Key facts
- Avi Loeb, a Harvard astronomer, will lead a new White House scientific advisory council on UFOs.
- The council will investigate unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and their national security risks.
- The initiative is part of President Donald Trump's directive for greater transparency on the issue.
- Loeb's team includes scientists and UFO activists, with a request made to the Pentagon for UAP-related documents.
- The White House has established a UAP Governance Board, with Loeb's team providing support.
A polarizing Harvard astronomer, Avi Loeb, known for his theories about alien visits, has been appointed by the White House to lead a new scientific advisory council. This council will investigate the national security risks associated with unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), commonly known as UFOs.
Loeb, a cosmologist who previously headed Harvard's astronomy department, has spent the last decade searching for evidence of intelligent alien life. His theories, such as suggesting an interstellar object in 2017 could be a "light sail" from an alien spacecraft, have garnered praise in UFO circles but faced criticism from academic peers for lacking evidence and skipping peer review.
The new White House panel, part of President Donald Trump's initiative to declassify more information on the topic, aims to bring a scientific approach to UAP investigations. Loeb has stated his team will begin by assuming UAP are human-made from a national security perspective, but hopes improved data collection could eventually settle the alien debate.
Loeb's hand-picked team includes over a dozen scientists and UFO activists, including retired Rear Admiral Timothy Gallaudet and billionaire Ben Lamm. After its first meeting, the team requested over 50 UAP-related documents from the Pentagon. The UAP Governance Board, created in response to Trump's order for transparency, is supported by Loeb's group and other advisory bodies.
Despite some in the scientific community, like astrophysicist Steve Desch, expressing skepticism about Loeb's leadership, Loeb dismisses critics, asserting they lack imagination. Sean Kirkpatrick, a former Pentagon UAP investigator, also noted Loeb is not viewed favorably in the scientific community and lacks national security experience. Loeb, however, believes the government is baffled by some UAP and does not subscribe to cover-up theories.