The Mainstream Maverick

Dr. Avi Loeb is the Frank B. Baird Jr. Professor of Science at Harvard University and one of the most published astrophysicists in the world. He became a controversial figure in 2018 when he proposed that the interstellar object 'Oumuamua — which displayed non-gravitational acceleration inconsistent with known physics — might be an artefact of extraterrestrial technology. The scientific establishment largely rejected his hypothesis; Loeb stood by it.

In 2021, Loeb founded the Galileo Project at Harvard — a systematic, data-driven scientific programme to search for physical evidence of extraterrestrial technological objects. The project uses telescope arrays, AI analysis, and peer-reviewed methodology to study UAP.

Recovering Material From the Ocean Floor

In 2023, Loeb led an expedition to the Pacific Ocean floor to recover fragments of an interstellar meteor (IM1) that impacted in 2014. The recovered spherules showed unusual compositions that Loeb argued were inconsistent with known natural or human-made materials. His willingness to pursue physical evidence through conventional scientific channels — rather than relying on government testimony — represents a distinct and important approach to the UAP question.