Harvard researchers see alien potential in mysterious object
Is the interstellar object known as “‘Oumuamua” a sign of extraterrestrial life? Avi Loeb, chair of Harvard’s Astronomy Department, isn’t surprised that his idea has drawn skepticism. All the same, he notes, progress begins with an open mind. “This is how science works,” said Loeb. “We make a conjecture … and if someone else advances another explanation, we will compare notes and the next time we see an object of this type we will hopefully be able to tell the difference. That’s the process by which science makes progress.” Loeb, also the Frank B. Baird Jr. Professor of Science, collaborated with postdoctoral fellow Shmuel Bialy on a paper suggesting that ‘Oumuamua may be a lightsail created by an alien civilization. “When I first heard about ‘Oumuamua, this idea was in the back of my mind,” Loeb said. “So I approached Shmuel and said, ‘Let’s see whether sunlight can push this’ … because there...