In this family, they have been inventing and exploring for three generations, from the stratosphere to the ocean depths
Might there be an exploration gene ? It’s more a matter of curiosity-based education, a drive to understand how the world works, respect for Nature, and confidence in technological solutions for improving human beings’ quality of life. That’s how Auguste, Jacques and Bertrand, each in his own way, succeeded in devising revolutionary machines that accomplished things that no-one thought possible. According to the writer Jacques Lacarrière : « Those three are the embodiment of humankind’s maddest dreams – becoming a fish or a bird ». But the maddest thing of all is that they succeeded in transforming their dreams into reality.
Apart from the astronauts who went to the Moon, there are no explorers who so perfectly embody scientific and human adventures of the 20th century, such as the visionary Jules Verne might have imagined them, as the Piccards.
Association Jules Verne Aventures
Exploration is sport for scientists
Auguste Piccard
There are hardly any families in the history of exploration with a wider, more ambitious or creative vision
Neil Armstrong
For over a century, this amazing Swiss family has been striving to push back the boundaries of what is known and possible by using a subtle combination of scientific rigor, taste for innovation and thirst for exploration. The Piccards have become characters worthy of Jules Verne. These three men, one after the other, foresaw the great challenges of their time. To tell their story is to get to the heart of a family driven by a deep concern for humanity, who very early became aware of the need to preserve the planet. Editions Gallimard