A Harvard physicist has raised new questions about a strange object moving toward Earth, suggesting it may not be natural and could contain alien intelligence.
The object, called 3I/ATLAS, is currently classified by NASA as a comet coming from outside our Solar System. It will pass Earth at about 170 million miles away.
But Avi Loeb, a Harvard scientist, disagrees. He says the “tail” seen behind the object might be an optical illusion caused by its motion. Loeb believes the object could be engineered by an advanced intelligence, not just a natural comet.
In a recent post on Medium, Loeb explained two key things needed to discover “superior alien intelligence”: how much effort we put into searching and how close or active that intelligence is.
He said, “To find signs of alien intelligence, we must be open-minded and ready to search. Success depends on how close the potential partner is, so it makes sense to start with the nearest opportunities.”
Loeb also stressed the importance of collecting data as the object gets closer to the Sun on October 29, 2025. That is when scientists will better see if 3I/ATLAS truly has a comet’s tail, which would support it being natural.
However, if signs of intelligence are found, Loeb warned that “the future of humanity will be different from its past.”
He even discussed the possibility of humans developing communication or even worshipping alien intelligence, but said this would require clear interaction rather than confusion over strange actions.
For now, Loeb urges caution and patience: first, we need to confirm if alien intelligence exists before imagining how to communicate with it.
