In honor of the visit of Professor Didier Queloz, a Swiss astronomer and recipient of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics, the Science Office at the Embassy of Switzerland hosted a panel discussion on “space exploration”. The event took place on March 2, 2023 and was attended by more than 80 participants, including scientists, academics, and government officials from Switzerland and the United States, who engaged in productive discussions and exchanged valuable knowledge.
The panelists, who hailed from diverse scientific backgrounds, shared their perspectives on exoplanets – planets outside of our solar system – and the exploration of life in the universe. Joining Professor Queloz on the panel were Kate Adamala, a leading synthetic biologist, who has made significant contributions to the research of life in the universe, and Emily Mitchell, who provided valuable insights from her extensive research on the evolution of life and biodiversity.
Together, the panelists brought a rich diversity of perspectives from astrophysics, synthetic biology, and paleontology to explore the fascinating topic of space exploration and the search for life beyond our planet. Their engaging and informative discussion was followed with great interest by the audience and provided a platform for Swiss and U.S. scientists to come together and further explore this exciting field of study.
On March 4, 2023, under the lead of ETH Zurich, the same panel was brought to the annual meeting of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), held from March 2-5 in Washington, D.C. The AAAS Annual Meeting took place for the first time in person since the pandemic under the theme “Science for Humanity”.
Switzerland was also represented in the field of Quantum Information Science and Technology during the AAAS 2023 annual meeting in Washington, D.C. by Brendan Karch, Head of Academic Engagement at Swissnex Boston, who took part in a lightning talk on speculative models for large-scale international collaboration in quantum science on Sunday, March 5.
