ALIEN HUNTERS

JD Savage blasts off on an out-of-this world quest to find life beyond Earth's borders.

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If you had control of this magazine, what would you want to see in it? That’s the question we asked YOU in our reader survey in March. “The wonders of space and space exploration” came in second place, so we thought we’d give you even more of the stuff you like.

Did know there are professional alien hunters? It’s true – although they don’t command starships and carry laser guns. Instead, these intrepid cosmic explorers survey the skies, relentlessly hunting for signals from intelligent alien civilisations, or seeking the unmistakable signs of life on distant planets. This is long, patient work – so bring some sandwiches.

Creatures from outer space

Alien is our most popular word for an extraterrestrial lifeform – a being from a place that isn’t Earth. Nobody yet knows if life exists on other planets, but the idea of aliens has always sent our imaginations soaring. No wonder.

If our investigators do pick up a cosmic “Hello” it will be a massive moment in human history – proof that we’re not alone in the universe. But are humans prepared for this possibility, and will people know how to react?

In 2023, the subject of creatures from outer space hit news headlines like a crash-landing UFO. David Grusch, a former military intelligence official, claimed that the US government has a secret stash of alien spacecraft, including a 12-metre-long craft that – like Doctor Who’s trusty TARDIS – is much bigger on the inside. Grusch said that not only has the government been hiding these craft from the public, they also have some of the non-human pilots.