Digital techniques have enabled us to enjoy music, literature and communication to an unlimited extent. Images, music and other files can even bridge the largest distances on Earth in just a few milliseconds via the World Wild Web (and satellites). Digital connection would be less demanding for the planet …

Nowadays “facts” and thus “truth” seems inescapable: there 's hardly any room for imagination, let alone for myths. However, we must not confuse facts with truth. Newton, for example, would never have come to his deep knowledge if he had not looked past the facts. There are never enough facts, if you …

According to myth, Rome was created more than 2,500 years ago on two hills. Romulus climbed the Palantine Hill and Remus took up position on a nearby hill, the Aventine Hill. From here, the city grew over seven hills into an unprecedented metropolis. Two millennia later, its inhabitants have barely …

At the individual level we know that it can be very difficult to unlearn bad habits. For example, a once learned but non-optimal fingering on the piano is almost impossible to unlearn. The problem, as Dickens describes so beautifully in his famous Christmas Carol, is that we indeed make the chain we …

Culture has freed us to some extent from nature, first through language and religion, and almost simultaneously through technology. From the control of the fire and the first tools until now - smart technology - technological development has taken a long cultural path, with many challenges and possibilities. …

This article describes a measure developed to assess fidelity of working with the Boston University approach to Psychiatric Rehabilitation (BPR) in Dutch mental health care. The instrument is intended to measure and improve BPR adherence and clinician competence on an individual level and within individual …

The local Dutch legislations (PGS-29) regarding the above-ground storage of flammable products have become stricter. This has led to the phasing out of Viking-Johnson couplings that are located inside of tank pits. These couplings are prone to leakage and they use rubber seals which are now prohibited …

The actual non-sustainable way of living has to be changed fundamentally. Despite all efforts to create a better environment, to improve building designs and to ameliorate existing buildings, often contradictory factors are faced which make it difficult to decide what the best solutions are. The discussion …

This technical report describes "validation of the 'Target system definition"

As a German conglomerate company specialized in electrical engineering and electronics, operates Siemens the world market with eight different divisions ranging from Power and Gas to Mobility. This study refers to the division Siemens Building Technologies (BT), the worlds market leader for energy efficient …