The philosophy of technology ... please don't be put off by the word. Professor and researcher at the University of Twente, Peter-Paul Verbeek (45), examines how technology affects our lives and how we should deal with all the new developments that define our time, such as the fist ax and the team that have done in the past.

A tortie cat without ears walks around the car park of the University of Twente. It is probably trying to escape from one of the locations with mysterious names like Cubicus, The Gallery, High Press Laboratory, where all sorts of futuristic trials are done. It's good that there is a philosopher and ethic at the university: Peter-Paul Verbeek, who immediately says that very few animal tests are done. Verbeek looks very accessible despite his impressive series of academic titles - professor, doctor, engineer. With his curls, glasses and black jeans he could just as well be a student. He speaks with a vague soft 'g' and sometimes with a little stutter, often laughs loudly and cheerfully.

Please read the full interview (in Dutch!) of Liesbeth Wytzes with Peter Paul Verbeek at the Elsevier Juist website.