Stories by Avi Loeb

When you’re unprepared to find exceptional things, you never will

Advanced extraterrestrials may just not be interested in travel or communication

The late, great physicist showed us how to keep embracing life and work even as his physical condition deteriorated

Narrow expertise has its value, but it’s also vital to let scientists step out of their “lanes”

Vastly extended life spans would bring dazzling opportunities—and daunting risks

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory will reveal all sorts of short-term changes in the cosmos—and some could have dire consequences for humanity

The process can be inefficient, but it can also get research out of a rut

We’re inevitably forced to make decisions without knowing all of the facts

It’s a long shot, but could at least some of these energy blasts from across the universe come from extraterrestrial civilizations?

Nature is under no obligation to conform to our mathematical ideas—even the most brilliant ones

The ability to come up with truly revolutionary ideas is crucial—and extremely rare

The “cosmic censorship” hypothesis says they shouldn’t exist—but is it possible that we’ve already detected them and misinterpreted their nature?

Call it the Science Readiness Reserves—a group that will anticipate and prepare for rare but disastrous events such as pandemics, asteroid strikes, and more

We should be grateful for the conditions that allow us to exist at all, because they won’t last forever

It’s because the more we learn, the more questions we find to ask

Social distancing imposes hardships, but it can save many millions of lives

A narrow focus on the latest hot topic can be rewarding—but it’s not necessarily a good long-term strategy

It’s not just good for the students; it’s good for us as well

In principle, an advanced civilization could use blasts of light from exploding stars to accelerate spacecraft to extraordinary speeds

Astronomy and space exploration might offer a new perspective on our purpose in the cosmos

Theoretical models can be complex—but the most successful ones are usually not

It’s unfortunate that some of the most exciting frontiers in modern astrophysics were initially ridiculed as a waste of time

Among other things, practice humility—and remember that nature is the final arbiter of what’s true

A BBC reporter asked. Here’s my answer