© Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin

Running a big university lab is like continuously juggling a dozen balls. Every moment multiple tasks have to performed, projects that unfold in timescales of days to years have to be monitored, kilograms of papers have to reviewed and produced, and, finally, literature has to be read, understood and integrated into an ever-growing tapestry of knowledge. At the same time, competition is tough and reputation that has been built in decades can be destroyed in a day. There simply is no time to deeply think about issues that need weeks to grow in your mind.

Therefore Onur Güntürkün accepted the invitation to apply for a stay in the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin (WiKo). There, in Berlin Grunewald, scientists can move into apartments within a classic villa and just think deeply for up to one year, while WiKo pays their salary to the home university for teaching replacement. Now, WiKo accepted him a fellow. The plan is not to stay for full 12 months but to take a stay from October 2014 to April 2015.