That amazing new telescope sees across 13 billion light-years, yet we struggle to see what’s right in front of us. To peer into the universe in 2022 was to see an endless supply of time and space and energy. And yet, somehow, everything down here on this rock felt crumbly, tenuous, at a precipice of death, winding itself down: democracy, sanity, peace. The operating status of Twitter, the value of crypto. A reign ended. Ye suspended. Ukraine defended. A pandemic forever extended.
So, uh, happy new year! Cue the “Midnights,” even if it’s impossible to shake the feeling that you’re in a race to outlast a head of lettuce, while a British tabloid wagers that you won’t. Don’t worry, darling, we’ve spotted something. Way out there, unfurling and brilliant in its universal wisdom. It can only be one thing, pulsing with valuable insight: My God, it’s the List, and it’s full of stars.
