Stories by Avi Loeb

Statistics tell us that individuals are most likely to be somewhere around the middle part of their life. The same could be true of the human race

Within a decade or two, we could observe the cosmic expansion, not as a series of snapshots but as a very slow-motion film

Some are blasted out of galaxies by interactions with black holes; others, which orbit supermassive black holes, can smash together in titanic explosions

Being too comfortable with the universe as it’s “supposed to be” is harmful to creative thinking

It’s hard to say at this point, but a crucial first step is to establish whether they exist so any future arrival won’t come as a complete surprise

We don’t know, but we could try to find out by searching for it on planets orbiting the very oldest stars

We don’t know if the interstellar object ‘Oumuamua was natural or artificial—but a new telescope coming online in a few years could help us identify the next one

If so, as has recently been suggested, there are likely many more such icebergs moving between star systems

We can never be sure if the interstellar object ‘Oumuamua, for example, was artificial—but we could be ready to answer that question for such a visitor in the future

Science provides knowledge of objects that threaten Earth and the means to deflect them

The idea isn’t as absurd as it might sound

It’s understandable why some people prefer not to test their beliefs, but evidence-based science teaches us that reality does not go away when you ignore it

The idea presumes we’re inherently fascinating, but that’s not necessarily the case

A radio blip, seemingly from Proxima Centauri, where an Earth-size planet world orbits in the habitable zone, is tantalizing—but it’s probably not a signal from aliens

Earth may well be a latecomer to the fraternity of technological civilizations

“Multimessenger” SETI would broaden the quest to find celestial companions

Could our universe have been an experiment by an ancient civilization?

A craft built to save Earth’s biodiversity from a planetary crisis would be far tinier—but vastly more far-reaching—than the biblical Ark

Avoiding too much direct contact with colleagues can lead to more independent thinking

How many scientific breakthroughs have been lost because they came from outside the mainstream?

A Nobel Prize is just the latest proof that a concept rejected by Einstein in 1939 has become one of the hottest topics in physics

A planet orbiting the glowing corpse of a sunlike star might be a surprisingly benign place to be

Any extraterrestrial organisms we find will be made of the same atoms we are—yet their existence will be profoundly important to us nonetheless

The pandemic offers colleges and universities an unexpected opportunity to reinvent themselves in ways that better serve students and faculty