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Economic Times
31-07-2025
- Science
- Economic Times
Meet Avi Loeb, the Harvard scientist who says ancient 3I/ATLAS comet is actually an alien ship
Agencies Born in Israel, Loeb earned his PhD in physics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem by the age of 24. A mysterious interstellar object named 3I/ATLAS, discovered on July 1, 2025, has triggered intense discussion among astronomers worldwide. Hurtling through space at over 210,000 km/h and sporting a glowing gas envelope roughly 24 km wide, the object is believed to be billions of years older than our solar system. While many researchers consider it an unusually ancient comet, a provocative theory has come from Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, who suggested it might be more than just ice and dust. In a preprint paper shared on July 16 via arXiv, Loeb — along with a small team of scientists from the UK's Initiative for Interstellar Studies — proposed that 3I/ATLAS could potentially be a technological artifact from an advanced alien civilization. 'The hypothesis in question is that [31/ATLAS] is a technological artifact, and furthermore has active intelligence. If this is the case, then two possibilities follow. First, that its intentions are entirely benign and second, they are malign,' Dr. Loeb, Adam Drowl, and Adam Hibberd, wrote in a paper published on July 17. Loeb later clarified that the idea is a 'pedagogical exercise' rather than a confirmed theory, he warned that if the hypothesis were true, it could lend credibility to the Dark Forest hypothesis — the unsettling notion that alien civilizations stay silent to avoid hostile contact. In a blog post, he cautioned that the consequences for humanity could be dire if we were indeed being observed. Other scientists have pushed back firmly. Darryl Seligman of Michigan State University and Samantha Lawler from the University of Regina have both emphasized that 3I/ATLAS exhibits classical cometary features. Lawler called it 'an ordinary comet ejected from another solar system,' dismissing the alien technology theory as unlikely. Avi Loeb is one of the most well-known — and controversial — voices in astrophysics today. He serves as the Frank B. Baird, Jr., Professor of Science at Harvard University, and is the Director of the Institute for Theory and Computation at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Loeb also leads the Galileo Project, which seeks scientific evidence of extraterrestrial technology near Earth. Born in Israel, Loeb earned his PhD in physics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem by the age of 24. He went on to become a long-term member of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton and has contributed over 1,000 scientific papers, with an h-index of 131. He has written several popular books, including Extraterrestrial and Interstellar , which explore the possibility of alien life and humanity's place in the cosmos. Loeb previously chaired Harvard's Department of Astronomy (2011–2020) and helped launch the Black Hole Initiative. He has advised institutions ranging from the White House's President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) to the Breakthrough Starshot Initiative, a project aimed at interstellar travel. Loeb is known not only for his academic achievements but also for his willingness to challenge conventional thinking — especially on the subject of extraterrestrial intelligence. Whether or not 3I/ATLAS proves to be a sign of alien life, Avi Loeb has once again sparked a global conversation.
Time of India
29-07-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Interstellar comet or alien tech: Is 3I/ATLAS dropping gadgets near other planets? Here's what a Harvard astronomer says
Space is full of mysteries that have not even been discovered so far, and every year, astronomers come across numerous new objects drifting through the vastness of the universe. Be it distant exoplanets with strange atmospheres or fast-moving asteroids that zip past Earth without warning, each of these comes as a surprise to us. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This time, a mysterious object from beyond our solar system, 3I/ATLAS, has ignited a new wave of excitement about the possibility of alien life in space. Since its discovery on July 1, 2025, the interstellar visitor has intrigued astronomers with its high speed and unusual trajectory. Some researchers believe it may be one of the oldest comets ever observed, while a small group, including Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb, from UK's Initiative for Interstellar Studies in a preprint uploaded to arXiv on July 16, 2025. This paper has controversially suggested it could be a piece of extraterrestrial technology sent by an advanced civilization. Does extra-terrestrial civilisation remain elusive? Loeb, who also leads the Galileo Project, an initiative dedicated to finding signs of alien life, described the theory as a 'pedagogical exercise,' meant more as a thought experiment than a confirmed claim. He wrote in a blog post that if 3I/ATLAS were a 'technological artifact,' it might support the dark forest hypothesis, which suggests extraterrestrial civilizations remain silent to avoid detection by potential threats. 'The consequences, should the hypothesis turn out to be correct, could potentially be dire for humanity,' he warned. However, scientists strongly disagree. According to Darryl Seligman, an astronomer at Michigan State University, 'There have been numerous telescopic observations of 3I/ATLAS suggesting that it's displaying classical signatures of cometary activity,' as reported by Live Science. Samantha Lawler, an astronomer at the University of Regina, added that 3I/ATLAS is most likely 'an ordinary comet that was ejected from another solar system. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now ' NASA has confirmed the discovery of a new interstellar comet, 3I/ATLAS, speeding through our solar system. Spotted by a telescope in Hawaii, the object is likely the biggest yet. It will pass near Mars in October and offers scientists a rare look at materials from another star system. What sets this comet apart from others of its type? The object, traveling at over 2,10,000 km/h, appears to be a massive comet with a coma or an envelope of gas and dust stretching up to 24 km, according to the International Gemini Observatory. Astronomers believe it could be as much as 3 billion years older than our solar system. The paper's authors point to 3I/ATLAS's strange trajectory and speed, noting it entered the solar system from a different angle than previous interstellar visitors like 'Oumuamua or Comet Borisov. Loeb also speculated that the object could avoid detection when closest to the Sun in October by staying hidden on the far side, suggesting it may be dropping off alien 'gadgets' near other planets. Despite Loeb admitting that the alien theory is a long shot, many experts have criticized the speculation. Chris Lintott of the University of Oxford called it 'nonsense on stilts,' saying, 'It's an insult to the exciting work going on to understand this object,' as quoted by Live Science.
Time of India
27-07-2025
- Science
- Time of India
‘Is it a comet, a probe, or something else?' Meet 3I/ATLAS, the strange interstellar object baffling everyone
— UAPWatchers (@UAPWatchers) Live Events — coreyspowell (@coreyspowell) — latestinspace (@latestinspace) — ClintonDesveaux (@ClintonDesveaux) — UAPWatchers (@UAPWatchers) (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel A mysterious interstellar object , named 3I/ATLAS , is hurtling toward the Sun at over 130,000 mph, and scientists can't agree on what exactly it on July 1, 3I/ATLAS is the third known interstellar visitor to enter our solar system, following 2017's Oumuamua and 2019's Borisov. It measures about 15 miles wide, making it larger than some astronomers suggest it's a comet made of water ice and organic compounds like silicates—similar to asteroids found in the outer regions of the solar system's main belt—others aren't convinced it's natural at astrophysicist Avi Loeb, known for his bold theories about extraterrestrial intelligence , has again stirred debate. Along with researchers Adam Hibberd and Adam Crowl from the Initiative for Interstellar Studies, Loeb has proposed that 3I/ATLAS may be an alien probe , pointing to its unusual trajectory and exceptionally high speed, even greater than ?Oumuamua' team speculates that such characteristics could offer "advantages to extraterrestrial intelligence," suggesting the object's path might be optimized for some theorists believe the object is older than our solar system, possibly carrying water that predates Earth. Loeb notes that 3I/ATLAS will pass close to Mars, Jupiter, and Venus, which, he argues, could provide a discreet opportunity to deploy surveillance it makes its closest approach to the Sun in late November, 3I/ATLAS will no longer be visible from Earth—a detail Loeb says could be intentional to avoid detection during its brightest phase.'If it's a technological artifact,' Loeb adds, 'it could support the Dark Forest theory'—a concept suggesting that alien civilizations stay silent to avoid being discovered by potentially hostile warns that if this theory holds, defensive measures might be necessary, though the object is moving too fast for any Earth-based spacecraft to intercept before it exits the Solar discovery has triggered a storm of speculation on social media, especially on X (formerly Twitter).One post read: 'Hubble just captured 3I/ATLAS and it's weirder than anyone expected! It looks like a comet, it flies like a probe—and it might not be natural at all.'Another conspiracy theory account added: 'Is this Project Bluebeam in action? The mainstream media is pushing the 'hostile alien object' narrative. 3I/ATLAS could be an invader comet, just like ?Oumuamua before it mysteriously slingshotted around the Sun and left the system at an unnatural speed.'Whether comet or craft, 3I/ATLAS continues to fuel a heated debate—raising scientific curiosity and interstellar suspicion in equal measure.
