UnHerd with Freddie Sayers Avi Loeb vs. Michael Shermer: The Aliens Debate
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Feb 25, 2026 
Michael Shermer, historian of science and founder of Skeptic Magazine, offers skeptical, evidence-first critique. Avi Loeb, Harvard astronomer and leader of the Galileo Project, pushes active searches for extraterrestrial artifacts. They debate UFO sightings versus interstellar probes. They discuss research methods, data triangulation, and how science and secrecy shape the search for life.
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Interstellar Objects Open A New Search Frontier
- Avi Loeb argues new telescope detections of interstellar objects open a research frontier for finding possible alien artifacts.
- He cites Oumuamua's extreme brightness changes and non-gravitational acceleration as anomalies warranting systematic study via the Galileo Project.
Allocate Resources And Build Dedicated Observatories
- Invest resources and build instruments to collect data rather than dismiss anomalies as impossible.
- Avi says without allocating billions and focused observation we will never resolve whether objects are artificial.
Anomalies Need Big Samples To Be Reliable
- Michael Shermer stresses anomalies require large samples to distinguish true signals from noise and false positives.
- He notes we currently have only a few interstellar objects (N≈3–4), so claims from small N risk overinterpretation.
