06/19/2023

Intelligent life is out there, according to this implausible treatise. Harvard astronomer Loeb (Extraterrestrial) urges humanity to take a greater initiative in seeking out extraterrestrial civilizations (“ETCs”) because they “may only wish to be discovered by a civilization capable of doing so” and may have already left “artifacts” on Earth waiting to be discovered. He argues that an interstellar object detected passing through our solar system in 2017 was likely manufactured by aliens, given its unusually flat shape and slow velocity, and laments that scientists didn’t have more sophisticated instruments to study it. To better prepare for potential brushes with ETCs, Loeb stresses the need for observatories dedicated to examining “small near-Earth objects” and more government funding for such projects as the 2023 expedition he’s leading to retrieve fragments of an interstellar meteor—the toughness of which, he suggests, indicates it might be an alien artifact—that landed in the Pacific Ocean in 2014. Loeb makes some questionable assumptions (“The fastest way to ascend the ladder of civilizations is to” receive a hand from more advanced aliens), and his “anything’s possible” attitude will do little to sway skeptics, as when he likens the search for aliens to looking for lost car keys: “The more concerted the effort to find them the more likely, and quickly, you will.” This doesn’t quite convince. (Aug.)

The world's leading alien hunter: Avi Loeb’s single-minded search for extraterrestrial life has made him the most famous practicing astronomer in the country." — New York Times Magazine

"Interstellar is a deliciously provocative and deeply optimistic book. Avi Loeb invites us to reimagine our place in the universe, confront urgent questions about our future, and remember that scientific curiosity is key to our survival.” — Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Drive and The Power of Regret

"[A] hopeful and thought-provoking vision for humanity's interstellar future" — Max Tegmark, professor at MIT, bestselling author of Life 3.0 and Our Mathematical Future

“Is humanity prepared to meet its neighbors? In this brilliant, provocative, and beautifully-written book, leading astronomer and extraterrestrial evangelist, Avi Loeb, says we better get ready—and soon. So buckle up and start reading!”
— Daniel Gilbert; Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology, Harvard University; author of the New York Times best-seller Stumbling on Happiness

“A must-read for anyone that has ever been haunted by the question, 'Are we alone?'” — Nia Imara, professor of astronomy at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and artist

“So interesting… I recommend [Extraterrestrial] to people who have any interest in this extraordinary subject of life existing in other places than on Earth.” — William Shatner on Extraterrestrial

Interstellar is a deliciously provocative and deeply optimistic book.”

2023-06-20
What will be our interstellar future?

In 2021, astrophysicist Loeb, the chair of Harvard’s department of astronomy, recently shook up the astronomical world with his book Extraterrestrial, in which he argued that some kind of artifact from deep space recently passed through Earth’s solar system. In this follow-up, the author delves into our possible reactions when we encounter even more evidence of extraterrestrial civilization. Loeb believes that life exists elsewhere, looming beyond us like Oz, that it began long before Earth was born, and that other forms of life may be billions of years ahead of us—or extinct. He laments that we have not prioritized the search for extraterrestrial technology and unidentified anomalous phenomena. Here and elsewhere, politicians have failed to push for further research, as have many scientists, Loeb notes with chagrin. “The fastest way to ascend the ladder of civilizations is to reach in hopeful expectation of another civilization (even if only by way of a long-discarded artifact) extending us a hand up,” writes the author. He discusses in detail his ambitious Galileo Project, which seeks to identify UAP in space, perhaps on Earth and even under the ocean. Loeb consistently argues that “humanity, if it wants to persist, will need to leave this planet. The cosmic clock is ticking. In a few billion years, the Sun will begin to die and life as we know it on Earth will perish.” Throughout, he rambles widely across a variety of topics, including the idea of interstellar Xenia, or hospitality—we should welcome visitors even if they’re just hardware and AI. “To those concerned that AI’s arrival augurs humanity’s annihilation,” he writes, “I urge optimism.” As for dark matter, we still don’t know what it is. Loeb is an excellent motivational speaker for the importance of science, but this occasionally dry text lacks the exploratory drama of his previous book.

Studded with intriguing insights but mostly for fellow believers.