A Harvard professor’s book came out this week, reigniting the debate about the origins of the interstellar object known as Oumuamua, or 1I/2017 U1. From the book cover:
In late 2017, scientists at a Hawaiian observatory glimpsed an object soaring through our inner solar system, moving so quickly that it could only have come from another star. Avi Loeb, Harvard’s top astronomer, showed it was not an asteroid; it was moving too fast along a strange orbit, and left no trail of gas or debris in its wake. There was only one conceivable explanation: the object was a piece of advanced technology created by a distant alien civilization.
Professor Loeb is a passionate and brave scientist. His bold claims perhaps put at risk his credibility with his more orthodox colleagues, but he has credibility in droves to start with and his theory continues to enjoy attention in the mainstream media making him difficult to ignore.
He makes an engaging case in the below interview with Lex Fridman. It’s a long and fascinating conversation but the video is queued up to begin at the discussion of Oumuamua.
This shows the breadth and depth of Loeb’s understanding of the topic as on top of the physics he discusses the implications for religion and society as a whole.
For a fuller look at the subject check out this piece on The Debrief: Does ‘Oumuamua Prove Science Doesn’t Want To Find Aliens?