Book reveals ICT milestones in breast cancer, games and digital security

25 February 2010

CWI and NWO present book about recent ICT research: Omringd door informatica (Surrounded by ICT)

CWI and NWO have recently published a new book Omringd door informatica (Surrounded by ICT) about recent developments in ICT research. It reveals how ICT has enabled new milestones to be achieved in fields such as breast cancer research, games and digital security. The book is an outcome of the research project BRICKS.

Computer and the Internet have become extensions of our entire thinking and doing. ICT makes everything possible. Yet ICT is far more than a PC, the Internet or a mobile phone. The book Omringd door informatica introduces the reader to recent fundamental ICT research and the applications of this. The publication marks the conclusion of the BRICKS project (Basic Research in Informatics for Creating the Knowledge Society), a large Dutch scientific research project on ICT in which a consortium of Dutch knowledge institutes participated. BRICKS was a joint initiative of the National Research Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science (CWI) and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO).

The book, which was written by science journalist Bennie Mols, focuses on the importance of ICT and its integration into contemporary society. The book provides a highly readable inside view of recent fundamental ICT research, and everyday ICT subjects are explained for a wide readership.

Smart computer recognises breast cancer

In one of the BRICKS projects, smart software was developed to help radiologists detect breast cancer at an early stage. For this the computer combines two images, as two mammograms are made for breast cancer screening: one from above and one from the side. The computer recognises the suspicious areas and subsequently determines the chances that such an area contains cancer. It then combines the data from both mammograms into a single probability figure which states whether the woman has breast cancer. For this the expert knowledge of radiologists was converted into a computer model that utilises so-called Bayesian statistics. The model was then trained by letting it process thousands of mammograms with and without breast cancer. The computer also differed from humans in this aspect: a computer can be trained with far more images than a radiologist will ever see in his entire life.

In a further fifteen main articles the book describes the research results from other BRICKS projects including Schatgraven in digitale databergen [Digging for treasure in digital data mountains]. This research shows how digital personal details can be used (for example from the OV chipcard or the loyalty card from the supermarket) without putting privacy at risk.

Everyday ICT

The book also explains what ICT is all about and how it has become an integral part of our everyday lives. The reader learns how the search engine Google works, how it is possible to watch TV via your mobile phone and everything about the iDEAL system for online payments. Omringd door informatica also contains a unique historical overview of milestones in ICT.

About BRICKS

During the period 2004-2009, fundamental ICT research from the BRICKS project contributed to a strengthening of the Dutch knowledge infrastructure. BRICKS was a joint initiative of the National Research Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science and the NWO Divsion for the Physical Sciences. The following Dutch universities were also involved in Bricks: Utrecht, Twente, Delft, Eindhoven, Leiden and Nijmegen. The project was partly funded by the government grant BSIK (Grants for Investments in Knowledge Infrastructure Decree), which is funded from natural gas profits and is aimed at consortia of knowledge institutes and companies.

Further information about BRICKS can be found at: www.bsik-bricks.nl

About NWO

The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) is the principal Dutch science funding body and its mission is to facilitate excellent scientific research in the Netherlands by means of national competition. Each year NWO spends more than 700 million euro on grants for top researchers, on innovative instruments and equipment, and on institutes where top research is performed. NWO funds the research of more than 5300 talented researchers at universities and institutes. Independent experts select proposals by means of a peer review system. NWO facilitates the transfer of knowledge to society.

About CWI

Since 1946, CWI has been the national research institute for mathematics and ICT. It is located at the Science Park Amsterdam and is part of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). The institute has a strong international position. Here, more than 160 scientists carry out pioneering research and transfer the knowledge acquired to society. About 30 of the researchers are university professors. Some 20 spin-off companies have emerged from the institute.

Title: Omringd door informatica Surrounded by ICT
Author: Bennie Mols
ISBN: 979-90-6196-552-7
Orders: the book can be ordered free of charge via bricks@cwi.nl (as long as copies are available)

..............................

Note for the press, not for publication

For further information about the book and to request a review copy please contact: 

last modified on 7 April 2010