Interview with Prof. Gerhard Wurm

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Q. If you could just describe what your research focus is?

A. Yes, I'm working in laboratory astrophysics, focusing on planet formation, and a bit on current Mars, surface of Mars. It connects kind of with small particles being a significant part of all these environments.

Q. What sparked your journey into this field?

A. I think with astrophysics, that's pretty simple. You start as a kid being fascinated by space and astronomy and so on. So I tried to figure out if I can make it. So you study just because you want to know what's going on, and that's how it turned out.

Q. Do you have an awe-inspiring moment or a result that really inspired you in the field?

A. I think there are one or two cases when you do something in the laboratory and usually, it doesn't turn out as you plan it to do in 99% of all cases. But if you figure out something really new, like once there was this photophoresis stuff we did, which we saw in the laboratory by accident, or when, on this last sounding rocket flight, we made this big few centimeter size aggregate, which I actually didn't really expect to form.

Q. Is there something that you wish more people understood about your field?

A. Maybe that planets and stars do not influence our fate. I still ask myself, why is Astro the only science where astrology is something bad? Geology is okay. I don't know, meteorology is okay, but astrology is the weird part.

Q. What do you think are the ingredients for success in research?

A. You definitely have to like it. So you don't do this just for fame or money, but because you want to know something.You have to be some kind of resistent to frustration. And you have to be curious, not only on the specific thing you're just working on specifically, but also more of the surroundings.

Q. Do you have any advice for young scientists who are wanting to enter this field?

A. If you really want to do this, try it, but you have to be aware that you might have a plan B. So you cannot trust on this 100%. I mean, you can go on with this up to a certain level. But afterwards, it's the also luck.

Q. What is your perspective on the field of geoastronomy? What do you think is its significance for current research ?

A. I think that's the perfect thing. That's really good. In the past, that was kind of bringing astrochemists and cosmochemists together with astrophysicists, and the thing is, we all speak different languages but work on things which are often related. And I think that opens a kind of new view for each of the groups and is kind of inspiring each other. So I think that's a good thing.