Physicist Avi Loeb REVEALS Why Atlas/3I Comet Might Be HOSTILE ALIEN Object | RISING+

The Hill

337,659 views • 3 days ago

Video Summary

The discovery of 'Oumuamua, an interstellar object, has ignited a scientific debate. While NASA classifies it as a comet, physicist Avi Loe proposes it could be artificial, citing anomalies like its size, trajectory, and composition. He argues that even low-probability events with massive implications for humanity should be taken seriously, a perspective he feels the scientific community, including NASA, often overlooks due to a reliance on past knowledge and a reluctance to consider risks. The object's unusual brightness, blue hue, and nickel-iron composition, unlike typical comets, fuel Loe's hypothesis that it may represent technology from an extraterrestrial civilization.

This interstellar visitor, 'Oumuamua, challenges conventional astronomical understanding with its substantial size, estimated to be as large as Manhattan Island and a mass of at least 30 billion tons. Its journey through our solar system, which Loe suggests could be a reconnaissance mission due to its precise trajectory near planets, coupled with its peculiar blue glow and metallic composition, points to potential technological origins rather than a natural celestial body. The implications of such a discovery could fundamentally alter humanity's understanding of its place in the universe, underscoring the need for open-minded data collection and analysis, even when faced with unconventional explanations.

Short Highlights

The interstellar object 'Oumuamua, discovered in July, is passing through our solar system.
NASA identifies 'Oumuamua as a comet, but physicist Avi Loe suggests it could be artificial alien technology.
Anomalies cited include its estimated size (Manhattan Island), mass (at least 30 billion tons), and trajectory suggesting a planned path.
The object exhibits a blue hue and a nickel-iron composition, unlike natural comets.
Loe emphasizes the need for the scientific community to consider low-probability, high-impact events, especially those with significant implications for humanity.

Key Details

Interstellar Visitor 'Oumuamua Discovered [00:05]

The discovery of 'Oumuamua, an object from outside our solar system, is creating significant debate within the scientific community.
NASA has classified it as a comet, first identified in July, which is currently traversing our solar system, reaching a minimum distance of 130 million miles from the sun.
This marks only the third interstellar object ever detected within our solar system, prompting questions about its origin and nature.
Physicist Avi Loe is not entirely convinced by NASA's classification, positing that 'Oumuamua might be artificially made alien technology, even if the probability is low.
Loe cites anomalies observed in the object that he believes support the hypothesis of it being sent intentionally to our solar system.
He acknowledges the immense implications for humanity if his alternative hypothesis were to be true.
Loe, a Harvard professor and founder of the Galileo Project for searching extraterrestrial life, is discussing his ideas.

"The discovery of an object from outside our solar system is sparking debate in the scientific community."

'Oumuamua's Immense Size and Mass [01:41]

Upon its discovery on July 1st, 2025, 'Oumuamua was recognized as a considerably large object.
Initial estimations, based on its brightness reflecting off the object, suggest a size comparable to Manhattan Island.
There's a lower limit on its size of approximately 5 kilometers.
Its mass is estimated to be at least 30 billion tons, calculated from its ability to maintain course despite losing 150 kg of mass per second.
This object is a million times more massive than the first interstellar object discovered eight years prior.
A key question arises as to why millions of smaller objects haven't been found before this giant one.

Peculiar Trajectory and Compositional Clues [02:42]

'Oumuamua's path appears to align with the plane of the planets orbiting the sun, a trajectory with a random chance of one in 500.
This leads to speculation whether its trajectory was part of a planned reconnaissance mission, as it passes unusually close to Mars, Venus, and Jupiter.
Such precise planetary proximity would require specific timing and positioning.
The object came closest to the sun yesterday, but Earth was on the opposite side of the sun, preventing direct observation.
Analysis of the gas surrounding 'Oumuamua revealed the presence of nickel without iron, a composition found industrially in nickel alloys for aerospace applications.
A jet observed emanating from the object during July and August, extending towards the sun, is an unusual phenomenon not typically seen with comets.
This "anti-tail" is distinct from the dust and gas usually pushed away from the sun by solar radiation pressure or solar wind.

Unusual Brightening and Blue Hue Near the Sun [04:01]

Recent observations from instruments capable of looking close to the sun indicate that 'Oumuamua is brightening significantly as it approaches the sun.
The object is turning a surprising shade of blue.
If the brightening were due to dust shed from a natural comet nucleus, it would typically appear red.
The surface temperature of a natural cometary nucleus is usually much cooler than the sun's surface.
However, new data suggests 'Oumuamua is bluer than the sun, implying its surface temperature is higher than the sun's 5800 Kelvin.

"The question is what is going on? And I'm saying it could be a black swan event where we expect it most likely to be a natural object, but we have to attend to the possibility that it might not be natural just because the implications would be huge for humanity."

Scientific Community's Hesitation and Implications [05:50]

Scientists are often drawn to the most likely explanations, which helps establish their expertise but can hinder investigation into unprecedented phenomena.
The current situation with 'Oumuamua is described as a "blind date" with an interstellar visitor, unlike any previous encounter, making reliance on past knowledge potentially unsuitable.
While investigating distant phenomena like exploding stars has no direct societal implications, a visitor "in your backyard" presents a potential threat to humanity.
This necessitates taking low-probability events seriously.
NASA has plans for detecting near-Earth objects that pose threats, but has not yet considered the possibility of technological objects from space.
The argument is made that if other advanced civilizations exist and have been around for billions of years, their technology could have reached us.
The call is for open-mindedness when encountering anomalous objects and for collecting as much data as possible, even if the object ultimately proves to be natural.