The Big Story A cosmic rock or an alien threat? Introducing: 3I/ATLAS
Nov 24, 2025
Avi Loeb, a renowned theoretical physicist and Harvard professor, joins to discuss the intriguing interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS. He highlights its peculiar anomalies, which some believe hint at extraterrestrial origins. Loeb explains how the object’s unusual brightness and trajectory provide exciting observations, even suggesting the possibility of technological jets. He urges a targeted search for technosignatures and emphasizes the importance of global cooperation in space defense if this object proves to be artificial. Intriguing possibilities abound!
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Anomalies Demand Evidence-Based Inquiry
- 3I/ATLAS shows at least a dozen anomalies that don't match past comets and demand explanation.
- Avi Loeb urges collecting evidence rather than dismissing unlikely possibilities based on prejudice.
Brightness Implies Unusually Large Object
- Initial brightness implied a city-sized object if sunlight reflection alone explained it.
- That size and expected rarity make its detection puzzling unless dust or targeted arrival explains it.
Orbit Aligned With Planetary Plane
- 3I/ATLAS's path lies within five degrees of the planets' plane, a 1-in-500 chance if random.
- That alignment places it optimally to be observed by many spacecraft and raises questions about targeting.