The University of Twente is organizing a TEDx event in Concordia Theatre, Enschede, on 12 February. TEDx are independently organised versions of the popular TED talks (TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design). Given this year's theme, 'Winds of change',
Arjan Dijkstra will be one of the speakers, talking about his 'smartphone in a blender' experiment. He will explain why he shredded a phone in a kitchen blender (and did a chemical analysis). He will focus on the role that super-elements play in the Energy Transition (e.g., neodymium for wind turbines, lithium for electric vehicles) and why these are called 'critical raw materials'. As there are concerns about the security of supply of these raw materials, he will make the case that the Energy Transition is linked to the Circular Economy. The overarching aim is to make the audience more aware about the raw materials we use in everyday items, and where they are coming from. After all, if a material wasn't grown like wood, then it was mined somewhere on our planet, and ultimately, found by a geologist!
If you are unable to join the event on 12 February, you can follow Arjan Dijkstra’s TED Talk via the livestream; his talk will start at 14:10 till 14:30.
In case you would like to attend the TEDx event, tickets are still available.
