INTERVIEW
IN MY EXPERIENCE…
Professor Brian Cox
Taking time out from his tour, the physicist, 54, tells us about his life as a rock star, being a science sex symbol and his secret to looking young
by DANNY SCOTT
Given you’re an expert on the solar system, if you had the chance to go into space, would you?
I think so. I’ve been lucky enough to speak to a lot of astronauts and they’ve all said what a profoundly moving experience it is to see the Earth looking so small. In the past, I’ve suggested that all world leaders should be sent into space for a few hours so they can contemplate the heavy responsibility they have to our fragile planet. Loads of people got in touch and said we should leave them up there!
Do you think we are alone in the universe?
Well, it depends on what you mean by ‘alone’. The Perseverance rover [a robotic explorer], which is on Mars at the moment, will be collecting samples from an ancient river delta and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if we find signs of microbial life. But if you’re talking about complex life – UFOs and alien civilisations – most of the biologists I speak to think it’s highly unlikely.