What's your X?
By X TU Delft
X TU Delft is a place on the campus of TU Delft where you can develop in areas that are not always part of the academic curriculum.
What's your X?Jun 14, 2023
Let's talk about Artificial Intelligence
Daria made her podcast debut recently, but she was eager to join again and tell us a bit about Artificial Intelligence and what it does for her job and what kind of impact it can have on students. For example, Chat-GPT can be very useful to help you find recipes to make with the ingredients you still have. But what about using it to make assignments?
Artificial Intelligence is getting bigger and more involved our daily lives and for many students tools like Chat-GPT can be very helpful as well. Daria works with AI daily, to design advertisements or edit images. She has been following the development of AI over the past years and has all kinds of details and interesting functionalities to share. We also dive a bit into the ethical part and risks of AI getting to influential. Listen to the thirteenth episode of season three of this podcast to find out what Daria thinks!
Let's talk about Dopamine Addiction
Constantly scrolling through your phone, always having a podcast or music on because you cannot bear the silence. Recognizable? You might have a case of dopamine addiction! Or is that not a thing? Together with professors Ruth van Holst and Tim van Timmeren we find out what is true and what works.
A lot of people spend too much time on their phone, on YouTube or find themselves being addicted to something else. But there are differences between substance addiction and other addictions. The latter is usually related to dopamine, a hormone that gives you a feeling of joy and happiness. But can you get ‘addicted’ to this hormone?
Join Pepijn for the twelfth episode of season 3 as he chats with associate professor Ruth van Holst from the Amsterdam UMC and assistant professor Tim van Timmeren from the Utrecht University to dive deeper into this topic. Using our guests specializations in addictive behavior, neuropsychology and neural mechanisms, we talk about what the cause and solutions to addictions are, what dopamine really is and to what extent it plays a role.
Let's Talk about Humans of X
Let's talk about the fascinating people behind X! Join Nico and Paula in this podcast episode as they sit down with some of the talented teachers and dedicated staff members who make X such a special place. In this conversation, we'll explore their diverse range of passions, hobbies, and interests.
Join us for a delightful and insightful chat with Marvin, Daria, and Shamangi. Three talented individuals who are not only experts in their respective fields of singing, fitness, and body power, but also fascinating humans with a range of passions beyond their work.
In this 11th podcast episode of season 3, we explore the multifaceted aspects of their lives and discover their unique perspectives on various topics. From Daria's exciting work with AI to Marvin's impressive voice acting skills and Shamangi's inspiring views on body and movement. This conversation is a must-listen for anyone looking to gain a glimpse into the lives of these remarkable individuals. So sit back, relax, and join us for a fun-filled and inspiring conversation that is sure to leave you feeling motivated and uplifted.
Let's Talk about TU Delft during WOII (new edited version)
Tomorrow it is commemoration day in the Netherlands. On this day we think of all who suffered during the World War 2, as well as those who are suffering today. Two years ago we recorded an episode in which we talked about the TU Delft during this time. Relisten this episode here and get to know what effects it had on the university and its students.
Two years ago we invited Abel Streefland, historian at the TU Delft and Pim de Jager, member of the archiving committee at DSC, a student association in Delft. We had a conversation with them about the TU Delft during World War 2. What kind of impact did it have on the decisions made at university to stay open or not? How were students affected and what could they do against the occupation by the Nazi’s? Relisten this episode and get to know more about this period in time.
Let’s Talk About Greenwashing & the Fashion Industry
With the occasion of Earth Day, we will be talking about an important topic in sustainability: greenwashing in the fashion industry. Almost any brand these days has an “eco-conscious” line. But how real are their environmental efforts and how much is it just a PR effort? And how can you identify which is which?
On the 22nd of April, Earth Day was celebrated around the world, which is why for this week’s podcast we have decided to bring some light to an industry that causes a large amount of environmental harm, but in which students do find interest quite often: fashion.
The fashion industry is responsible for an estimated 8-10% of global emissions, and it’s a well-known fact that a large amount of resources are used per piece of clothing. In this podcast, Andreaa and Solee are talking with Boris Kastelein from Students for Sustainability (S4S) and Emre Gukalan, from End Fossil Leiden & TU Delft. They will be discussing the climate impact of fashion and how students can make more environmentally conscious choices without losing the often-sought benefit of low cost clothes from fast fashion brands.
Let's talk about Art Collection
In the eighth episode of this season, Nico and Andreaa talked to Kornelis Fragakis and Marijn Pelsma about art collections and how TU Delft is approaching this.
To get an insight on the process and the profession of art collecting, we've invited Kornelis Fragakis and Marijn Pelsma. Kornelis studied Fine Arts at the Hanze University in Groningen and has a masters in Curatorial Studies in Art History from the University of Groningen. He has worked in the past with institutions such as the Groningen Museum and Nemo in Amsterdam, and is currently the curator for the TU Delft’s art collection. Additionally, Marijn is an artist and a student at TU Delft. He is currently pursuing his bachelor in mechanical engineering, and is also an artist. His work is fluid and unplanned and has a highly visual character.
Let’s Talk About Political Cartooning
Let’s talk about political cartoons, the pictorial satires that started as a street level phenomenon and eventually found its place in newspapers and magazines.
In this episode of we are joined by political cartoonist Maarten Wolterink. Maarten was born in The Netherlands in 1964. After a few years of studying at the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam, he started working as an independent cartoonist for several Dutch newspapers. His work has been featured on France 24, Le Monde, Washington Post and Trouw.
In this episode we discuss the intricacies of dealing with political views trough art. Maarten explains the artistic process and his experience with the medium.
Let's talk about X: Body Positivity
Because of the health week, we wanted to dive into a health related topic with the 6th podcast of this season. Therefore we chose Body Positivity. What is this term and where does it originate from? And also, is it effective in its purpose? To find out, listen to this week’s show of the Let’s talk about X podcast!
In a conversation with dr. Linda Duits, affiliate professor at the University of Utrecht and founder of the Knowledge Centre DIEP, where it is all about pop culture, we dive deeper into the topic of Body Positivity. We want to know what the origins are and what it really means.
People usually have an opinion on it, being positive or negative. Some people see it as something really good, empowering people to be positive about their body. Linda however would rather see it as the body acceptance movement, since you do not always have to be positive about your body and that is also okay. It is best to acknowledge that everyone has their own insecurities, which is totally fine. Linda also provides you with an unexpected piece of advice. Listen to find out!
Let’s talk about X: Xploring the Free Try Out week
Last week there was a Free Try-Out (FTO) week at X! During the FTO’s you have the opportunity to find out what you like, what you want to do and gain new experiences. We were eager to hear what everyone came to do and how they experienced the new things they tried. People tried kick-boxing, tennis or even boomwhackers! Ever heard of that? We neither. That is why Pepijn and Nico sat down in the playground and talked to a lot of people coming by, being at X for all different reasons!
We sat down with people that have been an X member for a long time, people that were here for the second week only and also people working at X. A complete random sample of people walking past us, which made a very nice conversation!
Also someone from the fundraising for victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria came to tell how they started to collect money and had a spot at X.
Did you like this format, in which we just talk with people at X? Let us know! In two weeks time there will be another episode! If you have an idea for a topic, you can always let us know via the X Instagram.
Let’s Talk about Staying Warm
We have all noticed that winter has started, and as most of you know, energy has gotten very expensive. In short, this means we students are getting either cold or poor these days…. But luckily there are quite some isolation and energy-saving tricks we can use to ease this!
We have invited Kaatje Bout of Students4Sustainability and Claudia Hofeman of 015Duurzaam. They have some hands-on tips for us, but are also collaborating on a cool project!
Let's Talk about the World Cup 2022: money in football
When the FIFA World Cup 2022 came closer, there was a lot of debate about whether we should watch it, what sponsors needed to do and even if national teams should even participate.
We've invited dr. Thomas Peeters, who runs the Erasmus Center for Applied Sports Economics. Together with him and football fanatic Yared Pijman, we talk about how money affects the world of football. Want to know? Listen to the podcast!
Let's Talk about Procrastination
Procrastination is something everybody is probably guilty of from time to time. It is hard not to, even when you know you do. But what is the reason for this and why can we get the feeling we do not control it sometimes?
Jan van Beek, student psychologist from Career and Counselling services from the TU Delft, will talk about this and will try to give you some handles to solve the problem.
Let’s talk about Coming Out
Season 3 kicks off with an episode about Coming Out day. On 11th of October it was Coming Out Day. It is an international awareness day in support of the LGBTQI+ community in their coming out journey. Two students, Owen and Niv, have joined us to share their coming out story and their experience with their sexuality at TU Delft.
Let's Talk about Summer in The Netherlands
Are you staying in Delft / The Netherlands for the summer vacation and are looking for fun and exciting things to do? Then have a listen to this podcast where we explore the beautiful country and chat about some of your new bucket list items!
In this podcast, Kevin and Nico chat to Sieb and Pepijn, two Dutch students (and LTAX hosts) about what they recommend and what they will be getting up to. Get to know all your LTAX hosts and summer tips!
Let’s Talk about craft beers
Want to know more about craft beers? How do you try them, how are some beers brewed, and what kind of flavours exist? Listen to this conversation with Marc Janssen, master brewer at Grolsch, his colleague Wim Gude and Isabel from the Fermentation Festival organisation to learn more!
Let's talk about making
The ‘What’s your ‘X’?’ podcast went live at the first edition of Maker Faire Delft! What makes making so powerful to reach our goals? What for exciting stuff is being made here in Delft? Why specifically here? And what is there in place to help these makers? We’ve invited Rinske Wessels, member of our city council for GroenLinks and Emilie Buist, project manager for the TU Delft Impact Centre to join us in this fun discussion. Hopefully you'll also get inspired to start making!
Let's Talk about Money
We all know that money matters. Everything we buy has an impact on the world, from the food we buy in the supermarket, to the clothes we wear or the chair we are sitting on. But this is not the only way that our money matters. 70-80% of global investments are done by institutional investors like banks, insurance companies and pension funds. So how big is this impact? In what way can we influence this with our decisions? And is it otherwise possible to change the course of these institutions?
We've invited two students, activists and pioneers in this field; Nikki Trip and Katrien Eisenloeffel! Nikki founded the organisation ‘shareholders for the future’ and Katrien and her team managed to let the national pension fund for the hospitality industry steer away from fossil fuels!
Let's Talk About X: D:Dream Teams
Let's talk about D:Dream Teams. In this episode we invite Sanne Guis, Operation Manager at the DreamHall, and Axel Stroeve, an active member of Eco-Runner, to talk to us about TUDelft's Dream Teams. What is a Dream Team? How did they start? What do they do? And most importantly, how you can join!
If you want to know more, find all the information you'll need here: https://www.tudelft.nl/ddream/
And to keep up to date with the DreamHall and find all the Dream Teams, follow them on Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/tudelftdreamhall/
Let’s Talk about Revenge Porn
Let’s talk about revenge porn. We will discuss the definition of revenge porn, the social structures that perpetuate this practice, the collective discourse about the topic in the past decades, and how public opinion can be biased depending on gender.
In this episode of Let’s talk about X, we are joined by doctor Sanne Koevoets. After obtaining her master’s degree in Gender and Ethnicity, Sanne became a doctor of philosophy in Gender Studies at Utrecht University. Currently, she is a senior lecturer at Erasmus University teaching courses about media studies and the power of image in our visual culture.
Let’s Talk about Women in Science
On the 8th of March, it is International Women’s Day. We would like to use this opportunity to dive into gender equality in science and more specifically at the TU Delft. What is the status quo when it comes to ratios of men and women at the TU Delft, both at the student and employee level? And are the opportunities the same?
We invited professor Hanneke Takkenberg, chairwomen of the Dutch network of female professors and Zofia Lukszo, a member of DEWIS at the TU Delft, which tries to achieve a ratio between male and female scientists that reflect society better. Together with them, we talk about inequality, whether it is a problem and what everyone, not only women, can do in order to create equal chances for everyone.
Let’s talk about waste
What happens behind the trashcan? How much of our household waste will be recycled to become new packaging? Is a cucumber in plastic really that unsustainable? What novel ways are there to reduce waste and what will the packaging of the future look like? Let’s talk about waste!
Let’s Talk about Students & Entrepreneurship
Calling all entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs-to-be! This podcast is right up your alley. Did you ever dream about turning an idea into a real product, brand or service? Then listen to this podcast and find out what it takes to be a student and entrepreneur at the same time.
We've invited Luc Heine, working at a start-up, and Wesley Kool, a member of the YesDelft Students board, which aids students in becoming entrepreneurs. They will share their views on the definition of being an entrepreneur, whether you can learn to become one at all and share their own experiences from start-ups around them. Excited? Listen to this episode of the Let’s talk about X podcast!
Let’s Talk about TU Delft’s sustainability transition
On 14 January 2022, TU Delft celebrates its 180th anniversary. And the theme for this lustrum is energy transition! The TU Delft has set an ambitious goal to become carbon neutral by 2030. But how will they reach this? And what more is there to do to achieve a sustainable TU Delft?
Let's talk about New Year's eve around the world
Tonight is the night! From 2021 to 2022. But how is this celebrated in other countries than the Netherlands? And where did the Dutch tradition of 'oliebollen' come from? Listen to find out. And, a happy 2022!
Let’s talk about keeping our feet dry
Let’s talk about water, how we Dutch defend ourselves and will have to defend ourselves in the future due to climate change.
Let’s Talk about Cancel Culture
Ever heard of cancel culture? Quite an interesting and controversial topic. But what is it exactly? And is it new, is it a useful tool or is it a bad concept? We are going to talk about it and find what it is with PhD candidate Qian Huang and student and blogger Wieke van Vlaardingen!
Let's Talk about Yes!
In this podcast episode of Let’s Talk About X, we will talk with Norbert, Amnesty International campaign manager and Fenna, activist leader in Delft. They are part of the #Let’sTalkAboutYes campaign, striving for more awareness about sexual consent among students.
Let's talk about a fresh start of a fresh year
Welcome back! In this first episode of the second season of the Let's Talk about X podcast, Pepijn and Franco share their experiences about staying healthy both mentally and physically. Franco is almost living at X. Having tried almost all kinds of sports that X offers and also following music lessons, he knows how to spend time on other things than only his study. He will share some of his experiences and tell you how he stays fit during the year, in terms of nutrition and lifestyle.
Let’s Talk about this academic year with the Rector Magnificus
The final episode of the first season of the Let’s talk about X podcast! We will use this opportunity to talk with the ‘CEO’ of the TU Delft, the Rector Magnificus Tim van der Hagen, to reflect on last year and predict next year.
Let’s Talk about your Book’n Cast
Do you also believe you have spent too much time staring at your computer screen last year? In this special edition of the Let’s Talk about X podcast, we will attempt to pull you away from the virtual world by giving you some great book tips!
In this podcast episode, we will the following five books:
Amusing ourselves to Death by Neil Postman
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
A Father's Affair by Karel van Loon
Let’s Talk about Buying a House in the Netherlands (in Dutch)
In urban regions, housing production lags and real estate prices are growing and growing. This results in a shortage of affordable homes, especially for starters. What does the current housing situation look like? And what does that mean for you as a student when you want to buy a house in a few years?
Let’s Talk about TU Delft during World War II
Each year on 4 May, the Dutch commemorate the victims of World War II. This day leads us to think about what it was like to be a student at the TU Delft back then. Was studying even possible? Were the student associations still open? And were there any students who joined the resistance?
To help us find out what this period was like, we invited two guests to the show. Abel Streefland is our university historian and can tell us all about what education was like during these dark years. Our second guest is Pim Jager. He is a member of the archiving committee of the student association DSC.
Let’s Talk about Climate Activism
In this podcast episode of Let’s Talk about X, we discuss climate activism practiced on campus. We’ve invited TU Delft students Charlotte Braat from Extinction Rebellion Delft and Sieb Rodenberg from Students for Sustainability. During our conversation we touch upon the importance of climate justice, the role and responsibility of our generation (and the TU Delft student in particular) and their theories of change, or different approaches towards climate activism.
Let’s Talk about Plastic Recycling
The Dutch Sustainable Growth Coalition, with companies as Unilever, DSM and Shell, recently published a report in which it states that the current state of plastic recycling is not as desired. Together with Jan- Peter Balkenende (former Prime Minister of the Netherlands and chairman of the DSGC), Thor Tummers (External Affairs at Unilever) and Rushabh Chheda (TU Delft alumnus) we zoom in on this topic and its challenges!
Let’s Talk about Ireland
In this podcast of Let’s Talk about X, we discuss the beautiful green country of Ireland. We are joined by a true born and raised Dubliner: Jordan Kelly. He obtained his bachelor degree in the Irish city of Limerick and is now studying Integrated Product Design at the TU Delft. We will ask him all about Ireland, the Irish and of course St. Patrick’s Day and its traditions!
Let’s Talk about Dutch Politics
On Wednesday 17 March 2021, the Dutch parliamentary elections are being held! In this podcast of Let’s Talk about X we will tell you all the ins and outs of the Dutch political system and the upcoming elections. What will be the main political themes for the upcoming years? What are the biggest political parties in the Netherlands? How did this complex system come about in the first place? It will all be explained to you in this episode!
Let’s Talk about Elite Sports and COVID-19
In this podcast of Let’s Talk about X we will talk with two of our elite athletes Stephanie Stoutjesdijk and Ralf Rienks. How do they combine study with sports? What are their goals? And how do they experience this challenging period and its struggles?
Chinese New Year: the festivities, traditions and rituals
What do you know about the origins and the rituals? Learn more about this ancient tradition from China.
We’ve invited sinologist Danny Nobel and a Chinese student from our community to talk about the Chinese New Year: the festivities, the traditions and rituals.
Let’s Talk about Investing for Students
In the first podcast episode of Let’s Talk about X, we will talk with Tobias from the DSBV (Delftse Studenten Beleggings Vereniging) about the opportunities for students when it comes to investing.
Is it smart to start right now, or better to wait until later? And where to find the opportunities in these strange times?
Let’s Talk About ‘X’ - podcast
Let’s talk about ‘X’ is a platform that provides an (online) “meeting space” twice a month. Each edition focuses on a different theme, such as art, culture, technology, politics, society, music, science, and psychology. Often, a guest speaker will join the conversation. Now that it is not possible to meet each other live, we have moved Let’s Talk About ‘X’ to Spotify.
Classical Music part 2
Would you like to know more about classical music and the way singers use their voice in this genre? Listen to this second part of the podcast recorded by teacher Sebastiaan de Leeuw!
Shinrin Yoku part 3
Shinrin Yoku is Japanese for a meditative forest bath. In this third and last Shinrin Yoku episode, Beitske Bouwman takes you further on the journey. Listen to the first two episodes to learn more about Shinrin Yoku and then come back to walk further on your relaxing journey in a forest or nature.
Classical Music part 1
Would you like to know more about classical music and the way singers use their voice in this genre? Listen to this podcast recorded by teacher Sebastiaan de Leeuw!
A new year, a new diet?
January is the busiest month for gyms and outdoors you see more runners than in any other month of the year. It's also the time of the year that people try to adjust their eating pattern.
In this podcast, X instructor and fitness freak Shamangi will talk to X's nutritionist and fellow fitness lover Tanja Oomen about food and supplements.
Shinrin Yoku part 2
Shinrin Yoku is Japanese for a meditative forest bath. In this second episode Beitske Bouwman takes you further on the journey. She goes on with the walk and has some more exercises in this episode.
Listen to the first episode to learn more about Shinrin Yoku and then come back to walk further on your relaxing journey in a forest or nature.
Shinrin Yoku part 1
In this podcast Beitske Bouwman takes you on the journey of Shinrin Yoku. Japanese for a meditative forest bath. She explains what Shinrin Yoku is and walks with you on this path. Ideally listen to this podcast while walking in a forest or nature.