Joe Paradiso’s time at ETH Zurich was a period that helped him grow as a researcher, and develop a deep appreciation for Europe – as well Swiss food! 

Joe’s extraordinary and prolific career has taken him from high energy physics to spacecraft control systems, past wearables, sensors and synthesizers. He is currently the Alexander W. Dreyfoos Professor in Media Arts and Sciences at the MIT Media Lab.

In this episode, we learn about what happened when Joe came to Zurich having been warned that ETH was a conservative place. He tells us that when he makes choices, he wants to take a road that will lead to other roads. 

We hear about Joe’s definition of the metaverse; his love of electronic music and science fiction; a Proustian moment involving a sip from a Hürlimann beer; and whyhe came to a small technical college called ETH…

This is his story.