A new show on BR Television
“It is my philosophy to convey knowledge in an exciting manner”
Philip, what is your new show “Gut zu wissen” about?
Philip Häusser: The show offers exciting insights into the world of science. It is our goal to provide our viewers with exciting news and interesting facts every Saturday evening. For example, we explain why a potato softens when you boil it, while an egg hardens. In one of the next shows, we focus on stress situations, on what causes stress to our body and what we can do to reduce stress quickly.
Willi Weitzel is the presenter of the show. What is your part?
I’m responsible for everything that happens outside the studio. There is a caravan on the studio grounds in Unterföhring, which serves as my experimental laboratory. There, I carry out experiments that can be done in a caravan. For larger experiments, I sometimes go outside with a camera crew. For example, the episode about stress was shot in a flight simulator in North Rhine-Westphalia.
You’re not just a presenter, you’re a scientist too. What does your “second life” look like?
First, I completed a Master’s degree in Physics. Then, I had the chance to get a PhD position at the TUM Chair for Computer Vision – where I have now been working on my doctoral thesis on artificial neural networks for the last three years.
Are you planning to keep up your “double life”?
Definitely! After I finished my doctoral thesis, I started working for a Swiss start-up as the director of research and development. We are building the fastest and most accurate diagnostic software for detecting atrial fibrillation in the heart. I am currently setting up a branch in Munich, putting together a tech team – hopefully with many people from TUM who are looking for an exciting and relevant task like this.
How do you manage your different tasks so well?
Good time management is important. I can’t clone myself, obviously, so I have to prioritize and make plan for the longer term. However, I am in a very fortunate situation because everyone involved is fine with my ambition to combine television and research, or the start-up, so I can manage both activities quite well.
Sounds like a lot of work. Doesn’t it all get a bit much sometimes?
Right now, it’s ideal: I can do my research, which is a lot of fun, and I have a permanent job on TV. It is my goal to convey knowledge in an exciting manner – and that’s exactly what I am doing right now.
(Interview: Sabrina Czechofsky)
Philip Häusser (29) completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s studies in Physics before he started working on his doctoral thesis on artificial neural networks in the field of Computer Vision in 2014. Häusser has already appeared in several other shows, such as “Galileo” (ProSieben) or “Terra X Lesch & Co” (ZDF). On his YouTube channel “Phil’s Physics”, he explains experiments with household items to his audience – and he published a book bearing the same name in 2016.