Avi Loeb he prolific Harvard astrophysicist, dances on the edge of cosmic controversy. His research spans black holes, gamma-ray bursts, and the early universe, but it’s his extraterrestrial musings that have set tongues wagging. What he is right about is if alien intelligences exist one of the most interesting things, they could find would be another technological alien species.  If they exist it makes sense that they would observe us from time to time.  Space is full of a whole lot of nothing alive, then a whole lot of single cell life, and technological complex multi cellular life seems rare.   That would make us interesting.
  

So far however he has been wrong about the signs of this he's looked for. 

The 'Omuamua Enigma

In 2017, astronomers worldwide trained their telescopic eyes on an enigmatic interstellar visitor: 'Oumuamua. This celestial scout, a 100-meter-long cigar or pancake, defied easy classification. Its brightness—shinier than our typical space rocks—hinted at burnished metal. And as it sped away from the sun, it accelerated mysteriously, defying gravitational norms.

Avi Loeb, ever the cosmic troubadour, spun a sensational tale: 'Oumuamua was a light sail, perhaps a relic from a long-lost galactic civilization. To him, the evidence had found us—an artifact of extraterrestrial intelligence.

Trace Evidence and Missteps

Loeb champions the search for techno signatures—traces left by cosmic civilizations. After all, our own society etches its mark on Earth and beyond. But caution is key. The metallic spherules he found on the ocean floor, once linked to a meteorite impact, now seem unrelated. A misinterpretation of seismic data led him astray.

Funding and Fairness

Yet, beyond celestial mysteries, a terrestrial drama unfolds. Research funding, like cosmic stardust, shapes scientific trajectories. Ivy league institutions often hold the purse strings, favoring the privileged. But diversity and inclusion demand a broader stage. Those outside the ivory tower deserve a shot, especially when venturing beyond the known.

In the cosmic ballet of science, let us seek truth, trace evidence, and grant opportunities for all. For in the vast expanse, answers await—whether whispered by distant stars or etched in the sands of time123.

References:

  1. Astronomer Avi Loeb Says Aliens Have Visited, and He’s Not Kidding (Scientific American)
  2. Avi Loeb and ‘Oumuamua. Why the controversy? (EarthSky)
  3. Professor Avi Loeb: ‘It would be arrogant to think we’re alone in the universe’ (The Guardian)
ONE MORE THING.As I was finishing up this blog post I wanted to find a nice image to go with it. So, I used Bing's image search for some reason well ... it brings up this.The funny part is it clearly knows who I am looking for and it's not the adult images.