Duwo talks toughDuwo’s director, Jan Benschop, ‘talks tough’ about the disturbances caused by students but he doesn’t do anything, charges Delft resident, Jan van der Veen, in reaction to the recent Delta article ‘Flesjes gooien ‘onacceptabel’ (Bottle throwing ‘unacceptable’).
Delen
Van der Veen lives on the Hendrik Marsmanlaan and for years has had troubles with the student flat on the E. du Perronlaan. The approach Benschop outlines in the article stands in stark contrast to Van der Veen’s actual experience with Duwo.
Panic reaction
Protests against nuclear energy are on the rise, following the disaster unfolding at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant. The new nuclear reactors in the Netherlands are now under discussion. But this is misguided, says professor of reactor physics, Tim van der Hagen: “In terms of successfully retaining the dangerous amounts of radioactive materials, the power plant functioned well.” Following the events in Japan, Germany has closed seven nuclear power plants for at least the next three months. “This is an ill-considered, panic reaction by our neighbours to the east,” Prof. Van der Hagen continues. “The installations are continuously improving and we are very well protected against flood and earthquakes. Temporarily halting nuclear energy has negative consequences, because this can lead to electricity shortages.”
Red Dot Award
BabyBloom Healthcare incubator, a product designed by TU Delft graduate, Heleen Willemsen, has won the Red Dot design award. The product won the ‘best of the best’ award in the ‘product design’ category. This award given annually by the Design Zentrum Norderhein Westfalen is regarded as extremely prestigious. This incubator is the only one of its kind in the world capable of being positioned above a hospital bed.
Free holidays
Dutch people who earn the minimum wage and therefore cannot afford to go on holiday can now apply for a free holiday from the Vakantiebank (Vacation bank), an initiative sponsored by a camping equipment company and various travel organisations. There are however fairly strict conditions for proving that you’re too poor to pay your own way. People with chronic health problems can also apply for a free getaway, which includes weekend trips and longer trips, and trips in the Netherlands and abroad.
New cp@tud
TU Delft’s tradition of hosting a guest writer each year is over. Instead, the guest writership will now include other artistic disciplines. Those chosen to fill this new position will serve for two months as Culture Professor at TU Delft – or cp@tud. This new position will still include writers but has now been expanded to welcome artists, composers, filmmakers and photographers. The first cp@tud is a photographer: Vincent Mentzel.
Springtime
You have the bsa, extra study year regulations and additional income limits. And then suddenly spring is in full bloom. Longer days, a warmer sun, more hormones…. Disastrous for the approach to studying, work, recreation/development? The clearest message to emerge from the recently conducted mini-lunchtime student survey is that the bsa and the evil the Dutch Cabinet has in store for students hasn’t had much impact on students’ abilities to resist spring’s temptations.
No headscarves
Dutch MP Jeanine Hennis, of the centre-right liberal party, VVD, the largest party in the current government, has called for a ban on the wearing of Muslim headscarves by public employees who work at the country’s city and town halls. Hennis says she views all religions equally and thus the ban should cover all religious symbols equally, as dictated by the principle of separation between church and state.
New, inspiring house
This past Wednesday, President of the Dutch House of Representatives, Gerdi Verbeet, and the leader of D66 party, Alexander Pechtold, opened the exhibition ‘Theatres of Democracy’, an exhibition consisting of designs by TU Delft architecture students for a new, more inspiring House of Representatives. According to Karin Laglas, Dean of TU Delft’s faculty of Architecture, the exhibition provides a good illustration of the function of architecture. A chamber in which a good debate can take place is a chamber that contributes to a well-functioning democracy. Conversely, such a chamber can also become an expression of a well-functioning democracy. The exhibition runs until Thursday 28 April, at the Statenpassage of the House of Representatives building, Lange Poten 4, Den Haag.
Het Nederlandse team was het hele toernooi al goed op dreef. In acht wedstrijden maakte ‘Tech United’ 79 doelpunten en kreeg het maar vier goals tegen. De wedstrijden van twee keer vijftien minuten worden gespeeld door teams van ieder vijf voetbalrobots. De ‘spelers’ zijn uitgerust met camera’s die het hele veld kunnen overzien. Met slimme software bepalen ze zelf de wedstrijdtactiek.
Tech United bestaat op de achtergrond uit twintig studenten, promovendi en wetenschappers. De Robocup waarin het team speelt, is opgezet om onderzoek naar robotica op een competitieve manier te verbeteren. Het doel is om in 2050 een team van robots te laten winnen van de regerend wereldkampioen voetbal.
Uiteindelijk moeten de robots meer en nuttiger dingen kunnen dan tegen een bal schoppen. De technologie is bijvoorbeeld ook bruikbaar voor taken in de zorg en huishoudelijk werk.
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