Avi Loeb, a Harvard astronomer known for controversial theories about alien visits, has been appointed by the White House to lead a team of outside scientists studying the national security risks posed by unidentified flying objects, now often called unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP).
Loeb's Role and Team
Loeb, a cosmologist who studied black holes and chaired Harvard's astronomy department until 2020, will helm a new scientific advisory council tasked with investigating the origins of mysterious orbs and other objects reported by military personnel. The team will report to a White House panel focused on UAP, created in response to President Donald Trump's directive for greater transparency on the issue.
“It’s like a detective story,” Loeb said in an interview. “It’s a lot of fun, as long as you don’t pay too much attention to the critics.”
His hand-picked team includes more than a dozen scientists and UFO activists, such as retired Rear Admiral Timothy Gallaudet, who has warned about UAP controlled by “nonhuman intelligence,” and billionaire Ben Lamm, who is working to revive extinct species. After its first meeting last month, the team requested more than 50 videos, images, and documents from the Pentagon related to known UAP incidents.
Controversy and Criticism
Loeb's theories have won praise in UFO circles but often put him at odds with academic peers. Steve Desch, an Arizona State University astrophysicist who has challenged Loeb's work, said Loeb uses flawed methods to reach wild conclusions about alien life, casting doubt on the White House panel's credibility. “I don’t know what’s going to come of this, but we’re not going to get any closer to answering these questions with him in charge,” Desch said.
Sean Kirkpatrick, a physicist who previously investigated UAP at the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, said Loeb is “not viewed favorably” in the scientific community and lacks national security experience. He suggested the White House is more interested in fringe theories than hard science.
Loeb's Background and Approach
Before his alien theories, Loeb was a respected cosmologist who authored hundreds of papers on black holes and galaxy formation. His career shifted in 2017 when he proposed that an interstellar object could be a “light sail” from alien technology, a theory he presented in a paper and later a book. He founded the Galileo Project at Harvard to search for artifacts from alien civilizations.
Loeb brushes aside critics, saying they lack imagination. For the White House, he promises a grounded approach, starting with the assumption that UAP are human-made and focusing on national security. “Let’s keep our eyes on the orbs, not the social media,” he said.
Trump's Transparency Push
Earlier this year, Trump directed his administration to provide more transparency on UFOs and alien life. The Pentagon has released three batches of files, including decades-old FBI reports and military videos showing orbs darting through the sky. The new UAP Governance Board, overseen by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, met for the first time in June and is supported by Loeb's team and other advisory groups.
A bipartisan group in Congress is pushing the White House to go further, with some Republicans amplifying claims of hidden evidence. The White House has encouraged anyone with information to come forward, though a Pentagon office investigating UAP says it has seen no evidence of alien life. Loeb said he doesn't buy into cover-up theories: “My impression is the government is baffled by not being able to infer the nature of some of these objects.”
