A few words with … Patrick Koch

What would you be doing now, if you had not become a scientist?

My intuition tells me that I would probably be tackling exciting (technical) problems somewhere. During my time in academia, I also learnt to appreciate the value of good coordination and communication, and I could imagine delving deeper into this area.

Do your parents understand what it is you are working on?

It’s always fun to find good explanations for the things I am working on. That usually works quite well on a very general level; unfortunately, it’s less successful when it comes to the details, as those tend to demand a broad basic knowledge that is specific to my area of work. But I suppose that is the case with any moderately complex occupational field.

What is the first thing you do when you arrive at the office in the morning?

Usually, first I deal with any events and e-mails that have accumulated since the previous working day. After that, project work is often very varied: starting with literature research and writing up concepts and publications, via developing and evaluating programs, all the way to organisational matters such as meetings and presentations.

Do you have proper holidays? Without thinking about your work?

Not often, admittedly. But when I do, for instance while I am hiking, I really enjoy tuning out of the issues of the (working) routine and concentrating fully on my surroundings and the path ahead of me.

What makes you furious?

Sometimes I get annoyed about preventable problems that provide little scope for learning. These might be problems due to non-assessable external influences or coordination errors, because different expectations have not been properly communicated.

What calms you down?

I find that sports provide a good balance (e.g. jogging, climbing, or simply a game of table-tennis), playing the guitar and, most of all, joint activities with good friends.

Who do you regard as the greatest scientist in history, and why?

I would not want to tether my answer to just one person. During the course of our history, a multitude of individuals has achieved great things, considering the circumstances of their respective day and age. I especially admire the versatility with which the great scientists of the past often viewed the world. In modern science, in particular, it is necessary to focus intently on a specific topic, the further we delve into the subject matter. However, I do believe that it is important to maintain a multi-faceted and networked perspective.

What are you afraid of?

As an engineer, the partial lack of foresight in dealing with modern technology is especially disconcerting for me; both from the perspective of the users and from that of the companies that develop these devices and services. I think it is good and important that our culture promotes steady technological transformation and also makes use of it. However, the societal and structural implications of these technologies are only rarely critically scrutinized, even though they ultimately affect us all.

What are you looking forward to?

In the short term, I am looking forward to an upcoming hiking holiday in Canada. In the medium term, I am excited about the fascinating challenges my project work has yet to reveal. And in the long run, I feel optimistic that we will cope well with the emerging problems of continued technological developments, and thus manage to gradually make our world slightly more magical. As Arthur C. Clarke put it so fittingly once: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”