is professor of the History of Technology and Science at ETH Zurich. He studied history and literary studies and has been visiting fellow at the »Maison des Sciences de l´Homme« in Paris, at Stanford University, at the »Colegio de México«, at the »Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin«, at the »IFK Wien«, and as professor at the »Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México«. His research focus is on the technological implementation of human capital theory, the history of computerized database technologies, and the history of knowledge in the reinsurance industries in the 19th and 20th centuries. He is member of the Competence Centre for the History of Knowledge, a scientific centre of excellence of the ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich.