Friday 8 May | Why you should make useless things by Simone Giertz

At @TUDelft we are all about ‘Impact for a better society’. That implies creating technology that is useful and has a clear purpose. Well, not necessarily…

In this joyful, heartfelt talk featuring demos of her wonderfully wacky creations, @SimoneGiertz shares her craft: making useless robots. Her inventions — designed to chop vegetables, cut hair, apply lipstick and more — rarely (if ever) succeed, and that’s the point. “The true beauty of making useless things [is] this acknowledgment that you don’t always know what the best answer is,” Giertz says. “It turns off that voice in your head that tells you that you know exactly how the world works. Maybe a toothbrush helmet isn’t the answer, but at least you’re asking the question.”

Which of your own (real or imaginary) inventions are you most proud of?

Studium Generale created a Corona Care Package to make #StayingIn as pleasant as possible. In the following weeks we will share videos, blogs, articles and podcasts within four focus areas: Mental Health, The World After Corona, Arts & Culture and other online events.