Harvard professor suggests aliens may have visited us
Prof. Avi Loeb, a researcher from Harvard University, often referred to as one of the most controversial astrophysicists admits that an alien civilization may have already visited our Solar System. He also shares his thoughts on how our potential encounter with "aliens" could unfold. - If they reach us before we discover them, they will likely be far more advanced than we are, and we wouldn't pose any threat to them. He notes that studying their science and technology could significantly advance our knowledge.
Prof. Loeb's work at Harvard University focuses on the search for extraterrestrial life and cosmology. His bold hypotheses often stir debate and skepticism among his peers. Nevertheless, he persists in his quest to discover evidence of alien civilizations. In response to whether an extraterrestrial civilization could have visited our Solar System, he believes it is within the realms of possibility.
The objects in question are meteor IM1, `Oumuamua, and comet Borisov. Loeb recalls the first object, around half a metre in size, collided with Earth in 2014. It was identified by sensors on satellites operated by the United States government. He highlighted that it travelled faster than 95% of the stars near the Sun and had a greater material strength than iron meteorites, only disintegrating in the lower layers of the atmosphere.
The second object, `Oumuamua, was roughly 200 metres in size and was discovered in 2017 by the Pan-STARRS survey telescope in Hawaii. According to Loeb, it had an unusual, likely flat shape, and was propelled away from the Sun. `Oumuamua exhibited a high acceleration rate without the typical signs of evaporation seen in comets. The third object, the interstellar comet Borisov, with a core hundreds of metres in length, was discovered by amateur astronomer Gennady Borisov in 2019.
Loeb argues that such scientific endeavours could reveal whether the interstellar objects entering our space are merely natural celestial bodies or include technological space debris, as opposed to only the man-made objects we've launched so far.
Meeting with alien civilizations
Searching for even the slightest evidence of life in space proves challenging, as demonstrated by NASA's efforts on Mars, which continues to unveil its secrets. Discovering signs of advanced alien civilizations presents an even more formidable challenge. Nonetheless, Loeb sees such potential encounters as highly beneficial. - I believe coming across a more intelligent entity in our cosmic neighbourhood could be a valuable learning opportunity for us. If they find us first, they will likely be much more technologically advanced, rendering us no threat. By learning from their science and technology, we could make leaps in our progress - he maintains.
Additionally, Prof. Loeb suggests that artificial intelligence could play a crucial role in our search for extraterrestrial civilizations. As he explains: - Artificial intelligence could help us decipher their language, mirroring how Alan Turing used the first computer system to crack the Nazi Enigma code -.
