OpinionNovember 4, 2019
Did Life from Earth Escape the Solar System Eons Ago?
There’s no proof that it happened—but it’s not impossible
Stories by Avi Loeb
Avi Loeb is the head of the Galileo Project, director of the Institute for Theory and Computation at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, founding director of Harvard University’s Black Hole Initiative, and the former chair of the Harvard astronomy department (2011-2020). He is a former member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and a former chair of the Board on Physics and Astronomy of the National Academies. He has published more than a thousand peer-reviewed papers and is the bestselling author of Extraterrestrial and Interstellar and a co-author of the textbooks Life in the Cosmos and The First Galaxies in the Universe.
OpinionOctober 8, 2019
Science Is Not about Getting More “Likes”
Extraordinary groupthink leads to extraordinary ignorance
OpinionSeptember 25, 2019
The Moon as a Fishing Net for Extraterrestrial Life
Its surface could, in principle, preserve the remains of organisms or even technology from beyond our solar system
Space & PhysicsSeptember 6, 2019
The Only Thing That Remains Constant Is Change
What's true for our own lives is also true for the universe
PolicyAugust 14, 2019
A Scientist Must Go where the Evidence Leads
When our cherished ideas are contradicted by the facts, we must avoid the human tendency to double down on those ideas
PolicyJuly 16, 2019
Who Should Pay for “Moon Shots”?
The federal government must step up funding of science and technology R&D
Space & PhysicsJuly 3, 2019
It Takes a Village to Declassify an Error Bar
Identifying an interstellar meteorite—‘Oumuamua’s cousin—required a national-security waiver
Space & PhysicsJune 3, 2019
In Search of Green Dwarfs
A new idea in the quest to find life beyond Earth
PolicyMay 14, 2019
Should Scientists Keep Their Private Debates Private?
No—the give-and-take that happens behind the scenes is an essential part of the scientific process
Space & PhysicsMay 6, 2019
'Oumuamua's Cousin?
A search of a meteor-detection archive reveals a possible second interstellar visitor
PolicyApril 22, 2019
When Lab Experiments Carry Theological Implications
Efforts to create new life-forms—and new universes—will raise profound questions
PolicyApril 8, 2019
How to Keep Scientific Innovation Alive
Thinking outside the box is as important for science as it is for a business start-up
PolicyMarch 22, 2019
The Humanities and the Future
Our descendants’ lives will be intertwined with advanced technologies—and that will revitalize non-technological disciplines such as philosophy
OpinionMarch 11, 2019
Living Near a Supermassive Black Hole
It would pose some dangers, of course—but it could also be fun!
Space & PhysicsMarch 4, 2019
Are We Really the Smartest Kid on the Cosmic Block?
It’s unlikely, and if we keep thinking otherwise, we might be missing some important clues about the existence of extraterrestrial life
OpinionFebruary 15, 2019
Be Kind to Extraterrestrials
We need to tread lightly if we encounter alien ecosystems
Space & PhysicsJanuary 26, 2019
Advanced Extraterrestrials as an Approximation to God
Our first encounter with E.T. technology could be as baffling to us as a smartphone would have been to a Neandertal
Space & PhysicsJanuary 10, 2019
Our Future in Space Will Echo Our Future on Earth
A spacefaring civilization can be expected to transform its home planet
OpinionDecember 19, 2018
How to Approach the Problem of 'Oumuamua
The first interstellar object ever found provides an excellent test of the scientific process
Space & PhysicsNovember 20, 2018
6 Strange Facts about the Interstellar Visitor 'Oumuamua
Space & PhysicsNovember 9, 2018
Seeking the Truth When the Consensus Is against You
You should always listen to the experts—except when you shouldn’t
The SciencesOctober 18, 2018
Making the Church Taller
We should not accept our notions of reality as given, but always make them better
Space & PhysicsSeptember 27, 2018
How to Search for Dead Cosmic Civilizations
If they’re short-lived, we might be able to detect the relics and artifacts they left behind
The SciencesSeptember 10, 2018
The Fate of Free Will: When Science Crosses Swords with Philosophy
In some domains the two knowledge systems are complementary, but in others they might be headed for conflict