Nobel Laureate Didier Queloz on Science, Society, and the Search for Life
Nobel laureate Didier Queloz delivered a public lecture at NTNU on November 24, addressing the relationship between science, society, and the search for life in the universe. The lecture, held as part of the Taiwan Bridges Program in collaboration with the World Peace Foundation, drew faculty, students, and scholars from Taiwan and abroad.
Queloz, recipient of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics and Jacksonian Professor at the University of Cambridge, is also the founding director of the Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life at ETH Zurich. His research integrates astrophysics and life sciences, focusing on the emergence and distribution of life in the universe. Together with Michel Mayor, he discovered the first planet orbiting a Sun-like star in 1995, a breakthrough that reshaped understanding of planetary systems beyond the solar system.
A Dialogue Across Disciplines
The lecture, held in NTNU’s historic Auditorium, opened with a musical performance by students from the Department of Music, setting a reflective tone for the discussion that followed. In opening remarks, NTNU President Cheng-Chi Wu welcomed Professor Queloz and noted that his visit reflected the university’s ongoing engagement with international academic exchange. He observed that events of this kind encourage broader global perspectives among students and faculty and link scientific inquiry with education as a foundation for peace.
Science, Curiosity, and the Challenge of Global Peace
In his lecture, “The Role of Science in the Global Peace Blueprint,” Queloz examined both the achievements and limits of modern science. He traced science’s origins to human curiosity and highlighted its transformative contributions, from harnessing stellar energy and improving food production to saving lives through medicine and altering Earth’s atmosphere through technology.
Queloz cautioned, however, that progress in conflict management has not kept pace with advances in scientific knowledge. Conflict frequency over the past five centuries, he noted, has remained largely unchanged, suggesting that social and ethical frameworks have not evolved in step with technological development. This imbalance, he argued, poses significant risks to global stability.
Drawing on the Fermi paradox, Queloz explored possible explanations for the apparent absence of detectable extraterrestrial civilizations despite the vastness of the universe. While the basic building blocks of life are widespread, he said, the sustained evolution of complex life is exceptionally rare. Earth, he explained, is a distinctive environment whose specific conditions, including liquid water, a protective magnetic field, and the Moon’s stabilizing influence, have made complex life possible.
Reflecting on his 1995 discovery of 51 Pegasi b, the first known exoplanet orbiting a Sun-like star, Queloz described how such findings challenge existing theories and deepen understanding of planetary formation. “Each planet we discover,” he said, “offers another clue to understanding the origins of life.” He expressed optimism that continued advances in astronomical observation could identify truly habitable worlds within the coming decades.
Discussion and Exchange
Following the lecture, a panel discussion was moderated by Yi-Jehng Kuan, director of NTNU’s Center of Astronomy and Gravitation and a faculty member in the Department of Earth Sciences. Panelists included Wing-Huen Ip, Academician at Academia Sinica; Hung-Yi Pu, associate professor in NTNU’s Department of Physics; and Chin-Fei Lee, distinguished research fellow at Academia Sinica’s Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics. The discussion ranged from astrophysics and planetary evolution to the broader social implications of scientific progress.
Audience questions touched on topics from Queloz’s favorite planet to the role of science in global peace. Responding to a question about education, Queloz emphasized that “science connects humanity with its future, and education is the foundation of that connection.” He underscored the importance of helping students learn to question and explore and highlighted the value of international collaboration in research and teaching.
The event concluded with President Wu presenting a commemorative gift to Professor Queloz. Attendees described the lecture as an opportunity to consider the intersections of science, ethics, and education, areas that remain closely intertwined in addressing global challenges.