Manfred Spitzer was born in Darmstadt in 1958. He studied medicine, philosophy and psychology in Freiburg, paying his way by performing as a musician. After sojourns in the US and Heidelberg, he was made professor of psychology at the University of Ulm in 1997. A prolific writer, he’s now one of the best-known neuroscientists in Germany. A father of six, he still loves music and plays a range of instruments, including jazz trumpet.