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The discovery of an intelligent life form outside of our planet is perhaps the biggest change in the course of humanity … But what if scientists collectively decide to ignore the evidence indicating this ? So begins a new book by a leading astronomer who argues that the simplest and best explanation for the unusual properties of an object that passed between stars through our solar system in 2017 is that it s was a technique devised by an extraterrestrial object.
Does this sound strange? Scientist Avi Loeb says the evidence proves otherwise, and he’s convinced his peers in the scientific community are so steeped in collective thinking that they’re not prepared to resort to the UCAM Blade Principle (a simple thinking method). , analysis and conclusion without delving into the complications), and it is difficult to dismiss the theory of Loeb, who was long president of astronomy at Harvard University, he published hundreds of groundbreaking research papers and has collaborated with greats like the late Stephen Hawking.
“The idea that we are unique and special is arrogance,” the scientist said in a video interview with Agence France-Presse. “The right approach is to be humble and say, ‘We’re not special, there are a lot of other cultures and we just need to find them.’
A mysterious visitor
Loeb, 58, discusses his theory of the alien “Oumuamua” (the Hawaiian explorer) in his book “Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth”.
The facts are as follows.
In October 2017, astronomers noticed a very fast moving object, and it was only possible that it was from another star, which is the first recorded case of an interstellar intruder.It did not appear to be an ordinary rock. for after his departure around the sun, he accelerated and deviated from the expected path is led by a mysterious force.
This could be easily explained if a comet expelled gas and debris, but there was no visible evidence of this “gas release” process, and the traveler also descended in a strange way, according to the method that made it brighter and lazier among scientists. telescopes, and was unusually bright, indicating that it is made of shiny metal.
In order to explain what happened, astronomers had to come up with new theories such as this one was made of hydrogen ice and therefore would have no visible effect or dissolved in a cloud of dust. . “Those ideas that came to explain the properties of Oumuamua always included something that we hadn’t seen before,” said Loeb. He added: “If this is the direction we are going, then why not think it is of synthetic origin?”
Navigate in the light
Oumuamua was not photographed up close during his short stay, as he discovered its existence as soon as it came out of our solar system, there are two types of shapes that correspond to the distinctive features observed. Tall and slender like a cigar, or flat and round like a pancake, Loeb noted that the simulations favored the second option and believed the object was intentionally constructed like a sail driven by stellar radiation.
It was also surprising how the body moved, which made its passage even stranger. Before hitting our sun, “Oumuamua” was “at rest” compared to neighboring stars, which is rare. Instead of seeing it as a ship plunging into space, in terms of shape, our solar system collided with it. “Maybe Oumuamua was like a buoy that rests in the wide spectrum of the universe,” Loeb wrote.
Unify humanity
Loeb’s ideas put him at odds with his peers. Astrophysicist Ethan Siegel described him in Forbes magazine as “a scientist who was once respected”, but he failed to convince his peers of his arguments and he began to try to convince the public.
For his part, Loeb protests against the “culture of harassment” in the academy which punishes people who question traditional beliefs, just as Galileo was punished when he suggested that Earth is not the center of universe, and compared to the speculative branches of theoretical physics, such as the search for dark matter or multiple universes, the research The existence of extraterrestrials is a path that makes more sense to follow, he added. , which is why Loeb is pushing for a new branch of astronomy, “space archeology,” to research the biological and technological signatures of space objects.
“If we find evidence of technologies that took a million years to develop, then we can shortcut those technologies and use them on Earth,” said Loeb, who spent his childhood on a farm reading philosophy, and such a discovery could “make us feel like we are part of the same team” when you encounter threats from humanity ranging from climate change to nuclear conflict, and he concluded: “Instead of us fight as nations often do, we might be able to cooperate. “
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