In our Sunday newsletter, we, as editors, reflect on the past seven days. We do this on the initiative of our cartoonist Albert Jan Rasker. He chooses a subject, draws a picture, and we take it from there.
As the Dutch elections are approaching, the topic was covered frequently by us, and other news media, last week.
Dutch newspaper AD reported that half of voters plan to vote for a different party in 2021. “I have never seen so many switchers,” pollster Peter Kanne of I&O Research told the newspaper. I am one such switcher and am still trying to figure out how to go with my vote.
At a voting guide, I bravely clicked a thumbs up or down for thirty statements. CO2 storage underground: thumbs up. Although, you can do much more with it than letting it sit underground. Increase crop production (Dutch company SkyTree won 5.5 million for this technology), convert it into stone powder, or make climate-friendly products from it, to name but a few.
A winner emerged. I felt relieved; at least I could participate in conversations at the next birthday party. But when I followed the Tech Election Debate last week, I quickly was back at square one.
You see, I’m a floating voter. I wish I could vote for animals, the climate, technology and business, Europe, a new government culture, and a more social Netherlands.
The news NOS brought this week about political parties breaking privacy laws by not using cookies, doesn’t help much either. Research shows that AI bots can influence our thought processes and political preferences. On precisely this topic, Elcke wrote this week. As Albert Jan depicts in his cartoon, politicians can manipulate and abuse technology.
So, I would like to cast another vote for tighter control of politicians who do not comply with the law. If only to confuse the bots. Or am I asking too much now?
Here’s what else struck us this week:
- From fuel to materials: grant opens doors for Vertoro’s petroleum substitute
- Linking technology and tactics for the Defence Department
- These are the breathtaking images from ESA’s Euclid telescope
- AI stethoscope rolled out to 100 GP clinics to help diagnose heart failure
- AI-powered time machine illuminates a century of climate change
- E-stonia: a digital pioneer leading the world
- Paint the town green
- The booming rise of shared e-bikes in urban mobility
And here you’ll find the rest of the articles we wrote last week. Have a great, innovative week.
Aafke Eppinga
editor-in-chief Innovation Origins
In case you didn’t read them yet: here are the first and second editions of our magazine IO Next. We are now busy working on the third edition. Don’t forget to subscribe.
