The existence of extraterrestrial life, or the apparent lack thereof, has been the subject of much active debate and speculation since the 20th century. And while even the possibility of such discoveries is enough to excite most people, not a great many scientists share this enthusiasm when it comes to the practicalities involved with the reality of alien life throughout the harsh and unforgiving observable universe.
When you really think about it, at this point, the very idea seems more adjacent to fiction storytelling, or more specifically the speculative genre, if not the bread and butter of conspiracy theory circles. Indeed, the cinematic medium has explored alien life in a comprehensively visual and visceral manner countless times before. Whether it’s Ridley Scott’s Alien franchise, Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, or globally recognized space operas like Star Wars and Star Trek, fiction is in no shortage of unique and original depictions imagining what life beyond our blue planet would look like thanks to the sci-fi genre.
Though apparently, some folks are still trying to keep the discussion alive in scientific circles as well. Recently, Harvard professor Avi Loeb spoke to NY Post about his upcoming publication, Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth, and revealed that the peculiar 2017 interstellar object, named Oumuamua, was the first sign of foreign visitors.
“What would happen if a caveman saw a cellphone?” he said. “He’s seen rocks all his life, and he would have thought it was just a shiny rock. Some people do not want to discuss the possibility that there are other civilizations out there. They believe we are special and unique. I think it’s a prejudice that should be abandoned.”
“We have no way of knowing whether it’s active technology, or a spaceship that is no longer operative and is continuing to float in space. But if Oumuamua was created together with a whole population of similar objects that were launched randomly, the fact that we discovered it means that its creators launched a quadrillion probes like it to every star in the Milky Way.”
The object was first observed on October 19th, 2017 and due to its weird shape and non-gravitational acceleration, astronomers performed extensive studies to determine its properties. Though in July 2019, it was concluded that Oumuamua was of “purely natural origin.” Loeb is still fighting to prove otherwise, though, explaining:
“It would put us in perspective. If we are not alone, are we the smartest kids on the block? If there was a species that eliminated itself through war or changing the climate, we can get our act together and behave better. Instead, we are wasting a lot of resources on Earth fighting each other.”
If the professor is to be believed, the discovery of alien life will be an inevitability in the near future. Though let’s hope that we won’t undergo an invasion scenario as most sci-fi stories would predict.
