Bas Kast
Encyclopedia
Bas Kast is a German writer
. He studied psychology
and biology
at the University of Konstanz
and with Marvin Minsky
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
. Kast was a fellow of the prestigious Studienstiftung
. After completing his studies, he refused a PhD position to devote himself to writing. Working as a freelancer first for the German weekly newspaper Die Zeit
and other magazines, he later became an editor and reporter for the Berlin based newspaper Der Tagesspiegel
. His articles have earned him a number of national and international prizes. Kast has written three popular science books, two of which became best selling books that have been translated in numerous languages. He is a close friend of neuroscientist Christian Keysers.
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
. He studied psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
at the University of Konstanz
University of Konstanz
The University of Konstanz is a university in the city of Konstanz in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was founded in 1966, and the main campus on the Gießberg was opened in 1972. As one of nine German Excellence Universities today University of Konstanz is counted among Germany's most prestigious...
and with Marvin Minsky
Marvin Minsky
Marvin Lee Minsky is an American cognitive scientist in the field of artificial intelligence , co-founder of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's AI laboratory, and author of several texts on AI and philosophy.-Biography:...
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
. Kast was a fellow of the prestigious Studienstiftung
Studienstiftung
The German National Academic Foundation is Germany's largest organisation sponsoring students of outstanding academic achievements.It is non-political and non-denominational....
. After completing his studies, he refused a PhD position to devote himself to writing. Working as a freelancer first for the German weekly newspaper Die Zeit
Die Zeit
Die Zeit is a German nationwide weekly newspaper that is highly respected for its quality journalism.With a circulation of 488,036 and an estimated readership of slightly above 2 million, it is the most widely read German weekly newspaper...
and other magazines, he later became an editor and reporter for the Berlin based newspaper Der Tagesspiegel
Der Tagesspiegel
Der Tagesspiegel is a classical liberal German daily newspaper...
. His articles have earned him a number of national and international prizes. Kast has written three popular science books, two of which became best selling books that have been translated in numerous languages. He is a close friend of neuroscientist Christian Keysers.
Articles (English)
- "Decisions, decisions...", Nature, 2001 May 10;411(6834):126-8.
- "The best supporting actors", Nature, 2001 Aug 16;412(6848):674-6.
Awards
- Axel Springer Award 2002 for the article "What is Empathy?"
- European Science Writers Award 2006
Books
- Revolution im Kopf (2003)
- Die Liebe und wie sich Leidenschaft erklärt (2004)
- Wie der Bauch dem Kopf beim Denken hilft (2007)