Theme: Consciousness & Awareness

Come along on Saturday 15th February 2025 to hear nine great speakers give a range of talks on the theme, "Consciousness & Awareness". We will have talks on AI, cognitive science, philosophy, social change, art, social inequalities and reflections on consciousness and awareness in different facets of everyday life.

Limited spaces available! For any questions, contact tedx.ucroosevelt@gmail.com.

ZB Bibliotheek van Zeeland
Kousteensedijk 7
Middelburg, Zeeland, 4331JE
Netherlands

Alessia Block

Student

Here's what I've learned: self-awareness is a double-edged sword. One half is the one who helps you understand your strengths and weaknesses, how others perceive you, and how being neurodivergent affects your life. The other half? This is the guy who pops up at 3 a.m. to remind you that you forgot to return that school book... eight years ago.

Babette Olga Rump

Assistant Professor in Biomedical and Life Science at UCR

Some say that it will take no more than a few decades before mankind are able to live an eternal life. And indeed, anti-ageing research has taken off to such an extent that a solution to the problem of death seems just around the corner. Now, imagine what will happen to the fairness of society if some lucky view get to live eternally! What we seem to overlook here is that, today, this death gap is already happening.

Gerda Andringa

Full Professor of Cognitive Science, Community Engaged Learning in Health and Care, Director of Education at UCR

Is consciousness separate from the physical world or a fundamental function of the brain? In this talk, Dr. Andringa explores one of science’s greatest mysteries and what it reveals about the nature of our reality.

İdil Yankı Kürten

Student

The mind is not easy to interview, but it sure does like talking to the colors.

Japp C. Hanekamp

Associate Professor of Chemistry at UCR

The fact that humans are conscious of their own consciousness is intriguing, to say the least. Rationality and intentionality make humans what they are - rational animals. The emergence of AI, and its purported potential to potentially express consciousness, puts us on the spot. In my talk, I will show that philosophy delivers pertinent answers to the question of consciousness we are hardly aware of. Let’s dig in the material of our (partly) immaterial mind. Points of discussion/take-home message: - The human consciousness is more than matter - The philosophy behind the material discourse - The finite and the infinite in AI and human consciousness

Leone Wright

Student

I will explore Taoist concepts of learning and mastery through the lens of music. Using personal anecdotes and excerpts from the Tao Te Ching, I will offer a new perspective on how we view ourselves and our growth. This talk will highlight that while failure may not be what we want, it is often exactly what we need.

Malek Geraldes Shuman

Student

I find myself in a world that is constantly deceiving me and offering me new ways to escape. But I do not want to escape! Yet how can I stay afloat in the sea of addiction?

Tamas Vinko

Assistant Professor of Computer Science at UCR

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is hands down one of the most attractive computer science topics nowadays. Generative models are used every day by the general public, mostly for fun, sometimes for cheating and other times for profit. To talk about AI, first we need to clarify its definition, which is the easy part of the story. Its connection to consciousness is much more difficult to deal with.

Zahra Sebbar

UCR Alumni

In this inspiring talk, Zahra draws on her years of experience as a bridge builder, helping victims of the Dutch Childcare Benefits Scandal recover with dignity, as well as her own journey through child poverty and inequity. She’ll show you why bridge builders are essential to creating real social change and provide a powerful roadmap for bringing people together, amplifying unheard voices, and making justice a reality—wherever you go.