanzania and for Oxfam Novib.
Kammeraat wanted to understand why poverty continued despite the large amount of charity. What she found was that there was a vicious cycle. The big corporations only paid a small amount to the actual producers, far too little for these producers to lead a decent life. “We have to change, because we live at the expense of others,” she explained. “I do not want to contribute to this anymore.”
Kammeraat decided to do research, to be more selective about what she spends her money on. “It is not easy to figure out exactly which companies pay a good price to producers.” Food and drink were the first products she focussed on, before moving on to clothes. “For clothing it was much more difficult to find out, as companies can be misleading.” Though it might seem like a tough task, Kammeraat is convinced change is possible. “By myself I will not be able to do much, but together we can make a difference.”
With the advent of modern-day technology, work can appear to be even more pervasive. New e-mails which continuously pop up and mobile phones mean being constantly reachable for colleagues. Hidde de Vries, founder of 7 Day Recharge, thinks it is time to make the most out of life again.
De Vries earned a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Communication, before starting out as an account manager for a printing company. After a few years, he turned back to communications and public relations, helping brands grow further and eventually co-founding his marketing group. At present, he works for Google Netherlands, in addition to his work for 7 Day Recharge.
Dealing with modern-day business challenges is therefore something de Vries is very familiar with. It is an idea he came up with due to his own struggles. “It started with myself almost having a burnout several years ago,” he explains. De Vries is convinced his experience from this part of his life will help other people prevent it.
“It gives people an easy framework on how to increase their performance over time and to make the most of their lives,” he says. Through the programme he created it is his goal to help people find their balance again in life and at the same time optimize their productivity. It is an idea he is keen to share on the TEDxDelft stage.
Curious to hear how Hidde de Vries thinks he can help you make the most of your life? Then come join us for the next TEDxDelft salon on Sunday 20 March at Theater de Veste.
On Sunday 20 March at 15:00 TEDxDelft will host its next Salon at Theater de Veste, entitled Universal Man. In anticipation of the main event which will celebrate the universal genius, the Salon’s theme will be an interesting teaser of what is to come: polymaths.
The event will be held in English and admission is free. Register here to participate at the upcoming event, and come join us for an interesting afternoon of exciting talks and entertainment.
Special thanks to:
Talbott International Presentations
“When you think about sustainable travelling, the first thing you think of is the fuel consumption used to get to your destination,” Robert Mulder, architect says. “But what about the hotels?”
Architecture is not just Mulder’s career, it is a passion. He graduated from TU Delft’s civil engineering faculty with a major in architecture. He started out as an architectural draftsman, before further climbing the ladder, from architect to project architect. Eventually, he would become owner of his own agency, working on several prestigious projects.
Hotels contribute extensively to climate change. “Hotels are heated or cooled 24/7, which is unnecessary,” explains Mulder. Many measures have been taken, such as leaving towels on the floor, or the card that turns off all electricity when a guest leaves the room. But these measures make relatively little impact on the environment. Mulder argues that a more extensive rethinking is needed of what a sustainable hotel is.
By designing a new hotel from the ground up with sustainability and reusability in mind, the possibilities to minimise a hotel’s footprint become almost endless. By reusing water from the shower for the toilet, and then for greenhouses on the roof of the hotel, less water is being used. The greenhouse allows the hotel to grow its own fruits and vegetables, and the gases help to warm up the hotel. A system built into the facade further helps with regulating room temperature by allowing sunlight in or blocking it, depending on whether or not guests are in the room. By rethinking hotels and creating a more integrated system of use and reuse, Mulder is convinced hotels will have a big impact on the environment in the future.
“We are going to have 20 billion low-powered devices by 2020,” Dr. Nima Tolou says. “Let me tell you about some of those 20 billion.”
In 2012 Tolou received his PhD from TU Delft’s Department of Biomechanical Engineering, dealing with micro-electro-mechanical systems. Since then, he has continued to focus on MEMS, publishing several research papers and submitting eight patents, seven of which he is named first inventor on. He currently works as Assistant Professor at the Department of Precision and Microsystems Engineering at TU Delft, as well as being an Intra-European fellow at Imperial College London.
“Every day 30,000 containers go through the port at Rotterdam,” Dr. Tolou explains. “All equipped with sensors to measure temperature, or report its location.” These small devices all use batteries. In some cases, it can even be crucial, for instance with pacemakers. These devices also use batteries, which have to be replaced occasionally. Together, all these used batteries could fill several Olympic stadiums.
Finding an alternative to batteries, therefore, would be tremendously beneficial to the environment. “Why not harvest energy from motion to power devices?” Dr. Tolou asks. By capturing kinetic energy, it can then be transferred to a device which can store and send it to the device whenever it requires energy. Until recently, however, energy harvesters only worked when under regular and even motion. “But now it is possible to build these harvesters that can work with random motion,” he announces. If used on a large-scale this could reduce the dependence on batteries, potentially leading to a battery-free environment.
“Cars have changed a lot over the past 100 years,” Bas aan de Stegge explains. All except for the combustion engine.
Aan de Stegge started out as a mechanic for Formula Student Team Delft, working on the powertrain while studying for his Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering at TU Delft. He would later become part of the team’s Chief Recruiting Committee. In this role, he was charged with recruiting new engineers. Eventually, he would take on the role of Chief Executive Officer for the team, a role he continues to fulfill to this day.
A combustion engine accounts for a significant part of a car in terms of weight. In addition, it is a major cause of greenhouse gas emissions. Many elements of the car have evolved throughout the years, but the combustion engine has not. In recent years the number of electric cars has risen, but they still use concepts from cars as they have been built throughout the years. At Formula Student Team Delft, they decided to take up the challenge to develop a completely new drivetrain.
“Electric motors are used to store energy, and to propel the vehicle forward,” aan de Stegge explains. Electric motors can be far smaller than they currently are. The team decided to try and place this new type of engine in a new place: the wheel. This meant a complete re-imagining of the wheel, more specifically the rim. What they came up with is a spoke-less wheel, which includes a motor to propel the car, as well as the brakes. “It offers several advantages: the car is lighter and the performance is better.” Though the technology is still relatively new, aan de Stegge is convinced that this technology will eventually replace the combustion engine, definitely bringing the car into the modern era.
Harvesting energy from the movement of humans to power our everyday appliances seems quite futuristic, maybe even implausible. Dr. Nima Tolou, Assistant Professor at the Department of Precision and Microsystems Engineering at TU Delft, focuses on creating a cleaner world by lowering the use of batteries and replacing them with energy driven by motion.
Tolou received his PhD in 2012 from the Department of Biomechanical Engineering at TU Delft, focussing on micro-electro-mechanical systems. Apart from being an Assistant Professor at TU Delft, he is also an Intra-European Fellow at the Optical and Semiconductor Group at Imperial College London. In addition, he has published several research papers and has been named inventor of eight patent applications, seven of which he is the first inventor.
“I am pretty excited to share my ideas on motion energy harvesters for real world applications,” he said. By 2020, 20 billion low-power devices will require batteries. During his talk Tolou will share his ideas about how energy recovered through motion will reduce our dependency on batteries, along with knowledge he gained through his work on the design of high-performance micro/meso compliant mechanisms for MEMS and motion-driven energy harvesters. Tolou hopes to reduce the environmental impact, replacement cost, and potential health risks from batteries through his revolutionary ideas.
Want to learn more about this new technology? Come be a part of this exciting talk on Sunday 24 January, starting at 15:00 at Theater de Veste.
Electric cars are a great way to lower environmental emissions, and innovative ways to increase their efficiency are much needed to cater to a wider audience. Bas aan de Stegge, CEO and Team Manager of Formula Student Team Delft (DUT Racing), strives to achieve this by introducing the “spokeless drivetrain” which helps to develop an electric vehicle that is much lighter.
Aan de Stegge joined DUT Racing as a powertrain engineer when he was doing his Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering at TU Delft. There he helped to create an innovative powertrain for an electric race car. Later, he became a part of the Chief Recruitment Committee and was responsible for recruiting new engineers for the team. Today, Aan de Stegge is the Team Manager and Chief Executive Officer of DUT Racing and leads a team of eight full-time and 65 part-time students in the Formula Student Competition.
The focus of his talk stems from the new drivetrain DUT Racing has developed, designed specifically with weight reduction in mind. “We fundamentally looked at all the functions of a drivetrain and shaped it in a new way,” he explained. The new drivetrain integrates an electric motor and a transmission in a unique way inside the vehicle. This in turn makes the vehicle lighter and more efficient. For Aan de Stegge and his team, what matters most is to show the capabilities modern day technology has to offer. “It shows what kind of innovations are possible in electric vehicles,” he said.
Come and be inspired by this TEDx talk that will shed new light on how we will drive in the future. The Salon will take place on Sunday 24 January at 15:00, at Theater de Veste.
TEDx talks have a way of motivating and inspiring people in all sorts of ways. For three high school students from Delft, Judith van der Nat, Joost Hoekstra, and Hidde Harms, it inspired them to organise a similar event. They did one better: to organise January’s TEDxDelft Salon, entitled ‘Going places.’
“Somewhere around March last year we approached TEDxDelft to ask them for advice on how to organise a look-alike event.” they explain. After having a sit-down with Project Manager Molly Quell going through the options, the three were offered the opportunity to organise the Salon, supported by the TEDxDelft staff. It is a task they relish, having recruited the speakers, selecting various TED talks to show, and on the day itself hosting the event.
The theme of the upcoming Salon is one that speaks to the three students. “For me, the automotive industry was always alluring because of it’s sheer impact on mankind,” Harms explains. For van der Nat, it is the evolution of mobility in recent decades that fascinates her, and how sustainability will further change it. After well over half a year of preparations, this Sunday van der Nat, Hoekstra, and Harms will take to the stage and see their hard work come to fruition.
What are your expectations, challenges, and things you are most looking forward to for this event?
Harms: For me the foyer is really important, I hope this will be an aspect I am going to be proud of later. I can tell we have a lot of potentially genius youngsters walking around in there.
Hoekstra: I want to have a good overall event that we can look back and say “wow, we have really pulled something off out there!” During the whole organization, I had the feeling that my expectations would be fulfilled. Except that brings me to my biggest challenge, that I have to keep my focus on the main goal and not lose too much time on the small details.
Van der Nat: If I am honest, I kept my expectations as low as possible. I know I am a little bit of a perfectionist and with organizing an event you don’t have all the control as you are dependent on a lot of others. And even though I knew that they would be more experienced and professional than we are, I still felt a bit nervous. Maybe especially because of the fact that they are experienced and we were not. Looking back now, I am very happy with the way things went, of course, you can point out what could have been done better or more efficient afterwards, but that is something you learn out of it.
If you could give a TEDxDelft talk, what would it be about?
Harms: That is a difficult question but a thing that quite quickly popped into my mind was ‘First Impressions’. I might not be that wise and experienced but I notice that with a positive, enthusiastic attitude, a proper appearance and a twist between respect and forwardness you can do things that you would not intentionally expect yourself to be able to do.
Hoekstra: My TEDxDelft talk would be about our brains. How we can utilize our brains in the most optimum way. Maybe this information is known for quite some time and it is a fact that I am a seventeen-year-old kid, whereby I do not have the expertise yet to answer this particular question. As a scholar, I am spending long nights to fulfill my duties. I wonder, though, sometimes, whether my brain still absorbs all the information around one o’clock in the morning. In other words, when does my brain absorb the most information. And how can I adapt my schedule to this knowledge to successfully absorb the necessary information in the least amount of time.
Van der Nat: At this point I feel much better off behind the scenes, it would be an assignment for me to figure out what kind of TEDx talk I would want to give. I am jealous of the people who have this skill come naturally to them.
“Every night at least 17.5 million people sleep in branded hotels,” Robert Mulder, architect, says. “Changing into truly sustainable hotels will make a big difference for our planet.” For his talk at the upcoming TEDxDelft Salon, it is Mulder’s goal to illustrate the contribution environmentally friendly hotels can make.
After having finished high school, Mulder enrolled at TU Delft in the civil engineering faculty, where he majored in architecture. Upon graduation he started as an architectural draftsman for a couple of years. He then switched to his current firm, working as an architect. Eventually, he would climb the ladder to project architect and owner of the agency, taking over from the previous owner. Some of his recent projects include a hotel, part of a well-known chain, located at Schiphol airport, and the design of a new sustainable hotel in Amsterdam which is expected to be completed this year.
Environmentally sustainable hotels are one of the areas where Mulder believes a big impact can be made when it comes to climate change. The focus of his talk will be to raise awareness so that people “know that we can change to truly sustainable hotels.” Given the amount of clientele hotels have, their footprint is significant. Trying to find ways to improve hotel’s sustainability, is something Mulder feels excited and privileged to talk about on the TEDxDelft stage. “With an open and positive mind the possibilities are endless.”
Curious to hear more about how hotels contribute to climate change, and how hotels can make a difference? Then come join us at the upcoming TEDxDelft Salon, Sunday 24 January at 15:00, at Theater de Veste.
On Sunday 24 January at 15:00 TEDxDelft will host the next Salon at Theater de Veste, entitled Going Places. Continuing with the theme of climate change this Salon will focus on topics such as transport, energy recovery, and buildings.
The speakers for this event will be Bas aan de Stegge, team manager for the Formula Student Team Delft; Nima Tolou, Assistant Professor at TU Delft; and Robert Mulder, architect. Each will share interesting insights into new technologies and ways of thinking that can help against climate change.
The event will be held in English and admission is free. So tell your friends and family, and come join us for an afternoon of interesting talks and entertainment!
Special guests:
Bas aan de Stegge
Nima Tolou
Robert Mulder
Special thanks to:
TU Delft
Talbott International Presentations
And Judith van de Nat, Joost Hoekstra and Hidde Harms for their participation in the organization in this event.
On Sunday 25 October the first TEDxDelft Salon of the new season was held in a packed theater. Close to 100 people visited the event to hear about climate change and three inspiring talks.
Many factors contribute to the planet’s ecological system. Evaporation can have a significant impact on the availability of food, which makes it that much more important for research to continue being conducted on this process. The application of glue to the construction of airplanes can benefit the environment substantially. Another common material, cardboard, also has the potential to be used in ways which could greatly reduce waste. By changing perceptions,new ideas arise, all of which could have a positive impact on the environment.
A big thank you to everyone who participated at the event. Hopefully the ideas which were presented will provide food for thought and inspiration.
On Thursday November 19 we will be organizing our next event, a brand new type of event: TEDxDelft Cinema. We hope to see you all there!
Each summer people flock to music festivals to hear their favorite artists, pitching their tents at nearby camping sites. Wout Kommer, co-founder of KarTent and student, noticed that visitors seemed not to care about their possessions as much once the festival was over. He thinks it is time for people to start caring, and has thought of a way.
Kommer was born and raised in the city of Delft. After graduating from high school he enrolled at TU Delft, where he chose to study Industrial Design Engineering. A true outdoorsman, he has climbed the Alps and organized both a rowing competition and a festival. In addition, together with two friends, Kommer co-founded a new startup aimed at improving the ecological sustainability of festivals. Starting this company has brought him new experiences and insights he is eager to share.
“We noticed that every year festival camping sites have to deal with huge amounts of waste, caused by people who leave their tents behind,” Kommer explains. People appear not to care so much for their possessions, and in addition leaves others the task of having to clean it up. Kommer hopes to change the way people think about their property, which in turn should help the environment. This was precisely the reason why Kommer decided to start up his company one year ago.
“It is important to show how I think better behaviour can be achieved in a fun way, by creating awareness without necessarily pointing out to people what they are doing wrong,” he says. It is an idea Kommer is eager to share on the TEDxDelft salon stage. By sharing his findings, he hopes that people will start rethinking what they own and how it affects the environment.
If you are curious to hear how to help make festivals more ecologically friendly, come join us at the upcoming TEDxDelft salon on Sunday 25 October at 15:00, at Theater de Veste.
“Would you prefer to to fly in an aircraft which was glued together, or in one that was bolted together?” Sofia Teixeira de Freitas, Assistant Professor at TU Delft, asks. She is convinced that adhesive bonding will make travel by air both cheaper and greener, and just as safe as planes made with nuts and bolts.
Teixeira studied at the Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon, Portugal, where she received a master’s degree in Civil Engineering. She then attended TU Delft where she earned her PhD in the same field. It was during this period that she became interested in joining solutions, which she would continue to work on while focussing on the aircraft industry. Teixeira has since been awarded a young talent innovation award by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, as well as a Delft Technology Fellowship.
“Adhesive bonding has been used for several years instead of, or together with, rivets in conventional metal aircraft,” she explains. The same methods used for planes made from metal have been used for composite aircraft. Teixeira is convinced that improvements can be made to the construction process, with new ways for designing the joints to be used in conjunction with glue, without hampering performance. Which in turn will lead to benefits for everyone. “Glue can be the key for making air traffic cheaper and greener.”
It is an idea that Teixeira is eager to share at the upcoming salon. Though people might not have as much trust in glue as they do in riveting, Teixeira is convinced that the benefits of this construction method will help change people’s minds.
If you are interested in hearing more about why glue is better than rivets, come join us and listen to Teixeira’s talk during the next TEDxDelft salon at Theater de Veste on Sunday October 25 at 15:00.
Rainfall has always been an important part of the planet’s ecological system, by dropping fresh water and acting as natural irrigation for agriculture. Thus far not much attention, however, has been paid to evaporation. Miriam Coenders, Assistant Professor at the Hydrology group of TU Delft, is convinced we should.
Hydrology is a field that has interested Coenders ever since she finished high school. She enrolled at TU Delft, where she focused on hydrology and water management, writing her PhD on interception in the hydrological cycle. It was while working on her PhD that Coenders truly became interested in evaporation and what could be learned from it. “Realizing the importance of evaporation started during my PhD study, where I focused on one specific type of evaporation.” she explains.
“I also learned that knowledge on evaporation was very limited and that big steps could be made.” Evaporation accounts for the largest outgoing flow in the water balance. By using glass fibre optic cables to measure temperature profiles, Coenders found that far more data could be captured about evaporation than had previously been possible. Though not as extensively researched as precipitation, evaporation could be just as important for security of food and dry feet. Knowing its full impact is therefore an important part of understanding the possible effects on climate change.
For Coenders, this new-found knowledge and the way it is measured is worth sharing, and is what will be the focus of her talk during the upcoming salon. It is no surprise that her favorite talks are those related to earth sciences. Undoubtedly, Coenders will add another interesting talk to this particular field, one that will bring new insights into evaporation and its effects on the world we live in.
Coenders will be one of our speakers at the upcoming TEDxDelft salon entitled “Thin Ice.” If this topic sounds interesting, feel free to join us on Sunday October 25 at 15:00, at Theater de Veste.
On Sunday October 25, from 15:00 until 17:00, TEDxDelft will host its first salon of the new season at Theater de Veste, entitled Thin Ice. The theme for this event will be Climate Change. The salon will focus on how changing perceptions can benefit the planet’s ecological system, more specifically through evaporation, construction of aeroplanes and festivals.
The speakers for this event will be Miram Coenders and Sofia Teixeira de Freitas, both Assistant Professors at TU Delft, and Wout Kommer, co-founder of KarTent. These special guests will share their insights into how knowledge on evaporation is important for food security, how aeroplanes can become more environmentally friendly, and how festivals have led to new insights about personal possessions.
The TEDxDelft salon will be held in English and is open to everyone, so come and join us, share in the knowledge and tell us about about your idea worth spreading!
Special guests:
Miriam Coenders
Sofia Teixeira de Freitas
Wout Kommer
Special thanks to:
TU Delft
Talbott International Presentations
On Sunday, April 12, 2015, TEDxDelft organized its third Salon of the year at Theater de Veste, with “The Future” as its theme. During the event, speakers Hamdi Dibeklioğlu, Henriette Bier and Vincent Moleveld were invited to share their insights on technology and art, and how they bring people together.
First to take the stage was TU Delft’s Hamdi Dibeklioğlu who discussed facial recognition and the development of algorithms capable of identifying expressions. “Facial expressions convey emotions, a state-of-mind,” Dibeklioğlu explains. “Recognizing them means understanding them.” By using set points on the face, such as eyes and corners of the mouth, an algorithm could then determine the facial expression being made.
Dibeklioğlu went on to demonstrate how this technology also worked on pieces of art, such as a selfportait of Rembrandt van Rijn and Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Whereas the facial expression of Rembrandt van Rijn’s painting was clear, the Mona Lisa‘s was less obvious because of a concept called dynamic behaviour. The eyes in the painting would convey a different emotion than the mouth. By having the algorithm take these nuances into account, it would be possible to distinguish between someone posing with a certain expression or showing genuine emotion. Dibeklioğlu argued that these algorithms could offer various new applications and could even help diagnose psychological disorders.
TU Delft’s Henriette Bier was up next, discussing how robots would become increasingly involved in the every phase of construction. “In the future, robotic systems are going to be integrated into buildings and building processes,” Bier claims. Design would change from two-dimensional to three-dimensional, with user feedback loops throughout the process.
According to Bier, the involvement of robots would extend the entire design-to-production process. These systems would then be able to control the environments they built, such as an apartment. “The bathroom, sleeping room, and kitchen are not used simultaneously,” Bier says. By using adaptable furniture, the room can shift appearances depending on the needs of the moment, thereby reducing the total surface area needed for a house. Bier concluded by saying that in time, these robotic systems would allow us “to customize the building that we live in and will be building, on-demand.”
After an intermezzo, during which choreographer and animator David Middendorp fused dance with digital animations, Online Gallerij founder Vincent Moleveld was the final speaker to address the audience.
“Artists hate selling themselves, becoming a commercial artist, which they consider to be a curse word,” Moleveld says. While galleries will put art pieces on display, he argues that there is still a gap between the artist and the public. “Art can be something scary to understand,” he claims. “A piece of art can be difficult for people to understand, or galleries can appear uninviting.” The art market has always been conservative and the pieces that are being sold are done so to be conserved.
The problem according to Moleveld is that the art world and galleries are often frequented by the same people who rely on their established networks. The way for more people to become involved, he argues, would be for galleries to improve their online presence, thus making art more accessible. This could be done by making videos, which would explain what the artists are doing or by making use of social media, which visitors could then integrate into their own networks. “Galleries should not be afraid of showing too much,” Moleveld says. “So let’s open the doors.”
Though contradictory at times, art and technology have come together in various ways and continue to do so today. Whether it is by using art to help develop algorithms or sharing art to a broader audience via the Internet and social media, these two fields are linked in so many different ways. Technology continues to evolve to the point where machines can create objects themselves. Maybe, one day soon the time will come when a robot will be able to create a painting on its own.
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On May 29, 2015, TEDxDelft will be hosting its first ever TEDxDelft women’s event at the Rietveld Theather. If you are interested in participating in this unique conversation, we invite you to join us during this event. Keep an eye on the TEDxDelft website for more information.
Theme: The Future
Date: April 12
Time: 15:00 – 17:00
Entrance: Free
See more about the event on Facebook
This Sunday, TEDxDelft is hosting its next Salon at Theatre de Veste from 15:00 until 17:00. With “The Future” as its main theme, the event will focus on art and technology, touching up relevant topics such as robotic building, the art world, and human-machine interaction.
Special guests include TU Delft’s Henriette Bier and Hamdi Dibeklioğlu, and Online Galerij founder Vincent Moleveld. These three speakers will be share their insights on robotic environments and building processes, how the art world should start to embrace the digital age, and on the possibilities that machines with facial expression recognition technology have to offer.
The TEDxDelft salon will be held in English and is open to everyone. So come join us. Share in the knowledge and tell us about about your idea worth spreading!
On May 29, 2015, TEDxDelft will also be hosting its first Women’s event. Keep an eye on the TEDxDelft website for more information.
Special guests:
Henriette Bier
Robotic building
Vincent Moleveld
It is time the art world open their online doors
Hamdi Dibeklioğlu
Just a smile?
Special thanks to:
Studium Generale
TU Delft
Jonathan Talbott
Talbot International Presentations
In celebration of International Women’s Day TEDxDelft organized its second salon of 2015 at Theatre de Veste on March 8. The main theme for this salon was “The Planet” -more specifically how various elements on Earth are connected. For this event, three special guests, each at the top of their respective field, were invited to share their views. The topics touched upon hacking nature, education, and energy and ethics.
The first speaker was Stephanie Whener, a former computer hacker who was employed by a company to test the security of their IT systems. “When you are thinking about hacking, you think about hacking computer networks,” Whener explained. But there are other networks that interact and share information, made up of particles, atoms, and electrons. “I believe information is the key to understand nature,” Whener says. These particles do not follow the same laws that apply to bigger objects, but those of quantum mechanics that cannot be experienced in our daily lives. The main obstacle so far has been Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, which states that there is a limit to the amount of information that can be stored. With the tools available nowadays, she is convinced our understanding of these networks of particles will get better, and as a result, our understanding of nature.
Next was Marina Meijer, who believes that studying abroad is a vital experience that every student should embark on. “I would not have become the person I am now without having experienced this,” Meijer explains. Traveling to countries such as the United States, South Korea, and Tunisia made her appreciate and understand differences between cultures and languages. “Living abroad also means loving abroad,” she says. Her time abroad also made her think about the Dutch culture and society she grew up in. She believes studying abroad should not simply be about attending prestigious universities, but about the experiences it can offer and to look at it as an adventure. “Studying abroad is not about studying, it is about being abroad.”
After a musical interlude by singer-songwriter Linda Kreuzen, Rafaela Hillerbrand took to the stage and discussed what has been perceived as a conflict between energy and ethics. The current debate focuses on the question of well-being versus sustainability, but Hillerbrand believes this is not the main dilemma. “What is well-being?” she asks. “Is it preserving a landscape, or using energy to power a hospital?” This sense of freedom of choice also applies to different forms of energy. “It is not as simple as saying wind energy is good and nuclear energy is bad,” she argues. Dams, when damaged, can destroy the surrounding landscape. Someone who buys an SUV may do so because his or her children have disabilities, and only an SUV can provide an adequate means of transport. People have their reasons for the choices they make regarding energy consumption. It is often because these choices are not fully understood, however that creates the debate between what is perceived as good or bad energy. It is by simplifying our definitions of well-being and sustainability, Hillerbrand says, that it will be possible to bridge the gap between ethics and energy.
Whether it is the interaction among particles or people, or how well-being and sustainability are two sides of the same coin, today’s talks have illustrated that things on this planet are more connected than previously thought. Only by exploring these links, and redefining what we know, has this allowed for more appreciation of what binds everything together.
If you are interested in taking part in this unique conversation, join us for the next TEDxDelft salon on April 12, 2015 where the topic will be “The Future.”
We also invite you to join us on May 29 for the TEDxDelft Women’s event, which will be held at the Rietveld. Keep an eye on the TEDxDelft website for more information on these upcoming events.
In celebration of International Women’s Day, TEDxDelft is hosting its second Salon at Theatre de Veste, from 15:00-17:00. With “The Planet” as its main theme, the event explores how globalisation changes our perspective of the world we live in, particularly in terms of education, energy and private property.
Special guests include TU Delft’s Rafaela Hillerbrand and Stephanie Wehner and UStudy Director Marina Meijer. These three women, who are at the top of there respective fields, are invited to share their thoughts on the power of studying abroad, the ethics of our relentless demand for energy, and what it’s like to be a real-life hacker.
The TEDxDelft Salon is held in English and is open to everyone. So come join us. Share in the knowledge and tell us about your idea worth spreading!
Special guests:
Marina Meijer
The power of studying abroad
Rafaela Hillerbrand
Energy and ethics
Stephanie Wehner
Thinking like a hacker
Special thanks to:
Studium Generale
TU Delft
Barbara Rogoski
Successful Speaker Now
Jonathan Talbott
Talbot International Presentations
On Sunday, January, 25 2015, over a hundred people flocked to Theater de Veste in Delft to attend the first TEDxDelft Salon of the year. These Salon events are small, weekly or monthly gatherings organized to engage the TEDx community between regular TEDx events. With “The City” as its theme, the Salon featured a number of speakers who discussed prevalent issues ranging from tackling urban problems to preserving the historical value of old buildings.
The event kicked off with TU Delft’s very own Architecture Master Students, who pitched their designs for two historic buildings in Delft. Nadia Remmerswaal, an old building enthusiast, is working to preserve the Delft Armamentarium –a national monument and former weaponry building of the Dutch army– by exploiting the space for commercial and educational spaces. Working on the same project is Gerben Jansens. His vision entails that the Armamentarium becoming a melting pot for technical individuals and society by creating a complex that houses budding entrepreneurs as well as public exhibitions.
Equal in prominence is the Paardenmarkt at northern part of central Delft. Aukje Schukken proposed to create a basement under the old horse market courtyard, housing three levels for technical students, start-up entrepreneurs and established companies. On the other hand, Andrew Hollands wanted to open the Paardenmarkt to the public by using “food as a catalyst” for social interaction. To do so, he aims to infuse the principles of retail, education and cuisine. In the end, the four students great received applauses from the audience as a sign of approval for their proposals.
After a lively performance by Dutch trio PAul, FrAnk and Friends, two other speakers shared their working concepts in tackling urban issues. Ekim Tan, PhD graduate from the TU Delft Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, is concerned with the increasing number of ghost cities around the world, and strives to solve the problem. As the founder of Play the City, she has designed a gaming concept, which helps the various players involved in the urban planning to come to a consensus for future urban development. The games are now being “played” around the world.
Closer to home, Nan Deardorff-McClain is working to bring more aesthetic value to Delft. Upon her arrival to the Netherlands, she considered vandalism as an eyesore and found them all over the city. Not until an accidental stroke of luck with her neighbor did she start beautifying the “tagging” with mosaic art. Residents have warmly welcomed the project and have been actively involved in creating the mosaics. One of her works has earned the Le Comte Prize for “Best beautification of the city”.
If you are interested to take part in this unique conversation, join us at this year’s TEDxDelft event on February 27, 2015.
***
Special thanks to:
Studium Generale
TU Delft
Barbara Rogoski
Successful Speaker Now
Jonathan Talbott
Talbot International Presentations
On Sunday, January 25, 2015, TEDxDelft will be hosting the first TEDxDelftSalon of the 2015 at the Theatre de Veste, from 15:00-17:00. With “The City” as its main theme, the aim of the event is to build bridges that connect the international, local and TU Delft community with the city of Delft.
Special guests Nan Deadorff-McClain (Art in the City) and Ekim Tan (Play the City) were invited to discuss their ongoing urban projects and the importance of involving the local community. Art in the City is a community art project with the goal of beautifying the Delft city center with mosaic art. At the same time, Play the City helps people build communities and to develop tools and strategies for digital urbanism and urban transformation. TU Delft Master students Andrew Hollands, Gerben Jansen, Aukje Schukken and Nadia Remmer will also be present to showcase their proposals on how to update the city of Delft.
The TEDxDelft Salon is free, in English, and is open to everyone. So come join us. Share in the knowledge and tell us about your idea worth spreading!
Special Guests:
Nan Deadorff-McClain
Art in the city
Ekim Tan
Founder, Play the City
Paul Frank and Friends
Master’s presentations:
Andrew Hollands
Gerben Jansen
Aukje Schukken
Nadia Remmer
Special thanks to:
Studium Generale
TU Delft
Barbara Rogoski
Successful Speaker Now
Jonathan Talbott
Talbot International Presentations
As you wait for the big event on February 27, 2015, TEDxDelft has a series of smaller, more gezelig talks for you. Called Salons, the events will be held at the Theatre de Veste and are being organized in association with Stadium Generale, TU Delft.
With a smaller crowd of about hundred guests, informal discussions on the topic of the day are encouraged afterwards. Topics from previous years include Lust For Speed, Democracy in the Digital Age and 50 Shades of Concrete.
From 15:00 to 17:00, the Salons will be held on January 25, March 8, and April 12.
While speakers are yet to be decided, the event will be FREE.
Let great ideas inspire you. On February 27, 2015, TEDxDelft returns with an impressive panel of speakers, cutting-edge ideas, inspirational stories and fun side events. Tickets will be on sale soon, so make sure you circle the date on your calendar.
The theme for 2015 is Let’s Make Things Beta and it’s all about co-creation, crowdsourcing and creating unfinished things. Our focus is to encourage the community of scientists, designers and thinkers that are the hallmark of Delft to be motivated and proactive about following through on great ideas.
Started in 2011, the event is a TEDx program – a self-organized, local event that brings people together to share a TED-like experience. The platform has been growing ever since, and the event in 2013 was attended by 900 people. Our website, which also streams the event live, had over 10,000 visitors on the day.
Over the next couple of weeks, we will update our website with more information about speakers and TEDxDelft salons – side events that range from cinema to children’s activities. Stay tuned for more.
Seven Billion Presidents
My name is David Theuvenet. I’ve studied Technology Management and have a background in sustainability projects. If you ask me, when looking at our common global problems, we have been looking for solutions in the wrong places. What we need is not to improve things, make things better, create more intelligent solutions or more technical solutions. What we need are solutions that come from a different way of thinking. Instead of trying to fix the past I believe we should focus on what we want to create in the future.
We are a generation with limitless possibilities, and I believe that the new concept that I want to share with you might be our best and maybe our only feasible option…
TEDxDelftSalon with David Theuvenet is Monday 9 December from 12.30 to 1.30 in Aula Congress Centre TU Delft. please register through Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/217945941712010
11 November 2013 from 12.30 until 13.30 in the aula auditorium TU Delft (please be aware me moved TEDxDelftSalon from the Library to the Aula).
Jessica Aceves
Welcome to the TEDxDelftSalon: small, monthly events that take place in the Auditorium in the Aula. One TED talk, one live speaker and a discussion afterwards.
TEDxDelftSalon will take place during lunchtime (sandwiches will be provided) from 12.30 until 13.30. All talks will be in English and registration is mandatory.
Lust for Speed
Let’s analyze our lust for speed. Why is it that we love cars? And what is the societal consequence of this passion of ours? In order to fuel the economy, societies in the XXI century are challenged to implement functional changes for improved connectivity. Where should the solution come from: Should we ask for a management approach? Or would self-organization suffice? And last but not least: How to make it work in a short term? I will present a proposal intended to make us think: What are we waiting for?
Written bij Janneke Hermans.
“This feels like New York.” That is one of the first things I heard when I entered the former workshop building at Lijm & Cultuur where the TEDxDelft Salon Art, Chaos and Progress was being held. The old industrial building was filling up with people who, not knowing the entire line-up of the evening, seemed curious about what this TEDxDelft evening had in store for them. A certain level of excitement and the roughness of the location indeed made it feel like we were at a place where something ‘special’ was going to happen. A place like New York? Read more
A new TEDxDelft event: a TEDxSalon with the value of art and culture as main theme and with the opportunity to earn a place in the greater TEDxDelft.
Instead of a TEDxDelft Award audition we have an exciting new cultural event: the TEDxDelftSalon “Art Choas and Progress”, in coorporation with “Lijm&Cultuur” and “Chaos aan de Schie”.
Several speakers share their idea’s on the value and impact of art, among which theatre maker Rieks Swarte, actor and philisopher Bo Tarenskeen, poet and politician Ramona Maramis, branding specialist Remy Harrewijn and more.
On Friday 20 September 2013 at 20:00 we will celebrate culture at ‘Lijm en Cultuur’ with you. You can even perform if you want, and in doing so may earn minutes of fame on the main TEDxDelft stage. Do you have an idea worth spreading on art or a memorable act? Please send us an email at info@tedxdelft.nl with your proposal.
Do you want to be inspired and attend our event? Sure, just click “attend/deelnemen” on our Facebook event TEDxDelft cultural TEDxSalon “Art, Chaos and Progress” or send us an email at info@TEDxDelft.nl. Entrance is free.
TEDxDelft Art, Chaos and Progress
20 September 2013 at 20.00 hours
Lijm & Cultuur
Rotterdamseweg 271
2628AT Delft
015-2629400
info@lijmencultuur.nl Read more
Humans have a remarkable quality over all other species. We have the ability to inflict fear upon ourselves. When we’re young, most of us are afraid of the things that live under our beds, but as we grow up we usually stop being scared as we know that there’s nothing hiding. It’s Ignorance that feeds our fears and the things we do not understand are almost instinctively seen as dangerous or scary. We try to find the knowledge to get out of the dark so we can stop fearing the unknown. But once we get to the light, it can be very lonely. Read more
Cherrelle Eid – The Roots of Realisation
Passionate living, that is what we all want. But our smartphones might keep us busy, and our jobs and studies are driving us in directions that we hope will eventually lead to something we are passionate about. However, the need to be accepted by our peers (peer pressure) and our own definitions of success are mostly things that are aimedat striving for acknowledgement from our peers instead of really doing what we love to do. Creating the right output is what we naturally tend to focus on, instead of focusing on our personal passion. How do we get in touch with our inner passions, in a practical way? Discover the roots of realisation. Read more
How often have you found yourself working on something that a fellow student from another faculty could solve in less than half an hour?
How often did you work on a project related to energy and sustainability and found yourself coming up with the same solutions as last year’s group? How often did you try to think out of the box with very dissapointing results? Find out at TEDxDelft Salon on 21 November Read more
Open Data has become an important trend on the web during recent years.
More and more people start believing that data should be available for use free of restrictions. Initiatives like Data.gov and “Hack de Overheid” pressure government institutions to release data that was paid for by taxpayer-money.
At the same time business on the web is changing. Companies like eBay, Twitter and Facebook realized a website alone limits their reach. They increased their own business potential by opening up through open APIs (Application Programming interface). Not only did this bring a huge growth to their business, it created an ecosystem of companies that built their own businesses on top of these open APIs. Read more
Popular music comes and goes, and classical composers were once the pop stars of their time. Still, it is remarkable that we continue to perform their music. It does appear, however, that it has become a “left-wing hobby” for the elderly. The new generation has largely got no affinity whatsoever with classical music – apart from what they know from weddings, funerals, or the occasional movie. Read more
Hildo Bijl is currently graduating from his Master’s in Aerospace Engineering at the Delft University of Technology. Throughout his studies, he has been very involved in education: as instructor/teacher, as faculty student council member and as founder of the Aerostudents.com student community. In his talk, he will discuss his quest to improve education. Read more
The first TEDxDelft Salon took place at 22 February 2012. Our live speaker was Guenevere Prawiroatmodjo, she talked about redefining high-impact science by introducing a p-factor to the well know h-factor. The TED movie that she showed was Michael Nielsen TEDx talk at TEDxWaterloo for open science. You can see TEDxDelft Salon here
We’re very proud to announce our first TEDxDelftSalon speaker. On 22 February 2012 Guenevere Prawiroatmodjo will climb the Salon stage. She will be talking about redefining high-impact-science.
Guenevere Prawiroatmodjo (4th of August 1986, Nijmegen) has studied Applied Physics at Delft University of Technology and is currently starting a high-tech company with Leo Kouwenhoven, professor at the research group Quantum Transport. Read more
The TEDxDelft team is very happy to announce our Salon type events: TEDxDelftSalon.
The Salons will take place in the HIVE room at TU Delft Library, are monthly recurring events (starting 22 February) and are small in size:
All this during lunchtime (lunch will be provided) from 12.30 until 13.30. All talks will be in English. RSVP for one of our TEDxDelftSalon events:
We are looking for live speakers at our TEDxDelftSalon events: Are you (PhD) student at TU Delft and do you think you have an idea worth spreading (so no product and no company): please contact us at TEDxDelftSalon@TEDxDelft.nl.
TEDxDelftSalon is powered by TU Delft Studium Generale.
