What is the meaning of life? It is the eternalLasting forever. question. For as long as human beings have walked on this Earth, we have been trying to answer it. Some people think that every year, we get a little bit closer to an answer.

Here are five big stories about what it means to be from this year:

1. Don't die. For tech millionaire Bryan Johnson, the meaning of life is simply that: to keep living. He believes he can keep his body young forever with a strict diet and lots of medical help.

2. Leave a mark. The Pyramids of GizaThree Ancient Egyptian pyramids built near the Nile River. have stood for more than 4,500 years. In May researchers discovered an ancient part of the River NileThe longest river in the world, passing through eleven different countries. It is an exceptionally old river, thought to have existed in some form for 23 million years. Egyptian civilisations have sustained themselves on the Nile, whose floodplain creates very fertile soil, for 7500 years. that they believe was used to ferry stone to its building site.

3. Finding other life. In the last few months of the year, a number of countries have seen unexplained objects in the sky. Some think we could be close to finding life outside our planet.

4. Choose our death. A vote by politiciansSomeone whose job it is to be involved in running a country. Politicians try to persuade people they have the best ideas to run the country. means assisted dyinghelping a person to end their life could soon be legalSomething that is legal is allowed by the law. in the UK. Some think having the choice when to die will help people to think about why it is that they live.

5. Ancient roots. We now know that humans were working together more than 300,000 years ago, trading dyes and tools across Africa. Perhaps, some think, the meaning of life really is to be found in working with other people.

Are we closer to having an answer?

Yes! We can find the meaning of life by studying where we came from and what it means to die. HumanityAll human beings. has done both this year.

No! We all have to work out the meaning of life for ourselves. In fact, the meaning of life could be very different for different people.