Science
Related: About this forumHarvard professor Avi Loeb believes he's found fragments of alien technology
https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/avi-loeb-harvard-professor-alien-technology-fragments/CAMBRIDGE - Harvard professor Avi Loeb believes he may have found fragments of alien technology from a meteor that landed in the waters off of Papua, New Guinea in 2014.
...
"We found ten spherules. These are almost perfect spheres, or metallic marbles. When you look at them through a microscope, they look very distinct from the background," explained Loeb, "They have colors of gold, blue, brown, and some of them resemble a miniature of the Earth."
An analysis of the composition showed that the spherules are made of 84% iron, 8% silicon, 4% magnesium, and 2% titanium, plus trace elements. They are sub-millimeter in size. The crew found 50 of them in total.
"It has material strength that is tougher than all space rock that were seen before, and catalogued by NASA," added Loeb, "We calculated its speed outside the solar system. It was 60 km per second, faster than 95% of all stars in the vicinity of the sun. The fact that it was made of materials tougher than even iron meteorites, and moving faster than 95% of all stars in the vicinity of the sun, suggested potentially it could be a spacecraft from another civilization or some technological gadget."
rock or technological gadget? Further exploration of the site may tell.
intrepidity
(7,854 posts)I mean, I respect Loeb for his unconventional views and all, but this one just seems a bridge too far.
BootinUp
(48,897 posts)very skeptical. Pointing out that metal spherules like this are known to come from meteors entering our atmosphere. I didn't read the whole thing and really the subject does not fascinate me like it did when I was younger. I have since realized how easy it is for people to take pieces of a puzzle and make them fit all kinds of impossible stories.
Inkey
(319 posts)tha we are only just discovering.
LonePirate
(13,874 posts)A star consuming a rocky planet, perhaps one like Mercury or even Earth, could produce the same spherules if the same elements were present and a powerful stellar explosion could send them hurtling through space at a massive speed. If scientists know their exact composition, which it sounds like they do, they can recreate them to study them further. It seems like wishful thinking is clouding some judgment on this scientist's part.
stopdiggin
(12,696 posts)krkaufman
(13,696 posts)Guy just wants Amazon to greenlight seasons 7-9 of The Expanse.
stopdiggin
(12,696 posts)what kind of rubbish is this? this isn't even good 'winding down over a beer' fodder.
Tetrachloride
(8,442 posts)I know some dogs that resemble cats
I know some chop suey resembles Chinese food
i know some Americans think they know how to say karaoke ( properly)
i know the Supreme Court thinks corporations are people
Some people think Final Countdown or We Built This City or YMCA are the greatest modern songs
I want to work at Harvard
Warpy
(113,130 posts)FTFY
Oh, and I agree.
I don't think even Graham Hancock would tough this one with a three meter pole.
Demnation
(413 posts)BigmanPigman
(52,208 posts)for having the guts to post it here. I would have done the same but knew I would get the same mean replies. I thought people were more open minded but I was obviously wrong.
It is interesting how many nasty replies people get these days on DU. I am very disappointed.
ShazzieB
(18,510 posts)The article says Loeb believes he may have found fragments of alien technology. MAY HAVE. He's studying the fragments to learn more about them. I don't see what's so outrageous about that. Loeb is a theoretical physicist who works on astrophysics and cosmology, not some random crackpot. I looked him up; his credentials are beyond impressive. He knows a hell of a lot more about this stuff than I ever will. If he thinks this is a possibility (which is all he's saying, that it's possible), who the hell am I to argue?
But it figures that there are people at DU who think they are smarter than a Harvard professor who has a PhD in plasma physics and a list of other qualifications a mile long.
Seriously, I dare anyone to look up Avi Loeb in Wikipedia and skim the article on him, then try to tell me this is not a man who is in a position to know what he's talking about. I'll try not to laugh.
BigmanPigman
(52,208 posts)I saw it on DU. In fact, I read it twice to be able to understand it better. It is another "question" about something that is very complex and at this time and we humans do not know all the answers that "science" provides but that should not limit our thoughts into areas that have no definite answers. I prefer to be open minded to things I and other humans do not understand....
"A phrase used by the title character in the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare. Hamlet suggests that human knowledge is limited: There are more things in heaven and Earth, Horatio, / Than are dreamt of in your philosophy"
ShazzieB
(18,510 posts)It just seems weird to me that some seemed to immediately assume Dr. Loeb was some kind of crackpot. I knew he couldn't be a Harvard professor if that was the case, but I looked him up to make sure, and boy, was I impressed!
Love that quote from Hamlet, and I think it fits perfectly.
Quixote1818
(30,281 posts)usonian
(13,540 posts)I pick up a lot of items of varying quality (mostly good) on Hacker News, and decide whether it's worth posting on DU.
Late at night, I pass on a lot of items or I don't dig really deep. I forgot that Loeb is controversial.
If people call me on raising controversy, I can use the "Uncle Leo" excuse. I'm old and confused.
But I never get controversial, as in bending the rules.
That said, science can be controversial. I read "The Nature of the Universe" by Fred Hoyle early on, and still don't like aspects of the "Big Bang" theory, largely because it was invented by a priest. And there are controversies and bets being placed on theories being pure speculation or later being proven or disproven.
I do remain neutral on the subject of space aliens, despite having heard of Chariots of the Gods way back when.
OK, gotta phone home now.
xocetaceans
(3,926 posts)Coast to Coast with his alien technology hucksterism.
airplaneman
(1,270 posts)Last edited Sun Jul 9, 2023, 01:52 AM - Edit history (1)
I do understand science often begins with imagination but must stand the test of time and experimentation to prove or disprove an idea. For me I have gotten bitter on the Alien subject as so much is out there that is clearly not very good or believable in my opinion. With all due respect to Dr. Avi Loeb and the scientific principle I apologize for coming across as hypocritical.
-Airplane
CloudWatcher
(1,922 posts)More proof that a PhD is not conclusive evidence of being very bright.
airplaneman
(1,270 posts)-Airplane