Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

Is 3I/ATLAS Alien Technolgy? Avi Loeb & MIchael Shermer DEBATE

32 snips
Sep 9, 2025
Guest
Michael Shermer
Guest
Avi Loeb
Avi Loeb, a Harvard astrophysicist leading the Galileo Project, teams up with Michael Shermer, founder of Skeptic magazine, for a riveting discussion about the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS. They explore its unusual chemical signature and trajectory, fueling exciting speculations about potential alien technology. Loeb proposes it might be engineered rather than natural, while Shermer critically examines the evidence supporting such a bold claim. Their debate weaves through the complexities of science, skepticism, and the quest for extraterrestrial life.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
00:00 / 00:00

Public Fascination And Unlikely Fans

  • Avi Loeb recounts public reactions: a former pilot's daughter inspired to become a scientist and a NASCAR racer wanting Loeb's image on his car.
  • He uses these anecdotes to show public fascination with 3I/ATLAS.
00:00 / 00:00

Anomalous Properties Of 3I/ATLAS

  • Avi Loeb highlights anomalies of 3I/ATLAS: large inferred size, CO2-dominated coma, no tail, and unusual trajectory alignment.
  • These combined mismatches with typical interstellar-comet expectations motivate considering non-natural origins.
00:00 / 00:00

Unusual Chemistry Raises Questions

  • Spectroscopy reportedly shows nickel without iron and a CO2-dominated plume, unusual versus solar-system comets.
  • Loeb flags nickel-without-iron as industrial-like and worth deeper scrutiny rather than dismissal.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app