Children’s psychologists tell us that about five or six years, children are beginning to seriously consider the world around them. This is a glorious moment when every parent recognizes – when young minds begin to grasp the splendor and mystery of the universe beyond their nurseries and bedrooms.
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This miracle – their own “aha” moments and the questions that provoke you – are what really makes us people. And this summer, thanks to both the scientific triumphs of astronomers and the creative feats of pop culture, we are again reminded that curiosity is our most powerful gift.
It is remarkable that the deep questions asked by our youngest philosophers continue to echo throughout our lives, returning again and again as the most captivating of all investigations.
Earlier this summer, James Web’s space telescope launched in 2021 and constantly collects planets for planets outside our solar system – identifies an unknown exoplanet. What made this discovery particularly innovative is that, unlike the larger exoplanets, indirectly discovered by observing the eclipse of Starlight, this one was directly depicted.
Even more exciting: according to NASA, this new exoplanet – called CE Antliae and approximately 100 times the size of the Earth – is based on its average temperature, theoretically capable of maintaining a habitable life.
I find this moment exciting for many reasons.
First, I hold the most deep admiration for the brilliance of NASA scientists – and the researchers whose work they upgraded – this made this discovery possible. Secondly, it serves as a powerful reminder of the essential role that the government plays in passing the boundaries of knowledge.
These physical boundaries also invite us to explore existential. The possibility of a habitable planet offers a momentary escape from the noise from the daily news cycle and again has a question that has captured us from ancient times: are we alone? Just looking at the night sky – a universal gift – plans us in the company of Democratis, Epicurus and later the Persians, who speculated about the alien life in 400 BC.
This is one of the most questions of humanity, fueled by congenital curiosity, which rarely gives immediate answers.
Of course, we are far from confirming whether this exoplanet has its own version of Uber or residents with a built -in AI.
Science works on its own time line. Observing the exoplanet directly five years after the web is launched can be seen as amazingly fast – or maybe not, given the advanced tools, at our disposal, from machine learning to quantum calculations.