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Galaxy GN-z11 is the most distant object ever observed. Its light travels an astonishing 33.6 billion light-years to reach us. But what we see isn't the galaxy as it exists now — we're seeing it as it was 13.4 billion years ago. That light has been racing through space since nearly the dawn of time, a kind of cosmic postcard from the ancient universe.

CrowdScience listener Robert wants to know: How long can light last? Can it live forever? And could he trap it in a box?

To find out, Anand Jagatia heads to the Sphinx Observatory high in the Swiss Alps. Up here, researchers peer deep into space and time, detecting the fingerprints of alien atmospheres by analysing the light that passes through them. It's a reminder that light is capable of travelling across massive distances — but it also transports information.

But what is light, really? In a physics lab, Anand gets close and personal with the photon, the fundamental particle of light. It has no mass, doesn't age, and in the right conditions — like the vacuum of space — it could travel forever. Photons don’t decay or wear out. They’re effectively immortal, unless something gets in their way.

And if it is immortal, could be trapped forever? Not quite — but scientists can come close. Using near-perfect mirrored cavities, researchers have managed to bounce photons back and forth for seconds, even minutes in some quantum experiments. That may not sound long, but for a photon moving at light speed, it’s millions of laps around its tiny cage.

Can Anand really help Robert to trap light in a box?