Hoimar Gerhard Friedrich Ernst von Ditfurth was a German physician, academic, and scientific journalist, best known as a television presenter and as a writer of popular books on science.
In 1939 he gained his school-leaving Abitur at the Viktoria-Gymnasium in Potsdam (today the Helmholtz-Gymnasium), then studied medical science, psychology, and philosophy at the universities of Berlin and Hamburg, receiving his doctoral degree in 1946.
Boehringer of Mannheim, where he was the leader of the so-called “Psycho Lab”, being responsible for the development and clinical testing of psychotropic drugs (Chlorpromazine).
In 1969 he refused the position of manager, commenting "I don't want to sacrifice my intellectual independence", and instead began a new career as a freelance lecturer, publisher, and scientific journalist.
Hoimar von Ditfurth was successful as an author of popular science books and as a television presenter on the WDR, SFB, SR, and ZDF networks.