Art, excellence (in science) and violins

This was meant to be an article about Bayer's recent Foundation Day. It will come; yet here and now I feel inspired to write about Professor Ernst-Ludwig Winnacker, who yesterday stepped down from his position as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Bayer Foundation. It was evident from the way that my colleagues had spoken about Professor Winnacker that this 78-year-old was highly-revered. During a riveting panel discussion about the need to further build trust in science, Professor Winnacker pointed out that the discussion thus far had been largely focused on topics like vaccine-hysteria and how slices of scientific discovery could be taken out of context on (social) media and put up in headlights. Yes, there might be a one in a million chance of somebody getting a particular disease – yet what if that one in a million person is your child? I swallowed hard. It's hard to talk about laws of probability when decisions are governed by emotions, emotions which can be very close to home. Too true. After handing over the Hansen Family Award, Germany’s most prestigious award for scientific excellence, it was Professor Winnacker’s turn to be praised. Firstly by Bayer’s Board Member for Innovation Kemal Malik, and then by Bayer Supervisory Board Member Professor Doctor Wolfgang Plischke, who gave a glowing speech comparing his subject to a modern-day Georgio Vasari. Then - out of the blue - Professor Winnacker was requested to give an ad hoc speech. I was in absolute awe as the professor rooted out an anecdote that perfectly complemented Professor Plischke’s reference to the sixteenth century artist. This reminds me, he said, of a bus load of tourists who were taken to a Vasari exhibition and who – while exploring the museum – entered a small unassuming room which was adorned with Vermeer paintings. The tourists were all magnetically drawn to one painting – an oil painting of a kitchen maid pouring milk. Why did this painting cause such a stir, such emotions and such admiration? With their untrained eyes, the tourists recognized excellence. This was the bridge into Professor Winnacker's link back to the excellence of the scientists that had been awarded earlier that day. Even if a scientist is nervous, said Professor Winnacker, when he or she presents their findings, you recognize excellence immediately. I feel honored to have met the Foundation Day’s 2019 award winners, and I feel even more honored – following the awards ceremony – to have had the chance to talk with Professor Winnacker. We exchanged about our shared passions for piano-playing, how our kids / grandkids love squeaky violins, as well as the fragility of newborn babies.  I would like to thank Professor Winnacker, the Bayer Foundation award winners, our panelists, as well as all the people I met yesterday for providing such inspiration and food for thought to build on the dialogue we embarked on yesterday. Thank you especially to Monika Lessl (Bayer Foundation Head) for hosting the Bayer Foundation Day – the perfect platform to spawn an exchange of ideas, inspiration and new connections!