Avi Loeb: On Following the Evidence
Abraham (Avi) Loeb is the Frank B. Baird, Jr., Professor of Science at Harvard University, longest-serving chair of Harvard’s Department of Astronomy, founding director of Harvard’s Black Hole Initiative, and current director of the Institute for Theory and Computation (ITC) within the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. He also heads the Galileo Project, chairs the Advisory Committee for the Breakthrough Starshot Initiative, and is former chair of the Board on Physics and Astronomy of the National Academies.
Author of eight books and over a thousand scientific papers, Loeb is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, the American Physical Society, and the International Academy of Astronautics. In 2012, Time selected Loeb as one of the twenty-five most influential people in space. He lives near Boston, Massachusetts.
Avi Loeb
In this post, Avi discusses writing about his work on the Galileo Project, how he hopes readers can gain a more global perspective from his book, and more.
Name: Avi Loeb
Literary agent: Leslie Meredith
Book title: Interstellar: The Search for Extraterrestrial Life and Our Future in the Stars
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release date: August 29, 2023
Genre/category: Science
Previous titles: Extraterrestrial
Elevator pitch for the book: The first objects from interstellar space, a meteor over the Pacific Ocean in 2014, and `Oumuamua near the Earth in 2017, did not resemble familiar rocks in the solar system. The realization that they might have been sent to our backyard by intelligent neighbors could change the future of humanity.
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What prompted you to write this book?
I discovered the first interstellar meteor with my student and realized that it was tougher in material strength than all solar system rocks in NASA’s CNEOS catalog of meteors. Similarly, `Oumuamua had a disk-like shape and was pushed away from the Sun without cometary evaporation. I am now leading the Galileo Project to find out whether such objects are technological artifacts. My book addresses this work and its implications for humanity.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
It took me two years to go from idea to publication. The content evolved after the US Space Command issued a letter supporting the interstellar origin of the 2014 meteor, after which I initiated an expedition to the Pacific Ocean to retrieve its relics. This expedition is part of the Galileo Project, which I established to study the nature of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena near Earth.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
The data realesed by the US Government allowed us to infer that the first interstellar meteor was an outlier in material strength. Moreover, the US Congress established a new office of “All-Domain Anomaly Resolution” at the Pentagon, NASA initiated a related study, and the Galileo Project assembled a new observatory at Harvard University that is currently collecting new data.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
We were surprised that the first interstellar meteor was moving faster than 95% of all stars in the vicinity of the Sun and that it was tougher than all space rocks in the solar system. This suggested that the meteor may have been a spacecraft, a possibility that we plan to explore by studying its composition.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
The implications of finding evidence for a smarter student in the galactic class of intelligence are huge. First, it would allow us to recognize scientific and technological knowledge that goes beyond what we acquired over the past century. Second, the recognition of a neighbor will be accompanied by a new perspective on our place in the Universe, akin to the realization of my daughters that there are smarter kids in their neighborhood after their first day in kindergarten. This realization will change our aspirations for space in an attempt to imitate the inspiring capabilities of our neighbors.
Third, realizing that there are superhuman capabilities beyond the solar system would bring a sense of awe and admiration that characterized traditional religions. Fourth, a global perspective that extends beyond Earth may convince many humans that conquering a piece of land on the rock that we happened to inhabit or feeling superior relative to other people based on their ethnic origins or skin color are ridiculously superficial and inappropriate in the grander scheme of reality. My sincere hope is that it will convince us to respect each other as equal members of the human species.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Life is often a self-fulfilling prophecy, so it is much better to be an optimist. Also, follow the evidence, not the number of likes you get on social media.
While there’s no shortage of writing advice, it’s often scattered around—a piece of advice here, words of wisdom there. And in the moments when you most need writing advice, what you find might not resonate with you or speak to the issue you’re dealing with. In A Year of Writing Advice, the editors of Writer’s Digest have gathered thoughts, musings, and yes, advice from 365 authors in dozens of genres to help you on your writing journey.