Imagine that Donald Trump offered me a prestigious and profitable position in his administration (that’s not going to happen). I’m on the edge of retirement, and would love to have a nice comfortable position for my twilight years, so maybe you think I’d be tempted. I would not. I am not going to trash my own integrity to get some advantage. That would be the last thing I’d ever consider, and would feel a deep shame if I were to accept it, because everything Trump touches turns to crap.
In other words, I’m not Avi Loeb.
A polarizing Harvard astronomer known for splashy theories about alien visits has been tapped by the Trump administration to lead a team of outside scientists to study the national security risks posed by UFOs.
Avi Loeb, a cosmologist who studied black holes and served as head of Harvard’s astronomy department until 2020, was recently appointed to helm a new scientific advisory council tasked with investigating the origins of mysterious orbs and other objects reported by military personnel in recent years.
Loeb has made a career of pushing patently nonsensical bullshit. That’s not just my opinion, the scientific community in general thinks he’s a con artist.
His theories have won praise in UFO circles but often put him in conflict with academic peers. Other astronomers accuse him of making exotic claims with little evidence. Some chafe at his habit of skipping the peer review process and bringing claims directly to the public.
Steve Desch, an Arizona State University astrophysicist who has challenged some of Loeb’s theories, said Loeb uses flawed methods to reach wild conclusions about alien life — all while shunning a more established branch of science searching for life beyond Earth.
Loeb’s role on the administration’s new panel casts doubt on the entire endeavor, Desch said.
“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.
Loeb has been artificially propped up by the grifter administration. Let’s hope he comes crashing down hard in a few years, and learns regret.
Confirming the terrible quality of this panel, Michael Shermer has also been appointed to it.
I’m sure Avi can have some cra-cra discussions with RFKJr. Perhaps involving aliens and assassinations in the 1960’s and vaccines.
And maybe Bat Boy.
I think Loeb is another Michio Kaku, a scientist who’s found the spotlight appealing and become more concerned with it than legitimate science. One who knows that the woo crowd aren’t interested in careful scientific research that sometimes doesn’t lead to anything. They want their next “world changing breakthrough” now!
Oh my Mog! Just imagine the conspiracy theories that could be pushed by HHS, Don’t touch vaccines as they are part of a Reptilian plot to take over the Earth. UFOs are leaving chemtrails which make you sterile. We need to build a wall in space to block illegal migrants from Alpha Centauri. The possibilities are endless and MAGAts will fall for all of it
At last, we will discover the scientific equivalent of the Reflecting Pool and the G.A.S. Fair!
Yup – Loeb is a clown but he’s still one of the better Trump appointments – and that kinda speaks for itself.
He actually has some respect for science – or at least Loeb isn’t actively hatefully anti-science and, far as I know, he’s not a bigot or White Supremacist.
So he’s one of the better ones in the Trump list – how bad does that make the average ones much less the worst ones like RFK jr, Kegsbreath and co?
Just curious: what’s his compensation look like?
Who knows, maybe he’ll find the Ark of the Covenant, reopen communications with the aliens who will then transport all the “chosen people”…like Avi, Donald, etc…to another planet, or even universe, then we mere humans can live out our lives in relative peace.
Perhaps Muskrat can get in on this project.
If it were one of his side contracts, and you weren’t bribing him to get the offer, you were never gonna get paid. If it were an existing salaried gov role, which has so far not yet turned to crap, your job would be to ruin it. If you’re lucky you might collect inside scoops for a tell-all-too-late book deal before the high turnover rate gets you..
I think there are a lot of sci-fi writers considering suicide about now.
At least Loeb comes from a related field. Trump could have appointed another Fox News Moron. Or worse yet, Giorgio Tsoukalos.
A very good manager I worked for once told me, ‘work hard, cream always rises to the top’
However, experience taught me that in business as in politics and elsewhere; ‘the wealthy and powerful will shake the bottle so their rancid, curdled favorites rise to the top’
Space, & communicating with the president.
From the novel ‘When the Moon Hits Your Eye” by John Scalzi
.
“I have a briefing with the president in exactly half an hour, and because we all know he doesn’t bother to read the daily intelligence briefing, it will fall to me to explain what the hell is going on.So explain it to me. Use small words so I can use even smaller words on him. Somebody start”.
Nobody wanted to start.
@ #5
If he had “some respect for science” he wouldn’t make “exotic claims with little evidence” or skip ” the peer review process”.
to the donald none of it is really real it is only what he can get you to think. his appointments are more like casting who would “look right for the part” and who will give him kickbacks and obeisance.
he clearly has not got a very good grasp of anything resembling to objective reality.
@12.larpar : Fair point although I did say some respect for science not a lot of respect or great deal of respect for science Some in this case being not enough but still more respect than say Trump or Kegsbreath have for it.Loeb is not activeluy anti-science like a lot of the Trumpists seem to be. Yeah low bar and not great.
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.
If I was an alien used to high temperatures and wanting to get rid of the planet’s current population, supporting the anti-scientific Dump administration is what I would do.
If I was a well-meaning human, I’d support ethics, reason and science to help my fellow creatures not to destroy themselves.
You might now wonder why I’m making this argument. I do hope that you’ll find out on the nearest possible occasion. But you’re the one person in your country who will be least surprised.
@16 drdrdrdrdralhazeneuler posed: If I was a well-meaning human, I’d support ethics, reason and science to help my fellow creatures not to destroy themselves.
I reply: I truly support that option, but I/we have seen that there are too many humans that are not ‘well-meaning’, but, instead are greedy, malicious, superstitious humans. What are the chances that your option will prevail? We may see in the not to distant future, if we live that long.