Dr. Marc D. Hauser is a renowned evolutionary biologist and cognitive scientist with a distinguished career spanning over three decades.
His interdisciplinary research has significantly advanced our understanding of animal cognition, human behaviour, and the neural mechanisms underlying learning and decision-making. As an educator, author, and consultant, Hauser has contributed extensively to both scientific communities and public discourse on topics ranging from morality and language evolution to childhood trauma and resilience.
Marc Hauser has had extreme outdoor experiences: not only was he standing at -40° in a hot air balloon in the middle of a strong gale-force wind in 2018 he was also the first human being to jump out of this basket into the jet stream. Since 2012, he holds the world record as the fastest human being in horizontal freefall.
He successfully faced his fears during his adventure in Australia, but until today he never really got rid of his fear of heights. The Guinness world record holder is a specialist for decisions at the limit. How to become a master of your own fear and how to use daring and confidence in an innovative way is revealed in a passionate presentation with great depth and humour.
In his adventures, the entrepreneur does not rely on chance: thanks to the self-developed prototype of his flight suit, Marc Hauser was ready for the big leap. DER SPIEGEL calls him the “ambassador for the impetuous power of the high winds”. BBC World News accompanied him with a three-part report that was broadcast globally and reported, among other things, on the largely unknown phenomenon of high wind energy generation.
Hauser completed his Bachelor of Science at Bucknell University, followed by a Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He furthered his expertise through post-doctoral fellowships at the University of Michigan, Rockefeller University, and the University of California, Davis. In 1992, he joined Harvard University as a professor, where he served until 2011. During his tenure at Harvard, Hauser held positions in the Departments of Psychology, Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, and Biological Anthropology, reflecting his multidisciplinary approach to research.
His theme is courage: the courage to dream big, the courage to innovate – and the courage to achieve goals. He shows his audience how we get from dreaming to doing.
