Interstellar Objects: 'Oumuamua, 3I-ATLAS, and more

I Hate Talking · Sep 18, 2025 · 28m · transcript

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Links to materials mentioned in the episode:

Link to book by Avi Loeb: Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth.

Link to the paper co-authored by Avi Loeb: Is the Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Alien Technology? (PDF)

Word(s) of the Episode

ʻOumuamua

Hawaiian name for the first observed interstellar object (2017).

Meaning: “A messenger from afar arriving first” or “advance scout.”

Had unusual properties—possibly pancake-shaped, non-natural trajectory, and odd light reflections that led some scientists (e.g., Avi Loeb, Harvard) to propose it might be an…