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Memory metal – Virtual same as real fear From November 1, 58-years-old Hans van Luijk will take over the TU executive board’s presidency from Dr. Nico de Voogd. Van Luijk studied chemical engineering in Groningen and worked for Shell for 33 years.

Working for the TU means a big step back in salary, but Van Luijk says, ”I want to devote my knowledge to something else than profit making. I think I’ll improve on job satisfaction, here.” He aims to implement the strategy that was conceived by the present board. To do so, it’s essential to create support among TU employees, he says. Van Luijk: ”In my former management positions I was often to be found on the shop floor. I’m planning to continue doing so in Delft.”

Memory metal

Clever metals can memorise the transformation they’ve undergone due to earthquakes. When the forces disappear on a brick wall reinforced with metal strips, the metal, and thus the wall, returns to its original state. Daniel Tirelli, from Italy, presented this discovery, which involves adding nickel and titanium to the iron, during a symposium at Civil Engineering last Thursday. The arrangement of the metal ions changes while the load lasts. Afterwards, the ions return to their original arrangement, ready for the next quake. The clever metal can compensate for deformations of up to six percent.

Virtual fear

The treatment for people who fear heights involves making them accustomed to increasing heights by taking small steps over an extended period of time. This treatment, however, is expensive, as it costs a lot of the therapist’s time. Research done by the faculty of Information Technology and Systems, in cooperation with the Psychology faculty of the University of Amsterdam, shows that treating patients with virtual reality systems that merely suggest increasing heights has exactly the same results. Although the patients experience the same fears during the experiments, they are more willing to undergo the treatment.

From November 1, 58-years-old Hans van Luijk will take over the TU executive board’s presidency from Dr. Nico de Voogd. Van Luijk studied chemical engineering in Groningen and worked for Shell for 33 years. Working for the TU means a big step back in salary, but Van Luijk says, ”I want to devote my knowledge to something else than profit making. I think I’ll improve on job satisfaction, here.” He aims to implement the strategy that was conceived by the present board. To do so, it’s essential to create support among TU employees, he says. Van Luijk: ”In my former management positions I was often to be found on the shop floor. I’m planning to continue doing so in Delft.”

Memory metal

Clever metals can memorise the transformation they’ve undergone due to earthquakes. When the forces disappear on a brick wall reinforced with metal strips, the metal, and thus the wall, returns to its original state. Daniel Tirelli, from Italy, presented this discovery, which involves adding nickel and titanium to the iron, during a symposium at Civil Engineering last Thursday. The arrangement of the metal ions changes while the load lasts. Afterwards, the ions return to their original arrangement, ready for the next quake. The clever metal can compensate for deformations of up to six percent.

Virtual fear

The treatment for people who fear heights involves making them accustomed to increasing heights by taking small steps over an extended period of time. This treatment, however, is expensive, as it costs a lot of the therapist’s time. Research done by the faculty of Information Technology and Systems, in cooperation with the Psychology faculty of the University of Amsterdam, shows that treating patients with virtual reality systems that merely suggest increasing heights has exactly the same results. Although the patients experience the same fears during the experiments, they are more willing to undergo the treatment.

Editor Redactie

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