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
Workplace Switzerland
What lies ahead for Switzerland: an economic outlook for 2025
Have you heard something about Swiss diplomacy that you’d like us to fact check?
Not all information circulating about Switzerland’s foreign relations is accurate or well understood. Tell us what you'd like us to fact check or clarify.
Researchers find high microbial diversity in glacial streams
This content was published on
Swiss researchers have discovered a surprising diversity of microorganisms in glacial streams around the world. However, this diversity is under threat as soon as it is discovered.
This content was published on
Fewer electric cars were sold in Switzerland in 2024 compared to the previous year. The electric mobility association Swiss eMobility says this is only a temporary dip.
This content was published on
Sunshine and fresh snow attracted winter sports fans to Swiss ski resorts over the holiday period. Many ski stations reported record figures.
New Year’s speech: President Keller-Sutter praises Swiss modesty
This content was published on
The Swiss president for 2025, Karin Keller-Sutter, has underlined the importance of compromise and modesty in Swiss politics in her New Year’s address to the nation.
Lindt wins ‘chocolate ball’ legal case against Aldi
This content was published on
Chocolate manufacturer Lindt & Sprüngli has won a legal case against the retailer Aldi Suisse for infringing the trademark rights of its Lindor chocolate balls.
Campaigners want Swiss central bank to hold bitcoin in reserves
This content was published on
Campaigners have launched a people's initiative to oblige the Swiss National Bank (SNB) to hold part of its reserves in bitcoin.
Switzerland welcomes 2025 with fireworks and ice plunges
This content was published on
Fireworks lit up the skies in Switzerland to celebrate New Year's Eve. Some people welcomed the new year by plunging into lakes in freezing temperatures.
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.