Jim said once something in these lines «fertility is infertile, migration is moving nowhere, life is only in mortality!» and this was my start in mortality research. I did my PhD in the fertility lab at the MPI. When Jim offered me to switch to mortality, I was convinced immediately and this turned out to be one of best decisions I have ever made. Jim was a very generous boss, open minded and supportive. He believed in the potential of people and supported them to grow.