Thomas Zurbuchen believes in extraterrestrial life
Thomas Zurbuchen would bet his car that extraterrestrial life exists
Keystone / Anthony Anex
Swiss space researcher Thomas Zurbuchen would bet his car that extraterrestrial life exists. It simply hasn’t been found yet, he says.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ts
“The idea that there is life in only one place in this huge universe is difficult,” the former NASA research chief told 20Minuten.ch. “We will soon find extraterrestrial life.”
He finds his car an appropriate bet, because “if I were 100% sure, I would bet my house”. The car, a mid-range car, is dear to him, but also not as important as a roof over his head, the 55-year-old says.
The head of the Space Department at the federal technology institute ETH Zurich wants Switzerland to become a renowned centre for space research. He started his new job at ETH Zurich a few weeks ago.
Before that, Zurbuchen spent 24 years in the US. “I feel like an immigrant. The culture is different, and there is a lot I don’t understand yet,” he said. For example, he recently wanted to buy something to eat after 10pm, but it was impossible. “All the shops had already closed.”
Zurbuchen also recalls his childhood in the interview, saying he read Globi books back then. Now he will appear in the latest Globi book. However, he has yet to make a guest role in his favourite space series, Star Wars.
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate them into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. You can find them here.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Popular Stories
More
Climate solutions
Switzerland turns train tracks into solar power plants
In Switzerland more people are being referred to electrical therapies or psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Are there similar approaches where you live?
Switzerland plans to open Venice’s Palazzo Trevisan to wider audience
This content was published on
The Swiss foreign ministry is taking over the management of the Palazzo Trevisan in Venice, which until now had been overseen mainly by the Swiss Arts Council, Pro Helvetia.
United States and China start tariff talks in Geneva
This content was published on
The United States and China have started talks in Geneva aiming to de-escalate a dispute that threatens to cut off trade between the world’s two biggest economies and damage the global economy.
Switzerland takes over investigation into SWISS emergency landing in Austria
This content was published on
Following the emergency landing of a Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) plane in Austria last December, during which a crew member died, Austria has now handed over the investigation to Switzerland.
‘September 5’ takes top honours at German Film Awards
This content was published on
Swiss director Tim Fehlbaum's real-life thriller September 5, based on the terrorist attacks on the 1972 Munich Olympics, has won the Golden Lola.
Switzerland and US agree to accelerate tariff talks
This content was published on
After a meeting with US ministers in Geneva on Friday, the Swiss president intends to present Washington with a declaration of intent in the next two weeks.
This content was published on
The bise, a cold dry wind, played havoc with air traffic at Zurich Airport on Friday. Numerous flights were delayed and some were cancelled.
UBS reportedly in talks to sell hedge fund O’Connor
This content was published on
UBS is in talks to sell O'Connor, one of its hedge fund units (high-risk funds), to the US firm Cantor Fitzgerald, according to Bloomberg.
Six anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes reported a week in Switzerland
This content was published on
On average, almost six hate crimes are reported a week against LGBTQ+ people in Switzerland. Last year there were 309 cases.
Swiss authorities profit from unexchanged banknotes
This content was published on
The Swiss government and cantons will receive over CHF700 million from the Swiss National Bank because old banknotes worth almost CHF1 billion have not been exchanged.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.