Bernd-Olaf Kuppers, born in 1944, is an internationally renowned physicist and philosopher of science. For many years he was engaged in research at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (Goettingen). Thereafter, he was professor of natural philosophy at the university of Jena. His main research field is the origin and evolution of genetic information. He is author and editor of numerous books, including the monographs "Molecular Theory of Evolution" and "Information and the Origin of Life". He has been recognized with, among other things, memberships of the German National Academy of Sciences and the Academia Europaea (London).