Auguste Piccard

About

Swiss physicist who built his own craft to study the upper atmosphere and the depths of the sea. He was a member of the Solvay Congress, which was a series of conferences devoted to solving problems in both physics and chemistry.

Before Fame

He studied together with his twin brother at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.

Trivia

To keep himself alive high up in the atmosphere he devised an airtight cabin, which later became standard on all airplanes.

Family Life

He grew up in an academic family, with his father a chemistry professor at the University of Basel.

Associated With

Patrick Stewart's character on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" was named after him.