Astronomer Avi Loeb Says Aliens Have Visited, and He's Not Kidding

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February 01, 2021

Space

Astronomer Avi Loeb Says Aliens Have Visited, and He's Not Kidding

In conversation, the Harvard University professor explains his shocking hypothesis—and calls out what he sees as a crisis in science

By Lee Billings

Physics

The Cosmological Constant Is Physics' Most Embarrassing Problem

Physicists have new ideas about why the energy of empty space is so much weaker than it is predicted to be

By Clara Moskowitz

Policy & Ethics

Why AI Needs to Be Able to Understand All the World's Languages

The benefits of mobile technology are not accessible to most of the world's 700 million illiterate people

By Moussa Doumbouya,Lisa Einstein,Chris Piech

Space

Did a Supermassive Black Hole Influence the Evolution of Life on Earth?

The idea isn't as crazy as it might sound

By Abraham Loeb

Behavior & Society

Scientists Need to Be Kinder to One Another

Mutual criticism in research is necessary, but it needn't be nasty

By Naomi Oreskes

Automotive

Want Greener Cars? Focus on Fuel Efficiency

Electric cars are great, but higher fuel economy for vehicles of all sizes is better

By John DeCicco,The Conversation US

Mental Health

Psychedelics as Antidepressants

The treatments of the future may arise from a long-stigmatized class of drugs

By Austin Lim

Arts & Culture

Poem: A Unified Theory of Love

Science in meter and verse

By Kit Wienert

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

"In terms of risk, in science, we are supposed to put everything on the table. We cannot just avoid certain ideas because we worry about the consequences of discussing them, because there is great risk in that, too. That would be similar to telling Galileo not to speak about Earth moving around the sun and to avoid looking in his telescope because it was dangerous to the philosophy of the day."

Avi Loeb, chair of the astronomy department at Harvard University

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