Bush has watched too many cowboy movies

He’s part of the interfacultary DITSE Betade program, working on Artificial Intelligence (AI), and is developing a computer program for the strategic game Go.

Go? It’s an ancient game from China and is even more important than chess is to European civilization. It’s not about completely destroying your opponent like in chess, but rather about balancing territory and power and elegantly yet vigorously co-existing in a violent world. Two armies start to occupy an initially empty grid world, alternately placing stones, gradually building walls, eventually aiming to enclose the most territory. Greed in occupying is punished; patience is a virtue. Go offers life lessons. It has influenced the shape of the great Walls of China and helps in the quest towards mental balance.

Does the TU have an international feel ? My group certainly does. Our senior staff had connections behind the Iron Curtain. Besides a handful of Dutchmen, we have two Polish Ph.D. students, a Ukrainian, Czech, Serb, Chinese, half-Greek and me, half-Croatian.

What’s your favourite place in Delft? The Wallentuinen in northern Delft. It’s a small, serene and bushy place with great trees to climb.

Bin Laden or Bush? No. As Aristotle says, when faced with an unfair dilemma, it’s okay to sidestep it.

Good vs. Evil. So simple is it? Bush’s claim to goodness, well%[laughter]. He doesn’t recognize that today’s trouble stems from the five centuries of brutal European oppression in which our ancestors neglected local structures, religions and habits and mainly fought each other, misusing knowledge from the Eastern and Arabic civilizations. Bush has watched too many cowboy movies and is now further feeding the downward spiral of anger and revenge. He should go back to school.

What’s the greatest challenge for mankind in the 21st century? Co-existing in style.

What qualities do you look for in a woman? A princess who reigns without ruling and uncovers my bad manners. As for body parts, I appreciate the firm upper legs of figure skaters.

Which artist turns you on? Frank Zappa. He brings humor and madness into brilliant music.

I keep on proving to be my own worst enemy. But worse is to have someone else as your worst enemy.

Each month Page 4 asks a member of the TU community to share their thoughts with us. This week we meet Alex Meijer (28), PhD student at the Knowledge Based Systems group of Mediamatics. He’s part of the interfacultary DITSE Betade program, working on Artificial Intelligence (AI), and is developing a computer program for the strategic game Go.

Go? It’s an ancient game from China and is even more important than chess is to European civilization. It’s not about completely destroying your opponent like in chess, but rather about balancing territory and power and elegantly yet vigorously co-existing in a violent world. Two armies start to occupy an initially empty grid world, alternately placing stones, gradually building walls, eventually aiming to enclose the most territory. Greed in occupying is punished; patience is a virtue. Go offers life lessons. It has influenced the shape of the great Walls of China and helps in the quest towards mental balance.

Does the TU have an international feel ? My group certainly does. Our senior staff had connections behind the Iron Curtain. Besides a handful of Dutchmen, we have two Polish Ph.D. students, a Ukrainian, Czech, Serb, Chinese, half-Greek and me, half-Croatian.

What’s your favourite place in Delft? The Wallentuinen in northern Delft. It’s a small, serene and bushy place with great trees to climb.

Bin Laden or Bush? No. As Aristotle says, when faced with an unfair dilemma, it’s okay to sidestep it.

Good vs. Evil. So simple is it? Bush’s claim to goodness, well%[laughter]. He doesn’t recognize that today’s trouble stems from the five centuries of brutal European oppression in which our ancestors neglected local structures, religions and habits and mainly fought each other, misusing knowledge from the Eastern and Arabic civilizations. Bush has watched too many cowboy movies and is now further feeding the downward spiral of anger and revenge. He should go back to school.

What’s the greatest challenge for mankind in the 21st century? Co-existing in style.

What qualities do you look for in a woman? A princess who reigns without ruling and uncovers my bad manners. As for body parts, I appreciate the firm upper legs of figure skaters.

Which artist turns you on? Frank Zappa. He brings humor and madness into brilliant music.

I keep on proving to be my own worst enemy. But worse is to have someone else as your worst enemy.