Link to Interview The most surpising takeaway from this interview, to me, is the fact that there are so many Earth-like planets in the observable universe. This seems to act as a very strong argument in favor of the existence of some sort of extraterrestrial life. If life on any one of these planets could come from origins similar to how life on Earth originated, then it seems almost undeniable that there are other forms of intelligent life in the universe. I found Loeb's infatuation with this topic interesting; especially when he stated that he would gladly board an alien's spaceship if the opportunity presented itself. If I had conducted the interview with Loeb, I would have loved to dive deeper into this topic, potentially exploring different signals that we have found, which could also contribute to the argument of other interstellar life forms. If we have strong evidence, how far away are these other potential life forms?
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Hi, Jude! Thank you for your reflection. I watched Jill Tarter’s interview, so I enjoyed this glimpse into the discussion with Avi Loeb. Last January, I had the opportunity to stargaze at the summit of Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii and was, no pun intended, starstruck by just how close the galactic world felt. With the great distance above sea level and lack of light pollution at 10,000 feet, we had crystal-clear views of the night sky and, particularly, the Andromeda Galaxy in its spiral splendor. It was truly magical to observe the cosmos from this perspective, where the outside world seemed to speak in a hushed whisper and extraterrestrial life seemed attainable. In all honesty, I would happily join Loeb on his Star Trek adventure to find “intelligent life in the universe.”
I also was surprised by how many planets we have discovered that are similar to Earth! Both interview videos with Avi Loeb and Jill Tarter made me think back on my childhood fantasies of alien contact. Much like Avi Loeb, I think I might also consider boarding an alien spaceship (of course with more hesitation than him). While watching the interview, did you feel any of you childhood imaginations come back to life? Does the thought of alien life excite or scare you?