Abraham (Avi) Loeb is the Frank B. Baird, Jr., Professor of Science at Harvard University, longest-serving chair of Harvard's Department of Astronomy, founding director of Harvard's Black Hole Initiative, and current director of the Institute for Theory and Computation (ITC) within the Center for Astrophysics at Harvard and the Smithsonian. He also heads the Galileo Project, chairs the Advisory Committee for the Breakthrough Starshot Initiative, and is former chair of the Board on Physics and Astronomy of the National Academies. Author of eight books and over a thousand scientific papers, Loeb is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, the American Physical Society, and the International Academy of Astronautics. In 2012, Time selected Loeb as one of the 25 most influential people in space. He lives near Boston, Massachusetts.
"Praise for Extraterrestrial: Compelling . . . The book is not so much a claim for one object as an argument for a more open-minded approach to science - a combination of humility and wonder * New Statesman * Skeptics should take seriously the meticulous defense of the alien origin story offered in Extraterrestrial . . . You don't have to share his conviction to be impressed by the breadth of his argument * Washington Post * So interesting... I recommend [Extraterrestrial] to people who have any interest in this extraordinary subject of life existing in other places than on Earth. -- WILLIAM SHATNER (on 'Extraterrestrial', from Amazon.com) Advance praise for Interstellar: Interstellar is a deliciously provocative and deeply optimistic book. Avi Loebinvites us to reimagine our place in the universe, confront urgent questions about our future, and remember that scientific curiosity is key to our survival. -- DANIEL H. PINK, #1 New York Times bestselling author of DRIVE and THE POWER OF REGRET Is humanity prepared to meet its neighbors? In this brilliant, provocative, and beautifully written book, leading astronomer and extraterrestrial evangelist Avi Loeb says we better get ready - and soon. So buckle up and start reading! -- DANIEL GILBERT, Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, author of the New York Times bestseller STUMBLING ON HAPPINESS Science at its best inspires, unifies, and points toward a better future. The innovative work Avi Loeb is leading to discover evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations does all three. Interstellar is a must-read for anyone who has ever been haunted by the question, ""Are we alone?"" -- NIA IMARA, professor of astronomy at the University of California, Santa Cruz This is a fascinating book about extraterrestrial civilizations by one of the world's leading astrophysicists. You don't need to agree with all of Avi's views to be inspired by his hopeful and thought-provoking vision for humanity's interstellar future. -- MAX TEGMARK, professor at MIT, bestselling author of LIFE 3.0 and OUR MATHEMATICAL UNIVERSE Interstellar is possibly the most visionary and important manifesto of our necessarily interstellar future as humankind. -- DR. FRANK LAUKIEN, chairman, president, and CEO, Bruker Corporation [Avi Loeb is] the world's 'Leading Alien Hunter'. * CNN * Readers of grand speculations by the likes of Freeman Dyson and Stanislaw Lem will find nothing in Interstellar to make them blink . . . Loeb, who has spent a career writing about black holes, dark matter and the deep time of the universe, argues that unless we go looking for extraterrestrials, we're never going to find them. His dating metaphor grew on me: are we to be cosmic wallflowers, standing around on the off-chance that some stranger comes along? Or are we going to go looking for things we'll never spot without a bit of effort? * New Scientist *"