Avi Loeb, the chair of Harvard’s department of astronomy, is releasing a new book titled “Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life,” on Jan. 26. And it has quite an interesting claim that has made headlines.
The book presents Loeb’s theory that a mysterious space object discovered in October of 2017 was actually “a piece of advanced technology created by a distant alien civilization” (via Fox News).
The mysterious object, dubbed “Oumuamua” — which means “pathfinder” or “scout” in Hawaiian — is reportedly a 900-foot long, shiny, cigar-shaped object that astronomers presumed was an oddly shaped comet.
Oumuamua left our solar system in early 2018, but astronomers and researchers spent hundreds of hours studying the object’s characteristics while it was still in range.
According to the New York Post, the object’s strange dimensions, intense brightness and unusual speed are key reasons why Loeb is convinced that Oumuamua is alien technology.
Astronomy Magazine recently posted an artist’s depiction of a mysterious object on Twitter:
Loeb wasn’t a fan of the classification of the object as a comet, though. The professor stated that assuming the object is a comet might allow “the familiar to define what we might discover,” according to the New York Post.
The professor clarified his point with a question. “What would happen if a caveman saw a cellphone?” he asked. “He’s seen rocks all his life, and he would have thought it was just a shiny rock.”
Loeb is well aware that his theory has caused a bit of controversy in the scientific community. A review in Publishers Weekly labels the new book a “contentious manifesto,” according to Business Insider.
The professor noted that many individuals in his field “do not want to discuss the possibility that there are other civilizations out there. They believe we are special and unique. I think it’s a prejudice that should be abandoned,” he said, according to Fox News.
However, some experts do offer support. On the book jacket for “Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life,” readers can find a short blurb written by Anne Wojcicki, the CEO and co-founder of 23andMe.
Wojcicki wrote (via Business Insider):
“(Loeb’s book) convinces you that scientific curiosity is key to our future success,” she wrote. Wojcicki added that the book is an “exciting and eloquent case that we might have seen a sign of intelligent life near Earth — and that we should search further.”