Open House of Connections

• 10.30 a.m. - 10.50 a.m./11.00 a.m.

• Legal Aspects of Autonomous Transport - Nynke Vellinga

• Significant investments are being made in the development of self-driving cars, with a view to improving road safety. In this mini-lecture, we will explore some of the legal issues that still need to be addressed before self-driving cars can be introduced on our roads. We will also look at questions such as ‘when does a self-driving car have to give way’? and ‘who pays for damages if things go wrong?’

• 10.30 a.m. - 10.45 a.m.

• Stormy Developments in Solar Panels - Jan Anton Koster

• It is impossible to imagine today’s society without solar panels, and their advancement has been spectacular. Meanwhile, another exciting development is underway: new materials are making it possible to produce fundamentally different and better solar cells.

• 11.00 a.m. - 11.20 a.m./11.25 a.m.

• AI for Entrepreneurs - Thijs Broekhuizen

• The lecture entitled ‘AI: How should entrepreneurs use it?’ highlights the crucial role of artificial intelligence for entrepreneurs today. It explores how AI can help businesses optimize processes, identify opportunities, and make strategic decisions. The lecture provides valuable insights into the practical applications of AI and highlights the need for entrepreneurs to use this technology effectively.

• 11.00 a.m. - 11.15 a.m.

• Top Dutch Solar Racing - Rick Eichelsheim

• In this lecture, you will hear how a group of students from different educational levels work together to try and create a better future!

• 11.15 a.m. - 11.45 a.m.

• AI and Digital Art: Exploring the Ethical Traces of the Visitor Experience - Marina Markellou (ENGLISH)

• This lecture focuses on the ethical methodology applied within AI TRACE – Synaesthetic Engagement of Artificial Intelligence with Digital Arts and its Audience, a two-year postdoctoral research project conducted by Dr Marina Markellou. She will first briefly present the project, then attempt to identify the ethical considerations of the project, and finally assess the ethical concerns of artificial intelligence in this novel visitor research tool.

• 11.30 a.m. - 12 noon   

• Virtual Ray Tracer - Jiri Kosinka (ENGLISH)

• Always wanted to know how 3D virtual characters – like the monsters in Minecraft or Elsa in Frozen – appear on your screen?

• 11.45 a.m. - 12 noon/12.05 p.m.

• From Bytes to Rights: Human Rights and the Digital Revolution - Roxani Fragkou (ENGLISH)

• We will explore the concept of civic space, its crucial link to human rights, and how it has been transformed by the digital revolution. In particular we will focus on how new technologies and digitalization have expanded access to information, communication, networking, and online activism, while at the same time posing serious threats such as surveillance, privacy breaches, discriminatory algorithms, cyber threats, and the digital divide.

• 12 noon - 12.30 p.m.

• Who Cares? - Hinke van der Werf

• Youth welfare services are often in the spotlight, but not all young people are seen. The same goes for young carers. Who are they, and who cares for them?  

• 12.15 p.m. - 12.30 p.m.

• A Solution to Loneliness Among Older Adults - Feline Faber

• Do older adults feel less lonely if they are socially active? And what role does a sense of purpose play in this? Find out how understanding these questions can lead to effective solutions to loneliness among older people. 

• 12.45 p.m. - 1.00 p.m.

• How to Stop your Mind from Wandering? - Marlijn Besten

• What are wandering thoughts, why do we have them, and how can we change them? Hear more about different studies on wandering thoughts and learn about various therapeutic techniques that can be used to stop your mind from wandering.

• 1.00 p.m. - 1.15 p.m./1.20 p.m.

• AI in Education - Niels Taatgen

• The curriculum and learning objectives are decided by teachers and educationalists. But what do students really learn, and how do they differ from one another? Artificial intelligence can provide insights into what students learn and how they differ.

• 1.15 p.m. - 1.35 p.m.

• Greenhouse Gases, Energy, and Climate - Harro Meijer

• The widespread availability of cheap energy has raised living standards enormously. But when burned, coal, oil, and gas produce the greenhouse gas CO2, and all this extra greenhouse gas is causing global warming. This has to stop!

• 1.45 p.m. - 2.00 p.m.

• Smart Ways to Connect Offshore Wind Turbines - Ceciel Nieuwenhout 

• Over the next few years, we will be building a huge number of wind turbines in the North Sea. What is the smartest way to connect them? How can we make sure that vulnerable areas such as Schiermonnikoog and the Wadden Sea don’t become cluttered with cables? And how should North Sea countries work together to make this happen?

• 2.00 p.m. - 2.20 p.m.

• Investigating Unique Stressors of the LGBTQ+ Community from a Neurocognitive and Social Perspective - Ronja Eike (ENGLISH)

• 2.00 p.m. - 2.15 p.m.

• SPRAAKLAB: a unique mobile laboratory for language research and the visibility of science - Prof. Martijn Wieling

• This presentation will introduce you to SPRAAKLAB, the unique mobile laboratory of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Groningen.

• 2.15 p.m. - 2.35 p.m.

• (Ant)agonism and Journalism - Dr Scott A Eldridge II (ENGLISH)

• Since the turn of the century, digital and alternative media have changed the way we think about journalism. But in the face of more polarized and populist politics, and of increasingly polarized and populist journalism, we have to ask ourselves the question: have alternative forms of journalism made our world more pluralistic or more antagonistic?

• 2.30 p.m. - 2.45 p.m./3 p.m.

• AI in Orthopaedics   - Koen Oude Nijhuis

• AI will soon become indispensable in our hospitals. How can we use AI to help patients in orthopaedics?

• 2.45 p.m. - 3.05 p.m./3.15 p.m.

• Digital Argonauts of the Western Pacific - Geoff Hobbis & Stephanie Hobbis (ENGLISH)

• This lecture presents an anthropological study of the digitization of peoples in the Western Pacific.

• 3.15 p.m. - 3.30 p.m.

• Reflexive Interfaces for Situated Storytelling - Joshua Schaubel

A good night’s sleep has many benefits. But why? And how can you make sure you get a good sleep? Find out in the Sleep Tight interactive installation! Lie down and listen to what happens when you sleep, and find out what helps you get a good night’s sleep in the object theatre. You can also learn all about your biological clock and make a stop-motion video of your own dream. Sleep tight!

We all know that a regular diet of fresh vegetables, fruit, and wholegrain products is healthier than eating chips or pizza every day. But making healthy choices isn’t always easy. And you are not the only factor in that decision-making process. Where you live, who you eat with, how much disposable income you have, how much stress you are under, and what’s on offer all influence what and how much you eat.

Have you ever wondered how virtual 3D characters – like the monsters in Minecraft or Elsa in Frozen – appear on your screen? Then be sure to try our Virtual Ray Tracer (VRT) application. Move objects or change their properties and discover how this affects the rays of light and the resulting image.

The Speech Lab Groningen will be demonstrating various digital applications and the new Streektaalstrijd (Regional Language Battle) game. You will also have the chance to see your tongue move as you speak.

Innovative technologies are increasingly becoming part of our lives. Virtual reality is an accessible platform that offers impressive opportunities to people around the world and is being used by many different sectors. Learn more about the hydrogen value chain in an extraordinary way with this virtual reality tour.

Hydrogen will play an important role in energy transition.

This installation provides an insight into the entire hydrogen chain, from sustainable electricity generation and hydrogen production through electrolysis, to storage, transportation, and use in a fuel cell. Ready to ride this sustainable racetrack?