Let\s talk about outer space. In October 29, 2017, we welcomed our first interstellar visitor. The Oumuamua blazed through our solar system and left us scrambling in its wake. Was it a comet? Parts of a planet outside our solar system? An alien spaceship? Years later, we’re still not sure.
In this episode, Alexander McCaig and Jason Rigby sit down with Dr. Avi Loeb. Dr Avi Loeb is a theoretical physicist and Harvard professor. He is also known for his guest appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience, where he shared his theories about the origins of the Oumuamua.
TCAST seized this opportunity to discuss his new book, entitled Extraterrestrial. It details Dr Avi Loeb’s investigations on the elusive space guest, his thoughts on how the world of science operates, and what these new discoveries reveal about our universe.
One theory Dr Avi Loeb suggests is that the Oumuamua is a piece of interstellar wreckage. Its unusual behavior could be attributed to its composition; according to an image analysis by NASA, the object is assumed to be “dense, composed of rock and possibly metals, has no water or ice, and that its surface was reddened due to the effects of irradiation from cosmic rays over hundreds of millions of years.”
While it’s definitely one of the most exciting possibilities worth thinking over, Dr Avi Loeb’s theory was met with considerable resistance. The idea of intelligent alien life is mindblowing, especially if they managed to construct something that found its way to our neck of the woods by accident. But some people believe that while alien life is possible, interstellar isn’t—and others struggle to believe that our first sign of extraterrestrial life is a pile of space junk, not a flying saucer filled with scientists or soldiers.
Now, if every argument brought against his theory were grounded in the actual data, with legitimate alternative explanations, Dr. Loeb might not have written the book. However, much of the opposition he faced was based not so much on science but on presuppositions.
Dr. Loeb has challenged those in the scientific world who would rather rest in their assumptions rather than spend the time and money to actually test some of his ideas. He’s also encouraging others to do the same. He hopes, with Extraterrestrial, to inspire others to enter the sciences; people from all kinds of backgrounds and not just the approved elites.
The astrophysicist has seen a trend developing of science being regarded as the realm of the elites, of the privileged class. Science should be open to all, Dr. Loeb says, to anyone willing to approach the world with curiosity and humility.
I know what you’re thinking. “But scientists are always objective and never succumb to prejudice! They never are more worried about their image, or their tenure, or their book sales, or grant money! They are always serious and just want the facts!”
Would that be the case? Sadly, scientists are just like you and me and face the exact kinds of temptations of pride and ego that we do. The white lab coat doesn’t endow them with special virtues. Just look at the case of scientific racism, better known as eugenics. It was basically the idea that all of society’s ills could be traced to bad genes and certain races had more of these bad genes than others.
You might recall a certain National Socialist movement in Germany that latched onto those ideas. Then of course, there were the Tuskegee experiments in which African Americans were given syphilis so scientists could study their response. These men were so blinded by their prejudice that they saw their fellow Americans as acceptable lab rats.
The curiosity is of course understandable. But why humility? Too often we act as if we know more than we do. We treat our guesses as facts. Scientists are prone to this, to vigorously defending positions that haven’t been thoroughly tested.
Sometimes, they are exposed and knocked down a necessary peg or two. Other times, they succeed in shutting down challenges and so shutting down scientific inquiry. If science is instead approached with humility the scientist remembers that he doesn’t know everything and that he could very well be wrong.
That allows for more questions being asked, more data being collected and more truth being discovered.
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