Science

Besides Learning, memory and evolution, one of my interests has always been physics, from high-energy physics and quantum mechanics to relativity and cosmology. My studies have only partly exceeded a rather popular level, though. As biology is a systemic science, I’ve also read a bit into the thermodynamics of dissipative systems, nonlinear dynamics and chaos. Especially the latter topics have since been of great help in our work on spontaneous behavior.
In my opinion, doing science will, in its consequence, lead the scientist to consider more general questions about science, humanity and the universe. One of my (now not actively pursued any more) internet projects, meta-biology, is an attempt to start and discuss these questions.

Sports

I started playing Team-Handball (the olympic game) when I was 8 and still love the game today. Visit my old German (TG 1848 Würzburg Handball) or my American (Condor Team Handball) team’s sites! I’m also the co-founder of the Houston Team Handball Club. Back in Germany I played for a number of different teams, semi-professionally for eight years in the 4th division until I ended my career after the 2008/2009 season.
I started out by doing gymnastics (horizontal bar, parallel bars, floor, vault, rings, pommel horse) at the tender age of 5, though. I still practice gymnastics 2-3 times a week. During my four years in Houston, I worked out at the HGC, and in Berlin at the Berliner Turnerschaft. Since 2012 I practice gymnastics at the SV Donaustauf. Quite some years ago now I started to go rock climbing every once in a while. In the wintertime I try to go snowboarding as often as possible (since 1990, before then I went skiing). Summertime activities include wakeboarding and kite surfing.

The Web

Besides this subdomain and the main brembs.net site, I have created a number of other websites. In the early 90s I started out by learning HTML through building the website for my Institute, the Biozentrum Würzburg. Later, but still in Germany, I was in charge of the Department of Genetics and the TG 1848 Würzburg Handball pages (all three have now gone to other webmasters). I also constructed the site for the 1998 neurobiological DoWo (I was one of the organizers) and the site for the advanced course “Mouse Transgenics and Behavior” (I was a participant). In the US I maintained electkurtstone.com (Kurt Stone for President of USATH), Condor Team Handball and later also houstonhandball.org and the HGC’s houstongymnastics.org. Back in Germany, I started managing the website of the SG TMBW Berlin. I then got involved in starting what is now the largest English-language independent news website for handball, teamhandballnews.com. I still help to maintain the site today. The latest addition to the collection of sites is my constantly developing lab-site, lab.brembs.net.

LiteStep

Another computer related interest is the Windows shell replacement LiteStep. It is the greatest improvement to Windows ever. Have a look at my (now quite antiquated) LiteStep page to see what you can do with this fantastic shell. In the times of Windows 7 and 10, it appears that the shell community is waning and Windows 10 may be the last version of Windows which will run my shell. After now more than ten years of using my computer in exactly the same way, independent of OS version, I dread the day when some new update will force me to abandon LiteStep. But so far, I’m running win64 and LiteStep works great.

Metalworking

Since my early 20s, I have been interested in metal-processing in general and, more specifically, in bladesmithing. As I learned more and more about the craft, my enthusiasm was fired by the amazing patterns found in damascus (pattern welded) steel. Before I can start forging my own swords I have to practice on knives first. Unfortunately, I have had way too little time recently to work on this craft. Perhaps one day I’ll have the opportunity to forge my own pattern-welded sword.

Others

On my outdoor trips to (Sweden, Norway, Scotland, Utah, Montana, Colorado, Canada, hopefully one day Iceland and/or New Zealand) I try to go flyfishing as often as possible. If I had more time I’d read a lot more books or graphic novels.
In the evenings, I do enjoy a glass of fine, old single malt whisky and occasionally I go to the movies (science fiction, fantasy, gothic, mystery … you name it), although these last few years, movies mostly came on the small screen in the back of the seat in front of me.