Smiles, Tears and the Space Beyond
A farewell to Helen, where endings ripple into beginnings and belief leaves its mark.
Today, Helen called to say she’s leaving ETH Zürich. Helen is a senior researcher at ETHZ, specializing in robotics. Her career path has taken her through leading companies like NVIDIA, Microsoft Research, and Google, but she ultimately chose to return to academia and research. I was proud - having spent over 17 years in high-energy physics research myself, I understand the value of curiosity-driven work, as opposed to corporate research dictated by profit.
During my visit to Switzerland this year, we spoke about the differences between industry and academia. I heard something in Helen’s tone - a quiet urgency, a desire for her work to be directly connected to its impact. It wasn’t just about being known; it was about being recognized. She mentioned sexism. She spoke of how much she enjoyed working with young students and postdocs. I agreed completely. I’ve seen it many times: young minds, bold and unburdened by the impossible. They succeed because they haven’t yet learned to doubt. Older teams, shaped by experience, often carry the weight of what can’t be done. But young teams? They actually succeed.
For years, I’ve been haunted by another idea: the need to create something cool, something amazing, something that would put my name out there. I have an example. I worked on a project 30 years ago - ideas that were forgotten for decades. Then, suddenly, they resurfaced. Interest reignited. I was in demand again. When I revisited what we had done, I was stunned. Time had changed everything. What once felt revolutionary now felt… just okay. I realized that “cool” is a flash - a moment. It fades. But life continues. And one way to honor it is through self-development, through teaching, through embedding your ideas into others’ lives - so they carry a piece of your vision forward, often without knowing it. You become part of their thinking, their choices, their breakthroughs. It’s not about being remembered; it’s about being present in what they create next.
Helen told me the same thing. That thought has stayed with me ever since.
So I thought ETHZ was the best place for her. But maybe I was wrong. She hinted at what’s next, but we’ll see how it unfolds. In any case, my best wishes to her.
Roland, her first professor at ETHZ, is one of the rare ones - he’s happy. He sees her evolution. And Tianyi… Tianyi cried. Because Helen didn’t just work with her. She made her believe in herself.
That’s the mark of a true leader. Not just what you build, but what you leave behind in others.
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