The Future of Space: Science, Exploration, and the Search for Life
Alien Life & UFO/UAPs
Wednesday 19th, March 2025
5 minute read.
A leading British space scientist has emphasised the importance of expanding humanity's understanding of space, arguing that life must exist beyond Earth. Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock, who will present the prestigious Royal Institution Christmas Lectures this year, believes it is arrogance to assume that humans are alone in the universe.
"My answer to that, based on the numbers, is no, we can't be", said Aderin-Pocock. "It’s that human conceit again that we are so caught up in ourselves that we might think we’re alone."
Despite significant advancements in space science, much remains unknown. Aderin-Pocock highlighted one major gap in understanding, "The fact we only know what approximately 6% of the universe is made of at this stage is a bit embarrassing". The remaining 94% consists of dark energy and dark matter-mysterious substances yet to be fully understood.
The contrast between scientific breakthroughs and unanswered questions will be central to the 2025 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, a public lecture series established by Michael Faraday in 1825. "It's that sense of wonder and exploration, and the sense that there's so much more to discover", Aderin-Pocock noted. She stressed that scientific progress is not a series of sudden breakthroughs but a gradual journey of discovery.
She pointed out how long-held beliefs, such as Aristotle's geocentric theory, were overturned over time. The work of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Swan Leavitt helped humanity grasp the vast scale of the universe. "And then suddenly we realised that we were so much more insignificant than we ever thought", Aderin-Pocock added. Later, Edwin Hubble demonstrated that the universe is expanding, and the Hubble Space Telescope revealed that around 200 billion galaxies exist.
This year marks the 200th anniversary of three of Faraday's achievements, the Christmas Lectures, the discovery of benzene, and the Friday Evening Discourses, now known as the Ri Discourses. The Royal Institution is launching a year-long celebration, Discover200, featuring historical lecture recreations, a new demonstration show, and the release of past Christmas Lectures on YouTube. Additionally, the institution is inviting the public to share their memories of attending these lectures.
Aderin-Pocock plans to use archival footage, including lectures by Carl Sagan, to showcase how humanity’s understanding of space has evolved.
A major force in reshaping astronomical knowledge is the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), launched on Christmas Day 2021. With its massive 18-segment mirror, the telescope acts as a time machine, capturing light from distant galaxies as they were billions of years ago.
"One of the things that it’s discovering is that galaxies seem to be bigger than we anticipated in the early universe", said Aderin-Pocock. This finding has raised fundamental questions, including whether the laws of physics are constant and whether dark matter truly exists.
Aderin-Pocock has a personal connection to the mission, having worked on the telescope’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph. However, the project is facing budget cuts of up to 20% and further reductions could come from the US Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), overseen by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.
She raised concerns about Musk's role in scrutinising NASA's budget, "It's an odd stance to take to have Musk looking at this, because you need someone independent, you need someone with distance from this. And to me, ideally, someone from a different arena, so that they aren’t caught up in all the baggage that we carry around when we work in an industry, but bring a new light to it. And so the fact that Elon Musk is involved in this seems like a bad idea to me".
Aderin-Pocock acknowledged that private space exploration, what she called the "battle of the billionaires", could accelerate space travel, but she cautioned against a lack of regulation.
"Sometimes it feels a bit like the wild west where people are doing what they want out there, and without the proper constraints I think we could make a mess again", she said. "And again, if there is an opportunity to utilise space for the benefit of humanity, let it be for all of humanity".
Despite these concerns, she supports human missions beyond Earth. "I won't say it's our destiny because that sounds a bit weird, but I think it is our future", she said. "We live on our planet and, I don't want to sound scary, but planets can be vulnerable".
She cited the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs as a reminder of Earth’s fragility. While astronomers monitor space rocks that could pose a threat, there are other dangers that could endanger humanity.
"So I think it makes sense to look out there to where we might have other colonies - on the moon, on Mars and then beyond as well", she said.
With an expanding universe and increasing technological capabilities, the search for extraterrestrial life and human expansion into space remain critical challenges. Aderin-Pocock's upcoming Christmas Lectures will explore these mysteries, inspiring the next generation to continue humanity's journey into the cosmos.
"My answer to that, based on the numbers, is no, we can't be", said Aderin-Pocock. "It’s that human conceit again that we are so caught up in ourselves that we might think we’re alone."
Despite significant advancements in space science, much remains unknown. Aderin-Pocock highlighted one major gap in understanding, "The fact we only know what approximately 6% of the universe is made of at this stage is a bit embarrassing". The remaining 94% consists of dark energy and dark matter-mysterious substances yet to be fully understood.
The contrast between scientific breakthroughs and unanswered questions will be central to the 2025 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, a public lecture series established by Michael Faraday in 1825. "It's that sense of wonder and exploration, and the sense that there's so much more to discover", Aderin-Pocock noted. She stressed that scientific progress is not a series of sudden breakthroughs but a gradual journey of discovery.
She pointed out how long-held beliefs, such as Aristotle's geocentric theory, were overturned over time. The work of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Swan Leavitt helped humanity grasp the vast scale of the universe. "And then suddenly we realised that we were so much more insignificant than we ever thought", Aderin-Pocock added. Later, Edwin Hubble demonstrated that the universe is expanding, and the Hubble Space Telescope revealed that around 200 billion galaxies exist.
This year marks the 200th anniversary of three of Faraday's achievements, the Christmas Lectures, the discovery of benzene, and the Friday Evening Discourses, now known as the Ri Discourses. The Royal Institution is launching a year-long celebration, Discover200, featuring historical lecture recreations, a new demonstration show, and the release of past Christmas Lectures on YouTube. Additionally, the institution is inviting the public to share their memories of attending these lectures.
Aderin-Pocock plans to use archival footage, including lectures by Carl Sagan, to showcase how humanity’s understanding of space has evolved.
A major force in reshaping astronomical knowledge is the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), launched on Christmas Day 2021. With its massive 18-segment mirror, the telescope acts as a time machine, capturing light from distant galaxies as they were billions of years ago.
"One of the things that it’s discovering is that galaxies seem to be bigger than we anticipated in the early universe", said Aderin-Pocock. This finding has raised fundamental questions, including whether the laws of physics are constant and whether dark matter truly exists.
Aderin-Pocock has a personal connection to the mission, having worked on the telescope’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph. However, the project is facing budget cuts of up to 20% and further reductions could come from the US Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), overseen by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.
She raised concerns about Musk's role in scrutinising NASA's budget, "It's an odd stance to take to have Musk looking at this, because you need someone independent, you need someone with distance from this. And to me, ideally, someone from a different arena, so that they aren’t caught up in all the baggage that we carry around when we work in an industry, but bring a new light to it. And so the fact that Elon Musk is involved in this seems like a bad idea to me".
Aderin-Pocock acknowledged that private space exploration, what she called the "battle of the billionaires", could accelerate space travel, but she cautioned against a lack of regulation.
"Sometimes it feels a bit like the wild west where people are doing what they want out there, and without the proper constraints I think we could make a mess again", she said. "And again, if there is an opportunity to utilise space for the benefit of humanity, let it be for all of humanity".
Despite these concerns, she supports human missions beyond Earth. "I won't say it's our destiny because that sounds a bit weird, but I think it is our future", she said. "We live on our planet and, I don't want to sound scary, but planets can be vulnerable".
She cited the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs as a reminder of Earth’s fragility. While astronomers monitor space rocks that could pose a threat, there are other dangers that could endanger humanity.
"So I think it makes sense to look out there to where we might have other colonies - on the moon, on Mars and then beyond as well", she said.
With an expanding universe and increasing technological capabilities, the search for extraterrestrial life and human expansion into space remain critical challenges. Aderin-Pocock's upcoming Christmas Lectures will explore these mysteries, inspiring the next generation to continue humanity's journey into the cosmos.
