4 ms·

" If such an object is retrieved, its structure could inform us of its technological purpose and design." Or it will be a lump of metal/rock. I mean, maybe the

" If such an object is retrieved, its structure could inform us of its technological purpose and design." Or it will be a lump of metal/rock. I mean, maybe these spherules are from the interstellar meteor, or maybe not, but by this comment, I'm not sure I trust any of it - the team seem to just be looking for confirmation of their alien-tech intruder hypothesis.

BiteCode_dev 3y ago
This is what motivates them, give them exposure and likely financing. It's good for moral, and for marketing. If they eventually draw extraordinary conclusions from this, there will be hundreds of scientists to double check it, just out of curiosity, precisely because they had this stance. All in all, it will be a win-win.
ceejayoz 3y ago
Yup. Earlier this week it was an alien wire found on a magnet. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36372194 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36372194
gfodor 3y ago
Yes, one would assume if you charter a boat to the middle of the ocean hunting for alien debris, you are inclined to want to find some. Fortunately, as we know, it isn't the end of the world that humans have motivations to do scientific research, as long as their methods are sound and they publish their findings in the right way.
Mizza 3y ago
I think he _hopes_, but doesn't believe. The actual papers around this project don't mention aliens (but they're ever-so-slightly hinted at, if you read between the lines). They treat it like an interesting metallic meteorite. https://arxiv.org/pdf/2209.09905.pdf https://arxiv.org/pdf/2209.09905.pdf I think it's cool enough without needing to talk about ET technology, but it helps with the funding and exposure, so I don't really mind at as long as it remains fundamentally scientific.
- BiteCode_dev 3y ago
  Yes, as long as the science is good, having fun in the process is not horrible.
  - jacknews 3y ago
    I'm not sure it's ideal that the people collecting the data have such a definite view on what they expect it to indicate.
    - BiteCode_dev 3y ago
      It's not, but that's the dirty secret of researchers, the most passionate ones always have some conviction inside. They just don't voice it.
    - nomel 3y ago
      This data almost certainly wouldn't exist, without that view. In some cases, it's much harder to find something you're not looking for.
    - TheBlight 3y ago
      The data will be open. It doesn't matter what they think of the data.
  - nocoiner 3y ago
    It’s not horrible, but every time I see his name on a publication, I know what the primary subtext is going to be. It will definitely be worth it if he’s the first scientist to establish deeply convincing evidence of an extraterrestrial civilization, but for now he seems like he’s mostly hat and short on cattle.
- ceejayoz 3y ago
  He's gone further than hope alone in public statements. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/harvards-top-astronomer-says-an-alien-ship-may-be-among-us--and-he-doesnt-care-what-his-colleagues-think/2019/02/04/a5d70bb0-24d5-11e9-90cd-dedb0c92dc17_story.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/harvards-top-... > And while he’s not saying it’s definitely aliens, he is saying he can’t think of anything other than aliens that fits the data. And he’s saying that all over international news. > “Many people expected once there would be this publicity, I would back down,” Loeb says. “If someone shows me evidence to the contrary, I will immediately back down.”
adrian_b 3y ago
The first thing that they must do is an accurate analysis of the isotopic ratios of all chemical elements present in the spherules. Only this can confirm that the objects are of extraterrestrial origin (if the isotopic ratios do not match the terrestrial ratios). If it is true that they are extraterrestrial, then they must have a complex chemical history. Such a chemical composition cannot form from condensation in cooling gases of average stellar system composition, like in most meteorites that have never been parts of a planet, but could have been formed only from some initially oxidized rock (which would have lacked the nickel, cobalt and germanium that are present in primordial metallic iron, but which could have included magnesium oxide and titanium-iron oxide) and which would have been reduced to metal at some time later, by a reducing agent like hydrogen. This could have easily happened naturally, but of course an artificial metallic object is made in the same way, by reducing metallic oxides.
TheBlight 3y ago
Why do you have to trust any of it? The data will be made available to everyone. No trust required.

BiteCode_dev 3y ago

This is what motivates them, give them exposure and likely financing. It's good for moral, and for marketing. If they eventually draw extraordinary conclusions from this, there will be hundreds of scientists to double check it, just out of curiosity, precisely because they had this stance. All in all, it will be a win-win.

ceejayoz 3y ago

Yup. Earlier this week it was an alien wire found on a magnet. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36372194 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36372194

gfodor 3y ago

Yes, one would assume if you charter a boat to the middle of the ocean hunting for alien debris, you are inclined to want to find some. Fortunately, as we know, it isn't the end of the world that humans have motivations to do scientific research, as long as their methods are sound and they publish their findings in the right way.

Mizza 3y ago

I think he _hopes_, but doesn't believe. The actual papers around this project don't mention aliens (but they're ever-so-slightly hinted at, if you read between the lines). They treat it like an interesting metallic meteorite. https://arxiv.org/pdf/2209.09905.pdf https://arxiv.org/pdf/2209.09905.pdf I think it's cool enough without needing to talk about ET technology, but it helps with the funding and exposure, so I don't really mind at as long as it remains fundamentally scientific.

BiteCode_dev 3y ago
Yes, as long as the science is good, having fun in the process is not horrible.
- jacknews 3y ago
  I'm not sure it's ideal that the people collecting the data have such a definite view on what they expect it to indicate.
  - BiteCode_dev 3y ago
    It's not, but that's the dirty secret of researchers, the most passionate ones always have some conviction inside. They just don't voice it.
  - nomel 3y ago
    This data almost certainly wouldn't exist, without that view. In some cases, it's much harder to find something you're not looking for.
  - TheBlight 3y ago
    The data will be open. It doesn't matter what they think of the data.
- nocoiner 3y ago
  It’s not horrible, but every time I see his name on a publication, I know what the primary subtext is going to be. It will definitely be worth it if he’s the first scientist to establish deeply convincing evidence of an extraterrestrial civilization, but for now he seems like he’s mostly hat and short on cattle.
ceejayoz 3y ago
He's gone further than hope alone in public statements. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/harvards-top-astronomer-says-an-alien-ship-may-be-among-us--and-he-doesnt-care-what-his-colleagues-think/2019/02/04/a5d70bb0-24d5-11e9-90cd-dedb0c92dc17_story.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/harvards-top-... > And while he’s not saying it’s definitely aliens, he is saying he can’t think of anything other than aliens that fits the data. And he’s saying that all over international news. > “Many people expected once there would be this publicity, I would back down,” Loeb says. “If someone shows me evidence to the contrary, I will immediately back down.”

adrian_b 3y ago

The first thing that they must do is an accurate analysis of the isotopic ratios of all chemical elements present in the spherules. Only this can confirm that the objects are of extraterrestrial origin (if the isotopic ratios do not match the terrestrial ratios). If it is true that they are extraterrestrial, then they must have a complex chemical history. Such a chemical composition cannot form from condensation in cooling gases of average stellar system composition, like in most meteorites that have never been parts of a planet, but could have been formed only from some initially oxidized rock (which would have lacked the nickel, cobalt and germanium that are present in primordial metallic iron, but which could have included magnesium oxide and titanium-iron oxide) and which would have been reduced to metal at some time later, by a reducing agent like hydrogen. This could have easily happened naturally, but of course an artificial metallic object is made in the same way, by reducing metallic oxides.

TheBlight 3y ago

Why do you have to trust any of it? The data will be made available to everyone. No trust required.