A Harvard researcher has outlined a 15-step strategy to address a potential alien encounter following reports of an ‘object’ on a trajectory toward Earth.
The object, designated by NASA as a comet and named 3I/ATLAS, was initially observed in early July.
Physicist Avi Loeb, however, suggests that while Hubble Space Telescope images reveal ‘a glow ahead of the object’, the absence of ‘a prominent cometary tail behind it’ raises the possibility that the object might be something other than a comet.
Consequently, Loeb has penned a new piece on Medium, proposing that the object could be harboring alien technology.
In this article, Loeb has devised a 15-point action plan for how Earth should respond if the object indeed turns out to be of alien origin.
Loeb initially emphasizes that Earth’s reaction should ‘reflect the detailed characteristics of the threat’.
He cautions against assuming alien technology would resemble human technology, which ‘spans only a century of scientific research after quantum mechanics and general relativity were discovered’.
As a second measure, Loeb advises collecting extensive data using all available resources, including telescopes and ‘all space assets currently employed for intelligence gathering and other national security priorities’.
Loeb insists that ‘information must be shared in full among all humans, since the response affects our shared future’.
According to Loeb, global cooperation is essential for a ‘coordinated plan’, which should include ‘activation of space and air assets to defend humanity as a whole’.
He cautioned, “This plan would be based on the understanding that we are all in the same boat, and if one of us rocks the boat, all of us might be at risk of drowning.”
Loeb recommends that national or international bodies should enforce consequences for any breaches of the plan.
“No nation will take advantage of the situation to hurt another nation,” Loeb asserts.
As part of the strategy, Loeb states that ‘societal order will be maintained’.
He further adds: “Violence of humans against humans will be punished by law.”
“A representative international committee will be appointed to communicate with the alien visitors, whether they possess biological intelligence or alien AI. The committee will employ the best AI tools available to humanity for the task of decoding alien messaging,” says Loeb.
Loeb emphasizes that decision-making needs to be swift due to the object’s proximity.
He advises that governments globally should remain in ‘continuous contact’ since ‘what happens in one location could have implications in another location shortly afterwards’.
Loeb also suggests post-threat recommendations, emphasizing that the experience should be leveraged for future preparedness.
“The characteristics of past visits must be used to develop protocols for future visits based on the gathered information,” said Loeb.
He proposes establishing new observatories as an early warning system for potential future risks.
“An array of space-based interceptors should be installed in orbit around the Sun,” says Loeb.
“The spacecraft closest to the path of an incoming alien device, identified in advance by the astronomical observatories, will attempt to intercept the visitor far from Earth. Based on the nature of the threat, the interceptor could employ nuclear weapons to protect Earth.”
Loeb argues that part of the military budget should be redirected to invest in new defense technologies.
In his final recommendation, Loeb advocates for ‘scouting missions’ as a component of space exploration.
He suggests these missions be ‘aimed to inform future plans for defending Earth against predators or for spreading humanity beyond Earth using sustainable habitats on large space platforms’.