Newt's World — Episode 913: Avi Loeb on 3IATLAS

Date: November 23, 2025
Host: Newt Gingrich
Guest: Professor Avi Loeb, Harvard Astrophysicist

Episode Overview

In this episode, Newt Gingrich hosts Professor Avi Loeb, a prominent astrophysicist from Harvard and Director of the Galileo Project, to discuss the discovery and mysteries surrounding the interstellar object "3I ATLAS." Their conversation explores the scientific, technological, and philosophical implications of tracking near-Earth objects, the possibility of extraterrestrial technology, and the importance of humility and curiosity in scientific inquiry.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The George E. Brown Jr. Near Earth Object Survey Act and Its Impact

• Background: Congress mandated NASA to find and track 90% of near-Earth objects (NEOs) larger than 140 meters by 2020, spurred by historic asteroid impacts, like the one that wiped out the dinosaurs.
• Survey Efforts:
  • Pan-STARRS in Hawaii and the upcoming Rubin Observatory in Chile are central to this mission.
  • Smaller telescopes, like ATLAS, play a vital supporting role.
• Purpose: The aim is to detect dangerous objects early and, equally, to remain open to the possibility of discovering non-natural, perhaps technological, visitors from beyond our Solar System.
• Loeb's Critique:
  • Science should be about learning with humility, not just defending conventional expertise.
  • Current attitudes among experts can stifle out-of-the-box thinking, especially regarding unidentified phenomena.
  • Quote: “The foundation of science is the humility to learn. However, what you find in academia these days is, is the arrogance of expertise.” (Prof. Avi Loeb, 08:30)

2. Why Curiosity and Risk-Taking Are Essential to Science

• Loeb warns that scientific tenure—which is supposed to encourage risk—often has the opposite effect, making researchers play it safe out of concern for ego and reputation.
• He encourages young scientists to keep their individuality:
  • Analogy: “If they want a life worth living, they should actually maintain their colors and not rub against each other.” (Prof. Avi Loeb, 09:55)

3. Planetary Catastrophes and the Urgency of Space Expansion

• Discussion on the Yucatan asteroid impact and how extinction-level events could recur.
• Loeb suggests that for humanity’s long-term survival, civilization must expand beyond Earth—pointing out that even Mars is a less hospitable option than advanced space habitats.
• Quote: “One way or another, we need to move away from a single point where a catastrophe can wipe us out. That's the galactic version of Darwin's natural selection.” (Prof. Avi Loeb, 12:41)
• He speculates a major discovery (like alien tech) could shift global budgets and priorities in favor of space exploration.

4. The Case of 3I ATLAS: A Potentially Unusual Interstellar Visitor

• Discovery Details:
  • 3I ATLAS is unusually large (est. 20 km in diameter), much bigger than previous interstellar objects, and was detected by a modest telescope.
  • Its brightness and trajectory suggest either extraordinary natural coincidence or a possible engineered origin.
• Key Anomalies:
  • Its path closely follows the plane of the Solar System, which is rare for interstellar objects.
  • It sheds nickel with little iron, and a NASA image showed a glow or "light beam" ahead of it, not behind as would be expected from a comet tail.
  • Quote: “If it were technological, of course, that makes sense, because it wants to avoid any damage from impact by micrometeorites…” (Prof. Avi Loeb, 21:02)
• Loeb advocates for collecting more evidence before drawing conclusions, criticizing academic censorship of unconventional ideas.
• Suppressed Hypotheses: He recounts being forced to remove a sentence about the possibility of a technological origin from a journal article—then writing a separate paper on that idea.

5. The Limits of Current Technology

• Despite “3I ATLAS” coming close to planets, we can’t yet easily intercept or land a probe on such objects.
• The Juno spacecraft at Jupiter, if it had more fuel, might have been able to intercept it; Loeb lobbied through Rep. Anna Paulina Luna to explore this, highlighting the importance of preparedness for future interstellar objects.
  • Quote: “If you know about an object early enough…you don’t need to maneuver in order to intercept it by a lot.” (Prof. Avi Loeb, 23:32)

6. Are We Alone?

• Loeb and Gingrich agree that the probability of humanity being alone in the universe is vanishingly small.
• Loeb critiques the focus on finding only microbial life, urging equal effort in searching for technological civilizations as well.
  • Quote: “We should also, at the same time, invest billions of dollars in the search for technological civilizations. And the benefit would be far greater than finding microbes, because we can learn from them.” (Prof. Avi Loeb, 29:30)

7. Reflections on Scientific Method and Motivation

• Loeb shares his personal journey from philosophy to astrophysics, motivated by fundamental questions about existence and the universe.
• He encourages young people to play along with the system until they achieve independence—but never to lose their curiosity or individuality.
  • Quote: “Always maintain your childhood curiosity. And when you get tenure, innovate, take risks... The biggest reward I got…is to get emails from…a former US Air Force pilot who said, because of you, my daughter wants to become a scientist.” (Prof. Avi Loeb, 34:13)
• He calls for science to be presented as an open, evidence-driven detective process, rather than something reserved for elite experts.

8. Looking Forward: Optimism for Scientific Discovery

• Loeb’s mantra: “The best is yet to come.”
• He physically embodies this optimism by turning his office into a mini-museum focused on the future, discarding file cabinets of the past.
  • Quote: “I'm focused on the future. I don't care about what happened in the past and let's make the future better.” (Prof. Avi Loeb, 38:38)

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• “The foundation of science is the humility to learn. However, what you find in academia these days is, is the arrogance of expertise.”
  — Professor Avi Loeb, 08:30

• “If they want a life worth living, they should actually maintain their colors and not rub against each other.”
  — Professor Avi Loeb, 09:55

• “One way or another, we need to move away from a single point where a catastrophe can wipe us out. That's the galactic version of Darwin's natural selection.”
  — Professor Avi Loeb, 12:41

• “If it were technological, of course, that makes sense, because it wants to avoid any damage from impact by micrometeorites…”
  — Professor Avi Loeb, 21:02

• “If you know about an object early enough…you don’t need to maneuver in order to intercept it by a lot.”
  — Professor Avi Loeb, 23:32

• “We should also, at the same time, invest billions of dollars in the search for technological civilizations. And the benefit would be far greater than finding microbes, because we can learn from them.”
  — Professor Avi Loeb, 29:30

• “Always maintain your childhood curiosity. And when you get tenure, innovate, take risks... The biggest reward I got…is to get emails from…a former US Air Force pilot who said, because of you, my daughter wants to become a scientist.”
  — Professor Avi Loeb, 34:13

• “I'm focused on the future. I don't care about what happened in the past and let's make the future better.”
  — Professor Avi Loeb, 38:38

Important Segment Timestamps

• Introduction & Background (03:38–05:20)
• Survey Telescopes & Impact History (05:40–08:00)
• Science Culture & Risk-Taking (09:06–10:45)
• Planetary Catastrophes & Human Survival (10:45–14:41)
• 3I ATLAS Anomalies & Hypotheses (18:39–23:04)
• Technological Limits & Intercepting Interstellar Objects (23:04–24:54)
• Are We Alone? Scientific Strategies (28:39–32:02)
• Loeb’s Scientific Journey & Advice to Students (32:02–37:09)
• Vision for Science & Society (37:09–38:48)

Tone & Takeaways

The conversation is animated, accessible, and occasionally philosophical, with Loeb bringing a fresh, humble, and open-minded approach to science.
Newt Gingrich acts both as an informed host and a curious collaborator, inviting listeners to think about humanity’s place in the universe.
The episode is a call for curiosity, risk-taking, and broader support—both societal and financial—for the search for life and knowledge beyond Earth.

For more of Professor Avi Loeb's writings:
avi-loeb.medium.com