Professor Loeb has been at the centre of criticism due to his wild alien theories – but he has shared some concerning thoughts about a currently unexplained interstellar object
A Harvard professor suggested that a strange interstellar object hurtling towards Earth could have been sent by aliens to test our intelligence. Professor Loeb has been vocal on his theories – but many scientists have branded his suggestions as ridiculous.
Unsure of what the new interstellar visitor is, scientists dubbed the object 3I/ATLAS. The interstellar matter looks like a comet heading towards Earth. In fact, that is the leading theory for NASA, who claim the object will not even meet our planet.
But Loeb has shared several theories that suggest the object is there by “technological design”. In a new blog post, he explored the theory that it was in fact aliens who sent it.
He wrote: “It is well known to any interstellar traveler that there are plenty of icy rocks in planetary systems. These constitute the leftover building blocks from the construction process of the planets.”
Loeb continued: “For that reason, an alien might assume that any intelligent observer on Earth must be familiar with space rocks as they impact the Earth on a regular basis”.
The professor previously suggested that we humans should send a message to the object to extend a hand of friendship to the potential visitors. His chosen Morse code message would be: “Hello, welcome to our neighbourhood. Peace!”
He has since doubled down on this suggestion, in fear it would be perceived as threatening to the technologically advanced civilisation. Loeb noted that these aliens could also view us as we would view cavemen – far less evolved.
Speaking on the object, Loeb said: “As an optimist, I prefer to approach it with a positive mindset. How we follow the initial greeting with alien intelligence would depend on the data we gather.”
3I/ATLAS is currently heading towards the inner solar system at 135,000 miles per hour. It is also known that the object will disappear behind the sun in September, and will not return into telescope view until November or December.
Loeb warns that this could be a sign of aliens – as the object could simply be avoiding Earth’s radars and telescopes. He explained: “It could come to save us or to destroy us. We better be prepared for both possibilities and verify that all interstellar objects are just rocks.”
He even suggested this strange movement – which goes against the natural flow of the solar system – could be a “defensive manoeuvre,” as if an alien ship would be trying to avoid a certain route.
However, Chris Lintott, an astronomer at the University of Oxford, has dismissed his claims, calling them “absolute nonsense”.
He told Live Science that the theory about an alien probe is an “insult to the exciting work that is being done to understand this object”.
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