Co-located interaction in interactive art takes place among two or more co-located audience members and the technical system of an artwork. In this paper, we aim to assess the descriptive and... Show moreCo-located interaction in interactive art takes place among two or more co-located audience members and the technical system of an artwork. In this paper, we aim to assess the descriptive and comparative qualities of our previously developed relational model for describing and analysing such forms of interaction. The model focuses on specifying the actions of the interacting elements, such as the audience and art system, and the various forms of communication between them. To assess its significance, we first develop selection criteria and classification dimensions to select eight artworks that are representative of diverse forms of co-located interaction. The relational model is shown to be suitable for describing the selected artworks and comparing their similarities and differences. As outcome, it reveals different types of relationships between the actions of interacting elements that would otherwise not be highlighted. As such, it provides a context for analysing and discussing strategies for co-located interaction and points to opportunities for research and creation in this field. Show less
Op dinsdag 5 maart 2024 organiseerden jeugdprogramma Het Klokhuis en de ZB een interactieve Meet Up over Artificial Intelligence, oftewel AI. Dit gebeurde naar aanleiding van de vier Klokhuis... Show moreOp dinsdag 5 maart 2024 organiseerden jeugdprogramma Het Klokhuis en de ZB een interactieve Meet Up over Artificial Intelligence, oftewel AI. Dit gebeurde naar aanleiding van de vier Klokhuis-uitzendingen over dit onderwerp. Presentator Tirsa With sprak met gasten en leerlingen uit groep 6, 7 en 8 van scholen uit het hele land.Een Snapchat maken met een grappige filter, slimme stofzuigers of ChatGPT je spreekbeurt laten schrijven: Kunstmatige Intelligentie is overal. Maar wat is het precies en wat kunnen we er mee? Informaticus Maarten Lamers legde in de studio uit hoe machines zichzelf slimmer maken en wat het verschil is tussen ons menselijke brein en het computerbrein.Onderzoeker Oumaima Hajri vertelde waar we kunstmatige intelligentie allemaal tegenkomen. Ontzettend handig, maar het is volgens haar ook belangrijk om zelf kritisch te blijven nadenken. Waarom dat van belang is, legde ze uit tijdens de Meet Up.De derde gast was basisschooldocent Tim Vissers. Hij ontwikkelt ‘Futureproof’ lesmateriaal. Tim liet zien waar je Kunstmatige Intelligentie kunt tegenkomen in de klas. Tijdens de Meet Up daagde hij de leerlingen uit om zelf aan de slag te gaan met de AI-studio van Het Klokhuis. Show less
Indonesia, as the world's most populous Muslim nation, finds itself at a pivotal juncture in the realm of technological advancement. Recognizing the profound impact of emerging technologies,... Show moreIndonesia, as the world's most populous Muslim nation, finds itself at a pivotal juncture in the realm of technological advancement. Recognizing the profound impact of emerging technologies, especially Artificial Intelligence (AI), on its trajectory is of utmost importance. While AI and Islamic beliefs may initially seem distinct, they share a common theme: an orientation toward envisioning future possibilities. Employing a blend of multimodal and mixed research methods, our objective is to scrutinize and draw comparisons between narratives and visual representations of AI's influence on religious prospects, particularly within the higher education landscape of Indonesia. We propose to investigate the curriculum, teaching practices and careers of young AI-professionals at Indonesia's oldest secular state university, namely Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), as well as Indonesia's first Islamic state university, namely Universitas Islamic Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta (UIN-JKT). Notably, both institutions have recently introduced AI programs, making them rare in this regard. In this STEM-focused context, shedding light on the societal implications of AI education within Islam takes on heightened significance, with a focus on challenging Western-centric perspectives and contributing to a decolonization-centered research narrative. As this project is still in its early stages, this short paper will discuss related work and propose future directions to study Indonesia's AI-Islamic-educational future(s). Show less
The recent surge in deployment and use of generative machine learning models has sparked an interest in the relationships between AI and creativity, or more specifically into the question and... Show moreThe recent surge in deployment and use of generative machine learning models has sparked an interest in the relationships between AI and creativity, or more specifically into the question and debate of whether machines can exhibit human-level creativity. This is by no means a new discussion, going back in time decades if not centuries. The debate was approached from multiple angles, and a general consensus was not yet reached. In this position paper, we present the long-standing debate as it formed across various fields such as cognitive science, philosophy, and computing, approaching it mainly from a historical perspective. Along the way we identify how the various views relate to recent developments in machine learning models and argue our own position regarding the question of whether machines can exhibit human-level creativity. As such we aim to involve computer scientists and AI practitioners into the ongoing debate. Show less
In deze aflevering richten we ons op de conferentie 'AI: de creatieve (R)evolutie in het onderwijs', een evenement gehost door het Grafisch Lyceum Rotterdam en SintLucas. Onze podcast is rijk aan... Show moreIn deze aflevering richten we ons op de conferentie 'AI: de creatieve (R)evolutie in het onderwijs', een evenement gehost door het Grafisch Lyceum Rotterdam en SintLucas. Onze podcast is rijk aan perspectieven, met bijdragen van experts, docenten en studenten over de impact van AI in het onderwijs.We beginnen met Maarten Lamers, wiens keynote ons meeneemt op een reis door de wereld van creativiteit en kunstmatige intelligentie. Hij verkent vragen zoals: Hoe functioneert AI? En is het mogelijk voor een computermodel om 'creatief' te zijn in een wereld waar AI steeds meer menselijke trekken vertoont?Daarna richten we ons op de meningen van studenten: wat is voor hen van belang? Zij benadrukken het belang voor docenten om AI te integreren, niet alleen voor vaardigheidsontwikkeling, maar ook voor het behoud van kwaliteit in het leerproces. Docenten delen op hun beurt hun verworven inzichten over AI en hoe dit hun onderwijs beïnvloedt, inclusief praktische toepassingen uit de workshops.Vervolgens gaan we in gesprek met Oscar Lepoeter, docent aan de pabo Windesheim. Hij benadrukt het belang van kritisch nadenken over de informatie die we delen en de omgang met studentgegevens, met de vraag of studenten nog wel met een schone lei kunnen starten. We sluiten de podcast af met Erno Mijland, hij zit in de organisatie van het evenement. Hoe heeft hij de dag ervaren en waarom was het zo'n succes? Show less
Muziek, koken, kunst, humor - AI kan het allemaal. Maar kan creativiteit in een computerprogramma worden vastgelegd? Hoe werken ‘creatieve’ computers? En hoe verhoudt zich dat tot creativiteit bij... Show moreMuziek, koken, kunst, humor - AI kan het allemaal. Maar kan creativiteit in een computerprogramma worden vastgelegd? Hoe werken ‘creatieve’ computers? En hoe verhoudt zich dat tot creativiteit bij mensen? In dit Luisterlab gaan informaticus Maarten Lamers, maker Zeno van den Broek en Fedor Teunisse in gesprek over de relatie tussen mens en machine.Dit programma is een inleiding bij het Soundsofmusic programma Blind van DJ en producer van experimentele elektronische jazz, Jameszoo, alias Mitchel van Dinther. Jameszoo heeft een algoritme ontwikkeld dat een disklavier bespeelt en een robot aanstuurt als non existent soloist. Blind wordt voorafgegaan door MA(N|CHINE) van Zeno van den Broek voor vier slagwerkers. Gemodificeerde bassdrums en drummachines onderzoeken de relatie tussen mens en machine in een intense visuele performance.Maarten Lamers is informaticus aan de Universiteit Leiden. Lamers doet cross-disciplinair onderzoek naar kunstmatige intelligentie, robots, biologisch-digitale hybride systemen en creativiteit in onderzoek. Zeno van den Broek is een Nederlandse componist en artiest die in zijn werk de relatie tussen mens en machine onderzoekt en op scherp stelt.Percussionist, motivator en onderwijzer Fedor Teunisse is de artistiek directeur van Slagwerk Den Haag (SDH) en van Asko|Schönberg. Hij werkt ook als docent aan het Koninklijk Conservatorium in Den Haag.Dit programma wordt georganiseerd in samenwerking met Soundsofmusic, festival voor nieuwsgierige oren. Show less
Hoe creatief is kunstmatige kunst? Kunnen computers creatief zijn? Met literatuurwetenschapper prof. Kiene Brillenburg Wurth en computerwetenschapper dr. Maarten Lamers.Creativiteit wordt door... Show moreHoe creatief is kunstmatige kunst? Kunnen computers creatief zijn? Met literatuurwetenschapper prof. Kiene Brillenburg Wurth en computerwetenschapper dr. Maarten Lamers.Creativiteit wordt door velen gezien als iets uniek menselijks. En dus steekt er iets als AI ineens prachtige schilderijen maakt, rapt als Drake en literaire thrillers schrijft. Voor leken is het steeds moeilijker om computerkunst van echte kunst te onderscheiden: begin dit jaar won een door AI gegenereerde foto zelfs een prestigieuze fotoprijs. Hoe houdbaar zijn onze ideeën over originaliteit en creativiteit? Is creëren slechts het samenvoegen van eerder opgedane kennis en ervaring, of gebeurt er iets nieuws, iets magisch, iets menselijks als een kunstenaar aan de slag gaat? Kan je kunst maken zonder begrip te hebben van emoties, en zonder de ervaring van een lichaam? Computerwetenschapper dr. Maarten Lamers (LEI) legt uit hoe computers kunst maken en literatuurwetenschapper prof. Kiene Brillenburg Wurth (UU) vertelt wat computers ons kunnen leren over onze eigen creativiteit. Show less
DNA replication introduces thousands of RNA primers into the lagging strand that need to be removed for replication to be completed. In Escherichia coli when the replicative DNA polymerase Pol III... Show moreDNA replication introduces thousands of RNA primers into the lagging strand that need to be removed for replication to be completed. In Escherichia coli when the replicative DNA polymerase Pol III alpha terminates at a previously synthesized RNA primer, DNA Pol I takes over and continues DNA synthesis while displacing the downstream RNA primer. The displaced primer is subsequently excised by an endonuclease, followed by the sealing of the nick by a DNA ligase. Yet how the sequential actions of Pol III alpha, Pol I polymerase, Pol I endonuclease and DNA ligase are coordinated is poorly defined. Here we show that each enzymatic activity prepares the DNA substrate for the next activity, creating an efficient four-point molecular handover. The cryogenic-electron microscopy structure of Pol I bound to a DNA substrate with both an upstream and downstream primer reveals how it displaces the primer in a manner analogous to the monomeric helicases. Moreover, we find that in addition to its flap-directed nuclease activity, the endonuclease domain of Pol I also specifically cuts at the RNA-DNA junction, thus marking the end of the RNA primer and creating a 5 ' end that is a suitable substrate for the ligase activity of LigA once all RNA has been removed. Show less
A DNA damage-inducible mutagenic gene cassette has been implicated in the emergence of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis during anti-tuberculosis (TB) chemotherapy. However, the... Show moreA DNA damage-inducible mutagenic gene cassette has been implicated in the emergence of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis during anti-tuberculosis (TB) chemotherapy. However, the molecular composition and operation of the encoded 'mycobacterial mutasome' - minimally comprising DnaE2 polymerase and ImuA ' and ImuB accessory proteins - remain elusive. Following exposure of mycobacteria to DNA damaging agents, we observe that DnaE2 and ImuB co-localize with the DNA polymerase III beta subunit (beta clamp) in distinct intracellular foci. Notably, genetic inactivation of the mutasome in an imuB(AAAAGG) mutant containing a disrupted beta clamp-binding motif abolishes ImuB-beta clamp focus formation, a phenotype recapitulated pharmacologically by treating bacilli with griselimycin and in biochemical assays in which this beta clamp-binding antibiotic collapses pre-formed ImuB-beta clamp complexes. These observations establish the essentiality of the ImuB-beta clamp interaction for mutagenic DNA repair in mycobacteria, identifying the mutasome as target for adjunctive therapeutics designed to protect anti-TB drugs against emerging resistance. Show less
AI wordt steeds menselijker. Zo lijkt AI in staat tot creatieve dingen, denk aan de schilderijen die DALL-E kan maken of de gedichten die ChatGPT schrijft. Maar creativiteit, dat is toch ons... Show moreAI wordt steeds menselijker. Zo lijkt AI in staat tot creatieve dingen, denk aan de schilderijen die DALL-E kan maken of de gedichten die ChatGPT schrijft. Maar creativiteit, dat is toch ons menselijke ding? Zijn we nog wel bijzonder als mens? Informaticus Maarten Lamers (Universiteit Leiden) legt uit of er nog wel verschil is tussen ons menselijke brein en de computer. Show less
Sinds de opkomst van AI vraagt men zich af of computers ook creatief kunnen zijn, en steeds vaker zien we voorbeelden van zogenaamde “artificial creativity”. Computers componeren muziek, bedenken... Show moreSinds de opkomst van AI vraagt men zich af of computers ook creatief kunnen zijn, en steeds vaker zien we voorbeelden van zogenaamde “artificial creativity”. Computers componeren muziek, bedenken recepten, maken visuele kunstwerken en tappen zelfs moppen. Maar kunnen we creativiteit wel in een computerprogramma vatten? En hoe dan? Maarten Lamers bespreekt wat computers op dit vlak eigenlijk kunnen, en net zo belangrijk: wat niet. Aan de hand van klassieke en actuele voorbeelden van “creatieve” computers wordt duidelijk hoe deze systemen werken, en wat dit met AI te maken heeft. Zo wordt het eenvoudiger om te begrijpen wat er in de media over creatieve AI geschreven wordt, zonder technisch diepgaande kennis.Deze lezing is georganiseerd in samenwerking met Studium Generale en vindt plaats tijdens de Art & Science Week van het Leiden European City of Science programma. Show less
DNA mismatch repair removes mis-incorporated bases after DNA replication and reduces the error rate a 100-1000-fold. After recognition of a mismatch, a large section of up to a thousand nucleotides... Show moreDNA mismatch repair removes mis-incorporated bases after DNA replication and reduces the error rate a 100-1000-fold. After recognition of a mismatch, a large section of up to a thousand nucleotides is removed from the daughter strand followed by re-synthesis. How these opposite activities are coordinated is poorly understood. Here we show that the Escherichia coli MutL protein binds to the 3 ' end of the resected strand and blocks access of Pol I and Pol III. The cryo-EM structure of an 85-kDa MutL-DNA complex, determined to 3.7 angstrom resolution, reveals a unique DNA binding mode that positions MutL at the 3 ' end of a primer-template, but not at a 5 ' resected DNA end or a blunt DNA end. Hence, our work reveals a novel role for MutL in the final stages of mismatch repair by preventing premature DNA synthesis during removal of the mismatched strand. Show less
Visser, M.; Duijn, M.J. van; Tong, S.; Lamers, M.H. 2022
Studies into the history of mate search show that important mate choice criteria vary through time, influenced by societal circumstances, whereas others seem to remain constant. Nowadays, online... Show moreStudies into the history of mate search show that important mate choice criteria vary through time, influenced by societal circumstances, whereas others seem to remain constant. Nowadays, online dating has become one of the most popularways to meet a partner, which changed the mate selection process because this computer-mediated communication facilitates selective self-presentation. Biographies of dating app profiles are space limited and often selfwritten, providing insight in what users find crucial to mention about themselves and their wishes for a future partner. Here we collected 300 biographies from three online dating platforms and coded them on four content themes: dating intention, personality and appearance of self vs. potential partner, and lifestyle.We present a preliminary comparison of these mate choice criteria between gender and age. Show less
Procedural content generation (PCG) has been applied since several decades to fulfill various game-related design needs. Besides bio-inspired methods, living (non-human) organisms were used in... Show moreProcedural content generation (PCG) has been applied since several decades to fulfill various game-related design needs. Besides bio-inspired methods, living (non-human) organisms were used in computer games for various purposes, such as behavior generation, data gathering, and player education. No living organisms were used for the generation of virtual terrains in games. Such an approach to terrain generation could benefit from morphological similarity between natural terrains and colonies of microbial organisms, real-time development of terrains over time, and educational opportunities. We successfully executed an experiment in which we used growing bacterial and fungal cultures for generating naturally appearing virtual terrains in real-time. Concludingly, we confirm the feasibility of using living organisms in real-time non-behavioral PCG and reflect on its potential impact. Show less
Natural products provide a rich source of potential antimicrobials for treating infectious diseases for which drug resistance has emerged. Foremost among these diseases is tuberculosis. Assessment... Show moreNatural products provide a rich source of potential antimicrobials for treating infectious diseases for which drug resistance has emerged. Foremost among these diseases is tuberculosis. Assessment of the antimycobacterial activity of nargenicin, a natural product that targets the replicative DNA polymerase of Staphylococcus aureus, revealed that it is a bactericidal genotoxin that induces a DNA damage response in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and inhibits growth by blocking the replicative DNA polymerase, DnaE1. Cryo-electron microscopy revealed that binding of nargenicin to Mtb DnaE1 requires the DNA substrate such that nargenicin is wedged between the terminal base pair and the polymerase and occupies the position of both the incoming nucleotide and templating base. Comparative analysis across three bacterial species suggests that the activity of nargenicin is partly attributable to the DNA binding affinity of the replicative polymerase. This work has laid the foundation for target-led drug discovery efforts focused on Mtb DnaE1. Show less
DNA mismatch repair detects and corrects mismatches introduced during DNA replication. The protein MutS scans for mismatches and coordinates the repair cascade. During this process, MutS undergoes... Show moreDNA mismatch repair detects and corrects mismatches introduced during DNA replication. The protein MutS scans for mismatches and coordinates the repair cascade. During this process, MutS undergoes multiple conformational changes in response to ATP binding, hydrolysis and release, but how ATP induces the various MutS conformations is incompletely understood. Here we present four cryogenic electron microscopy structures of Escherichia coli MutS at sequential stages of the ATP hydrolysis cycle that reveal how ATP binding and hydrolysis induce closing and opening of the MutS dimer, respectively. Biophysical analysis demonstrates how DNA binding modulates the ATPase cycle by prevention of hydrolysis during scanning and mismatch binding, while preventing ADP release in the sliding clamp state. Nucleotide release is achieved when MutS encounters single-stranded DNA that is produced during removal of the daughter strand. The combination of ATP binding and hydrolysis and its modulation by DNA enables MutS to adopt the different conformations needed to coordinate the sequential steps of the mismatch repair cascade.Cryogenic electron microscopy structures of Escherichia coli MutS at sequential stages of the ATP hydrolysis cycle reveal how ATP binding and hydrolysis and its modulation by DNA enable MutS to adopt different conformations during mismatch repair. Show less
Schreuter, D.; Putten, P.W.H. van der; Lamers, M.H. 2021
Conversational artificial agents and artificially intelligent (AI) voice assistants are becoming increasingly popular. Digital virtual assistants such as Siri, or conversational devices such as... Show moreConversational artificial agents and artificially intelligent (AI) voice assistants are becoming increasingly popular. Digital virtual assistants such as Siri, or conversational devices such as Amazon Echo or Google Home are permeating everyday life, and are designed to be more and more humanlike in their speech. This study investigates the effect this can have on one’s conformity with an AI assistant. In the 1950s, Solomon Asch’s already demonstrated the power and danger of conformity amongst people. In these classical experiments test persons were asked to answer relatively simple questions, whilst others pretending to be participants tried to convince the test person to give wrong answers. These studies were later replicated with embodied robots, but these physical robots are still rare. In light of our increasing reliance on AI assistants, this study investigates to what extent an individual will conform to a disembodied virtual assistant. We also investigate if there is a difference between a group that interacts with an assistant that communicates through text, one that has a robotic voice and one that has a humanlike voice. The assistant attempts to subtly influence participants’ final responses in a general knowledge quiz, and we measure how often participants change their answer after having been given advice. Results show that participants conformed significantly more often to the assistant with a human voice than the one that communicated through text. Show less
DNA mismatch repair detects and removes mismatches from DNA by a conserved mechanism, reducing the error rate of DNA replication by 100- to 1,000-fold. In this process, MutS homologs scan DNA,... Show moreDNA mismatch repair detects and removes mismatches from DNA by a conserved mechanism, reducing the error rate of DNA replication by 100- to 1,000-fold. In this process, MutS homologs scan DNA, recognize mismatches and initiate repair. How the MutS homologs selectively license repair of a mismatch among millions of matched base pairs is not understood. Here we present four cryo-EM structures of Escherichia coli MutS that provide snapshots, from scanning homoduplex DNA to mismatch binding and MutL activation via an intermediate state. During scanning, the homoduplex DNA forms a steric block that prevents MutS from transitioning into the MutL-bound clamp state, which can only be overcome through kinking of the DNA at a mismatch. Structural asymmetry in all four structures indicates a division of labor between the two MutS monomers. Together, these structures reveal how a small conformational change from the homoduplex- to heteroduplex-bound MutS acts as a licensing step that triggers a dramatic conformational change that enables MutL binding and initiation of the repair cascade.Cryo-EM reconstructions and atomic models reveal the mechanism of MutS-MutL DNA mismatch recognition and repair initiation. Show less
Context-dependency effects on memory exist, whereby people’s context influences their ability to accurately recall items from memory. This effect was not previously studied when considering virtual... Show moreContext-dependency effects on memory exist, whereby people’s context influences their ability to accurately recall items from memory. This effect was not previously studied when considering virtual reality as an environmental context. We show that adverse effects on recall of memorized items exist when changing between virtual and real environments. The effect was not present when memorizing and recall were both done in VR; it appears to be caused by the change of environmental context. This previously unknown effect may impact how we use VR for memorization tasks, particularly when accurate recall of memorized information in a real environment is important. In a memory-recall experiment (n = 51) participants that underwent a context change involving VR after memorizing performed significantly worse on 24-h later item recall than those who did not change context (17% lower accuracy, p < 0.001). In particular memorizing in VR as opposed to a real environment lowers accuracy of recall in a real environment (24% lower, p = 0.001). Show less
Multidrug resistance is a worldwide problem that is an increasing threat to global health. Therefore, the development of new antibiotics that inhibit novel targets is of great urgency. Some of the... Show moreMultidrug resistance is a worldwide problem that is an increasing threat to global health. Therefore, the development of new antibiotics that inhibit novel targets is of great urgency. Some of the most successful antibiotics inhibit RNA transcription, RNA translation, and DNA replication. Transcription and translation are inhibited by directly targeting the RNA polymerase or ribosome, respectively. DNA replication, in contrast, is inhibited indirectly through targeting of DNA gyrases, and there are currently no antibiotics that inhibit DNA replication by directly targeting the replisome. This contrasts with antiviral therapies where the viral replicases are extensively targeted. In the last two decades there has been a steady increase in the number of compounds that target the bacterial replisome. In particular a variety of inhibitors of the bacterial replicative polymerases PolC and DnaE have been described, with one of the DNA polymerase inhibitors entering clinical trials for the first time. In this review we will discuss past and current work on inhibition of DNA replication, and the potential of bacterial DNA polymerase inhibitors in particular as attractive targets for a new generation of antibiotics. Show less
