Extraterrestrial

The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth

By: Avi Loeb

Narrated by: Robert Petkoff

New York Times Bestseller | Wall Street Journal Bestseller | Publishers Weekly Bestseller | Publishers Marketplace 2020 Buzz Book | Amazon Best Book of the Year | Longlisted for the 2022 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award

“Provocative and thrilling ... Loeb asks us to think big and to expect the unexpected.”

—Alan Lightman, New York Times bestselling author of Einstein’s Dreams and Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine

Harvard’s top astronomer lays out his controversial theory that our solar system was recently visited by advanced alien technology from a distant star.

In late 2017, scientists at a Hawaiian observatory glimpsed an object soaring through our inner solar system, moving so quickly that it could only have come from another star. Avi Loeb, Harvard’s top astronomer, showed it was not an asteroid; it was moving too fast along a strange orbit, and left 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 controversial theory and its profound implications: for science, for religion, and for the future of our species and 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.

Loved it!

An easy essay for those with even the most casual interest in science and astronomy.

1 part science, 1 part philosophy with a dash of dreams. Avi lays out not only the possibility of object "1I/2017 U1" aka "Omuamua" being of extraterrestrial origin, but also the dangers and pitfalls of science dismissing it as "not exceptional" beyond having traveled from outside our solar system. He deliberates, at some length how, if the scientific community would dare to look beyond common, accepted answers, new and exciting discoveries could lay within our reach.

scientific priesthood as bad as religion

Loeb's book shows the narrow minded arrogance of Quackademeia and how paradigm changes based on evidence have become the new heresy. Science ( by that they mean scientists) should be viewed by the ignorant masses as infallible and all their opinions and beliefs gospel.

Interesting line of thought

Even though the main theory of this book has recently been debunked, it’s still amusing to follow his thinking and exploration methods. Couldn’t stop listening!

Very informative and thought provoking

So glad I listened to this book. There is always so much chatter about Omuamua that it’s hard to sort out good information. It really changed my perspective.

Chapter 9 made my head explode

I stopped at the aforementioned chapter to write this review.
One-two combo science and philosophy will knock you into seing the long view of the universe and humanity's place in it.
It is my fondest wish that the determination and hopefulnes of the ideas in this book go viral and stay with us for generations to come, not a good analogy I know, much like some in the book.

If you like Carl Sagan you will love Avi Loeb.
I say yes to looking for alien space junk, yes to a space renaissance lets do it!