Techmeme Ride Home (Bonus) Harvard's Top Astronomer Avi Loeb On Oumuamua
Jan 23, 2021
Avi Loeb, Harvard's top astronomer and author of "Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth," delves into the peculiarities of Oumuamua, the first known interstellar object. He argues it may be an alien craft with a solar sail mechanism. Loeb also discusses a groundbreaking initiative to send a small probe to another star within 20 years, promising data from distant worlds. This conversation raises fascinating questions about the nature of extraterrestrial life and the future of space exploration.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Oumuamua's Discovery and Peculiarities
- In 2017, the Pan-STARRS telescope discovered the first interstellar object, named 'Oumuamua.
- It exhibited unusual properties, like no cometary tail despite an extra push in its trajectory.
'Oumuamua's Potential Artificial Origin
- Avi Loeb suggests 'Oumuamua's unusual shape, trajectory, and lack of outgassing point to an artificial origin.
- Natural explanations, like a hydrogen iceberg or dust bunny, are improbable due to interstellar travel constraints.
'Oumuamua's Unusual Speed and Position
- 'Oumuamua's unusual speed and its position relative to the Local Standard of Rest are highly improbable.
- It moved as if stationary, like a buoy, and could be part of a larger interstellar grid or debris.
