NWO-I

Institutes Organisation of NWO

Minister Letschert’s 'Prinsjesdag' hat inspired by work of AMOLF researcher Wim Noorduin

On Prinsjesdag, the opening of the Dutch parliament, Rianne Letschert, Minister for Education, Culture and Science, will wear the ‘Hat of Wonder’, a fusion of science and art. The hat and the accompanying shoulder piece do not come from a fashion studio, but from the laboratory. The striking floral shapes are inspired by microscopic structures from the research of AMOLF scientist Wim Noorduin, which, when viewed under a microscope, bear a striking resemblance to tiny flowers. Artist and designer Malou Beemer has translated these shapes – normally invisible to the naked eye – into wearable art.     

Many important innovations begin with a single question: how does this actually work? ‘The Hat of Wonder’, an initiative of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), symbolises how that curiosity can develop into innovations that make our society safer, healthier or more creative. The same applies to the ‘little flowers’: in Noorduin’s fundamental research into microscopic structures, he discovered that they could be transformed into semiconductors. This has formed the basis for a spray that can make toxic lead visible. This lead detection spray is now used worldwide to detect the harmful substance in people’s living environments, as well as by the police in forensic investigations to determine where and by whom a shot was fired.    

NWO paired Noorduin with Beemer and challenged them to create a hat together that symbolises the power of collaboration between science and art – and which thereby also highlights the importance of collaboration between different disciplines for an innovative society.  

Credits: Hilbert Krane

 Wim Noorduin: “It was very inspiring to work together. Actually, Malou and I aren’t all that different from one another. Our starting point is the same: we are amazed by processes in nature and how organisms use simple building blocks to create complex and functional forms. For example, we are both interested in processes involving emergent – that is, spontaneously occurring – behaviour: as a result, the end result is greater than the sum of its parts.”  

 Malou Beemer: “I mainly work on interdisciplinary projects and am always on the lookout for cross-fertilisation. That’s where a touch of magic happens – something that only emerges when you’re not working on your own. For us, the hat also symbolises a call to collaborate more and to bring together different disciplines. Collaboration is essential for an innovative society.”  

Find out more about Noorduin’s research and his collaboration with Malou Beemer on the website of the NWO institute AMOLF.

Credits: Paul Tolenaar