Our Cosmic Neighborhood

When It Comes to Interstellar Travel, There Are Both Hazards and Benefits

Avi Loeb·November 2, 2022

There will be both good and bad for any future earthlings or technologies of our design that may engage in interstellar travel.

The Arrow of Cosmic Time: From Simplicity to Complexity and Back

Avi Loeb·October 31, 2022

During a recent lecture at the University of Michigan that I gave, I was asked why the arrow of cosmic time is characterized by a transition from simplicity to complexity.

The NASA UAP Study: A New Calculation On the Fly

Avi Loeb·October 25, 2022

Astronomer Avi Loeb shares his thoughts following a recent meeting in Washington with members of the forthcoming NASA UAP Study.

Gravitational Propulsion: Could We Travel Through Space by Manipulating Dark Energy?

Avi Loeb·October 21, 2022

Could gravitational propulsion enable us to traverse the stars by manipulating the cosmic dark energy that makes the vacuum?

What went wrong on Mars? Life is Hard Work, But Luck Helps

Avi Loeb·October 14, 2022

It is often said that “life was better in the good old days.” Avi Loeb explains why this definitely holds true for Mars.

Do Astronomers Exist on Other Habitable Planets?

Avi Loeb·October 11, 2022

Could astronomers also be a possibility on distant habitable exoplanets, much like the ones who study exoplanets from here on Earth?

Open Science and Unidentified Aerial Phenomena

Avi Loeb·October 6, 2022

Avi Loeb weighs in on the recent controversial Ukrainian UAP study and reactions to it from other commentators.

Rogue Planets: Potential Hosts to Life and Other Mysteries?

Avi Loeb·October 4, 2022

If interstellar travel agencies were to sell tickets for a ride on these relativistic planets, I would be first in line to board them.

Technologies of Interstellar Origin: Picking the “Fruits” of Intelligence

Avi Loeb·September 28, 2022

Finding the products of technological engines produced by intelligence from afar could inspire humans to focus on our ambitious future in space.

The Discovery of a Second Interstellar Meteor

Meter-Size Interstellar Objects Are Much Tougher than Solar System Rocks!

Avi Loeb·September 23, 2022

In a new paper with student Amir Siraj, Avi Loeb says they have identified a second interstellar meteor, IM2, in the CNEOS fireball catalog of NASA.

Reality On Demand: Why Humans Are Not Scientific Detectors

Avi Loeb·September 16, 2022

In today’s popularity contests, it is important to remember reality is whatever it is, irrespective of how many “likes” it gets on Twitter.We don't get whatever version of reality we desire "on demand."

A Meeting with ‘Oumuamua at the Venice Film Festival

Avi Loeb·September 14, 2022

On September 3, 2022, the 79th Venice Film Festival hosted a session titled “Meeting with `Oumuamua” at the Excelsior Hotel in Venice.

The Scissors of Academic Review

Avi Loeb·September 9, 2022

Avi Loeb examines the recurring phenomenon of “experts” using academic review to dismiss novel ideas to protect their intellectual territory.

Messages Carried by Ripples in Space and Time

Avi Loeb·September 6, 2022

Could humans one day detect artificially-produced bursts of gravitational waves, used for communication among advanced technological civilizations?

Wish Upon a Star

Avi Loeb·August 29, 2022

Imagine if every human that ever lived had a star of their own; how would this broaden our individual sense of our place in the cosmos?

The Gifts of Active Galactic Nuclei

Avi Loeb·August 24, 2022

Since metals seed life, galactic nuclei may offer these benefits if the seeds can ever blossom and become sentient civilizations.

What Came First: the Astro-Chicken or the Cosmic Egg?

Avi Loeb·August 23, 2022

Do we live in a galactic environment that contains self-replicating von Neumann probes? The best way to find out is to look around.

The Enigmatic Cosmos: Universal Laws and Life on Other Worlds

Avi Loeb·August 16, 2022

Astronomer Avi Loeb looks at the nature of scientific knowledge, as he discusses dark matter, the universe, and life on other worlds.

Extraterrestrial Intelligence: What is Our Rating on the Cosmic Dating Scene?

Avi Loeb·August 13, 2022

Avi Loeb shares his insights on the first Galileo Project conference and the scientific search for the relics left behind by extraterrestrial intelligence.

Cosmic Origins: When Did the First Stars Form?

Avi Loeb·August 8, 2022

Stars could not have existed during early phases of the universe because the extreme heat would have dispersed them. Hence, the question: When did the first stars form?

Interstellar Archaeology: The Search for Non-Terrestrial Artifacts

Avi Loeb·August 5, 2022

If anomalous, non-terrestrial artifacts exist in space, using the best tools at our disposal through "interstellar archaeology" may find them.

The Bright Side of the Moon

Avi Loeb·July 27, 2022

Interstellar travel would require major investments. Instead, first we should examine the objects that arrive in our solar system from interstellar space.

Life Not As We Know It: Probing the Nature of Dark Matter

Avi Loeb·July 26, 2022

If any civilizations out there use dark matter or dark energy to fuel their spacecraft, they may be harder to detect than we might assume.

The First Bits of the Cosmos Caught in Webb’s Web

Avi Loeb·July 19, 2022

Could new data being obtained by the James Webb Space Telescope confirm past forecasts about our universe?

Looking to the Skies, Astronomers Assemble the New Eyes and Brain of the Galileo Project

Avi Loeb·July 14, 2022

The new telescopes of the Galileo Project provide a unique observatory with innovative capabilities. What will they help us learn about UAP?

Sunlight and the Extinction of Gamma-Rays

Avi Loeb·July 10, 2022

Our ultimate cosmic destiny is to become dark matter. For now, let’s enjoy the light show while it lasts.

Quantum-Gravity Engineers of the Future May Find Local and Extraterrestrial Opportunities

Avi Loeb·July 6, 2022

Decades after a Quantum-Gravity theory will be discovered, there might be job advertisements for engineers who use it to build vehicles that would carry humans to the stars faster than imagined before.

Dark Matter and The “Unsung Heroes” of Our Cosmic Past

Avi Loeb·June 30, 2022

Dark matter is one of the "unsung heroes", that reflects our level of ignorance about our cosmic roots.

Survival of the Optimist: Designing Our Indefinite Future in Space

Avi Loeb·June 24, 2022

To paraphrase Darwin’s “survival of the fittest”, when it comes to our future in space, everything may hinge on “survival of the optimist.”

Could UAP Have Kinship to Our AI Systems?

Avi Loeb·June 22, 2022

If some UAPs represent extraterrestrial AI systems, perhaps their appearance in recent government data was triggered by us being on the verge of developing sentient AI systems.

NASA’s UAP Study: Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery

Avi Loeb·June 16, 2022

NASA's announcement that it will study unidentified aerial phenomena is a win-win for science, as it follows similar efforts by the DOD and civilian groups like the Galileo Project.

The Beginner’s Mind of Machine Learning

Avi Loeb·June 13, 2022

As advances in machine learning continue, we can expect to see fewer of the "beginner's mistakes" of its early experimental phase.

“Technological Selection” in the Race to Interstellar Space

Avi Loeb·June 9, 2022

We have become ever more technologically selective, a preparatory work to becoming adept in space, where technological selection rules.

With Age Comes Wisdom: Life’s Astronomical Puzzles

Avi Loeb·June 6, 2022

While humans have gleaned a tremendous amount of knowledge about the universe, there are several astronomical puzzles about our lives that remain mysterious.

Alleviating the Tyranny of the Rocket Equation Through Intergalactic Travel at Low Accelerations

Avi Loeb·May 31, 2022

Could there be new physics that suppresses the dreadful exponent of the rocket equation?

The Galactic Trading Card of Human Civilization

Avi Loeb·May 27, 2022

A curious civilization seeking to increase its scientific knowledge by exploring the unknown will win the Galactic contest of trading cards.

Interstellar Kites: Galactic Surfing on Light?

Avi Loeb·May 26, 2022

Here’s hoping that they are some interstellar environmentalists out there who have already started to clean our cosmic neighborhood.

Reflections On the First Congressional Hearing on Unidentified Aerial Objects in Half a Century

In the aftermath of Congressional hearing on UAP, it is clear governments and scientists must work together to determine their nature.

Avi Loeb·May 19, 2022

In the aftermath of Congressional hearing on UAP, it is clear governments and scientists must work together to determine their nature.

Fishing in Extraterrestrial Seas

Avi Loeb·May 10, 2022

The best way for humanity to garner respect from any potential extraterrestrial neighbors is to seek new knowledge through evidence.

How Can we Guide Our Life?

Avi Loeb·May 4, 2022

In the future, could an interactive artificial intelligence (AI) system answer questions for us, and carry the flame of life and consciousness?

Lunar Ranging: Detecting the Memory Effect from a Black Hole Merger at the Galactic Center

Avi Loeb·May 3, 2022

Permanent displacement between Earth and the Moon is detectable by the Lunar Ranging laser system, which monitors the Earth-Moon separation by measuring steadily the roundtrip travel time of light to the Moon.

The First Interstellar Meteor Had a Larger Material Strength Than Iron Meteorites

Avi Loeb·April 27, 2022

The first interstellar object to make its way to Earth may have had properties that exceeded even those of iron meteorites.

Scooping Interstellar Fragments from the Ocean Floor

Avi Loeb·April 20, 2022

On April 6, 2022, the U.S. Space Command tweeted a formal letter confirming a meteor as originating from outside the solar system.

Dark Matter: The Scientific Method and Understanding the Unseen

Avi Loeb·April 15, 2022

The popular cosmological paradigm supposes the existence of unseen matter known as “Cold Dark Matter”.

What is Dark Matter?

Avi Loeb·April 1, 2022

With questions like those surrounding dark matter, we should resist the temptation of explaining away anomalies based on past knowledge.

The Silence of Snow

Avi Loeb·March 28, 2022

Avi Loeb recaps several points of discussion from a recent meeting with journalist Leslie Kean, where they discussed the Galileo Project and the search for extraterrestrial life.

The Substitute for the Drake Equation in Extraterrestrial Space Archaeology

Avi Loeb·March 23, 2022

The likelihood of us finding extraterrestrial technological objects depends on our willingness to look for them, and not just on whether the extraterrestrials had sent them.

General Relativity Instead of Modified Gravity

Avi Loeb·March 18, 2022

The proper interpretation of recently acquired satellite data relies on Einstein's theory of general relativity, which still presents the best description of gravity as we know it.

Intelligent Communication: Understanding and Adaptation

There could be more than just distance that separates us from other intelligent life in the universe.

Avi Loeb·March 16, 2022

There could be more than merely distance that separates us from other intelligent life that exists in our universe.

Communicating with Extraterrestrials

In this inaugural installment of "Our Cosmic Neighborhood", Avi Loeb gives us perspectives on the challenges presented by any future attempts at communication with extraterrestrials.

Avi Loeb·March 10, 2022

In this inaugural installment of "Our Cosmic Neighborhood", Avi Loeb gives us perspectives on the challenges presented by any future attempts at communicating with extraterrestrials.