The truth is still out there

The edge of a nearby, young, star-forming region called NGC 3324 in the Carina Nebula in space. Captured in infrared light by Nasa's new James Webb Space Telescope in 2022, this image reveals for the first time previously invisible areas of star birth. —TNS

ARE we alone? Is life around us a cosmic accident that only happened once on this lonely planet, making human beings the only technological civilisation anywhere? Or is the universe teeming with life, and perhaps even intelligence and self-awareness?

These questions have haunted humanity for millennia. Science is now poised to take a fantastic leap forward in answering them.