Description

‘An astronomical Sherlock Holmes’ WASHINGTON POST

‘Visionary’ STEPHEN GREENBLATT

‘Compelling . . . The book is not so much a claim for one object as an argument for a more open-minded approach to science – a combination of humility and wonder’ NEW STATESMAN

Harvard’s top astronomer takes us inside the mind-blowing story of the first interstellar visitor to our solar system

In late 2017, scientists at a Hawaiian observatory glimpsed a strange object soaring through our inner solar system. Astrophysicist Avi Loeb conclusively showed it was not an asteroid; it was moving too fast along a strange orbit, and leaving no trail of gas or debris in its wake. There was only one conceivable explanation: the object was a piece of advanced technology created by a distant alien civilization.

In Extraterrestrial, Loeb takes readers inside the thrilling story of the first interstellar visitor to be spotted in our solar system. He outlines his theory and its profound implications: for science, for religion, and for the future of our planet. A mind-bending journey through the furthest reaches of science, space-time, and the human imagination, Extraterrestrial challenges readers to aim for the stars-and to think critically about what’s out there, no matter how strange it seems.

Publisher Review

I have a lot of time for Loeb. He has a joy in conjecture and an omnivorous spirit of inquiry that are more reminiscent of 20th-century thinkers such as Freeman Dyson or Carl Sagan than most of his peers. His readiness to stake his reputation on such an unconventional hypothesis is a mark of uncommon bravery -- Oliver Moody * The Times * A provocative and thrilling account of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence . . . Professor Loeb asks us to think big and to expect the unexpected -- ALAN LIGHTMAN, author of EINSTEIN'S DREAMS An exciting and eloquent case that we might have seen a sign of intelligent life near Earth - and that we should search further. World-renowned scientist and innovative thinker, Avi Loeb opens your mind to some of the most important questions facing us as humans: scientific curiosity is key to our future success -- ANNE WOJCICKI, CEO and co-founder, 23andMe It's good to be sceptical of audacious ideas. But it's also important to be open to audacious possibilities. Loeb's sumptuously written book will provoke you to think about the possibility of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe in new and stimulating ways -- SEAN CARROLL A serious scientist makes a serious argument for the hypothesis that our solar system was visited by an object from an extraterrestrial civilization. Is the hypothesis right? Who knows. But let's try to find out! -- ERIC MASKIN, Nobel laureate in Economics In this passionately argued, visionary book, astrophysicist Avi Loeb urges us to abandon the arrogant fantasy that we are the only sentient life form in the universe. The clues are fascinating, and still more are Loeb's arguments for what they might reveal to us about our own brilliant, blinkered, and quite possibly doomed civilization -- Stephen Greenblatt, Pulitzer prize-winning author of THE SWERVE