FROM THE EDITOR
It finally happened. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) revealed its first image… after a short wait. The project took nearly 20 years to build and cost $10bn, making it one of the more expensive missions in recent history.
The image is, of course, astonishing. Take a grain of sand and hold it up at arm’s length – that’s the portion of sky the image covers. It’s what’s known as a deep-field image (essentially a long-exposure photo that tries to pick up the faintest, most-distant objects). But what’s really cool about it is that the JWST, our most powerful telescope, is actually looking through another hugely powerful telescope, one that’s created by a natural phenomenon. To be precise, the image shows a massive galaxy cluster named SMACS 0723 as it appeared 4.6 billion years ago. There’s so much mass in this portion of space that it’s warping space-time into a lens, bending and focusing light towards the sensor aboard the JWST. In effect, it’s a telescope formed by gravity. You can see the warping in the shape of some of the galaxies – they look stretched and curved. These galaxies are actually behind the cluster in the centre.
It’s just a taster what’s to come, and that’s the really exciting thing. Right now, the JWST is set to show us the Universe from a completely new perspective and, in doing so, will allow us to discover new worlds, new phenomena and even new laws of physics. In terms of discovery, this is a moment of unlimited potential. Cosmologist Dr Katie Mack explains more about how these images were captured, what they show and what they tell us in this issue’s main news story (James Webb Space Telescope shows us the Universe in a new light).
Daniel Bennett, Editor
CONTRIBUTORS
PROF ISHANU CHATTOPADHYAY
An AI algorithm built in Ishanu’s laboratory has been able to predict crimes before they happen. He explains how we might use it responsibly.
ROBERT LEA
Comics and astrophysics are science writer Robert’s passions. He takes us through the multiverse theories that have taken over pop culture in recent years.
DR DEAN BURNETT
Dean, a neuroscientist and author of The Idiot Brain, breaks down what we know about productivity when it comes to working from home, and whether it’s a poor substitute for the office.
MIKA MCKINNON
Geophysicist and writer Mika reveals what some of the most astonishing rock formations on the planet can tell us about Earth’s geological history.
ON THE BBC THIS MONTH…
The Climate Question
Could we stop burning fossil fuels if we covered the Sahara with solar panels? An expert panel explores what easy wins there might be in the battle against climate change.
BBC World Service, 25 July, 8pm
Sliced Bread
Greg Foot investigates the bold claims made by so-called ‘wonder products’, such as air fryers and manuka honey, to see if there is any science behind the hype.
Available on BBC Sounds
Unvaccinated
Prof Hannah Fry finds out why 8 per cent of the UK population are still not vaccinated against COVID-19, and sees whether some science can change their minds.
BBC Two, 20 July, 9pm Also available on BBC iPlayer
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