Letters of Gratitude About 3I/ATLAS
In anticipation of Thanksgiving, I have received over the past day the following letters of gratitude concerning the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS:
Letter 1
“Hi Avi!
(I use the familiar voice, because I feel like you are humanity’s best friend at this moment — the one unafraid to ask the most important questions to which we do not yet know the answers…and seemingly fearlessly at that!)
Since your very earliest writings about 3I/ATLAS, I’ve been looking forward to the emails from my new friend Avi to point out, with all due scientific and professional rigor/skepticism, what questions humanity should be asking of our institutions and about our newest interstellar visitor.
You haven’t ever let us down.
Even on days without new data to share, I marvel at the work you’ve done to both refine your delivery for accessibility to the non-scientifically minded and to welcome everyone who takes the time to read your work into the collective mystery…all without gatekeeping or condescension.
(It’s not every intellectually curious/highly-educated being that can do that!)
Thank you for your courage to publicly continue the exploration in the face of all the ridiculous (and rather pathetic, if you ask me) ridicule lobbed at you. I wish I had been a Professor like you at a University. I’d likely have followed my dreams of becoming a Cosmologist if I had!
Cosmically Yours,
Matthew Riley”
Letter 2
“Howdy from Houston, Professor Loeb!
I wanted to add to the flood of mail in your inbox just to share my enthusiasm for your work and your ability to communicate the important role of science in general and of astrophysics in particular today. I’ve been following your posts since the announcement of 3I/ATLAS and I’m shocked, but sadly not surprised, at the overwhelmingly anti-scientific stance that so many people seem to take toward the big questions in the cosmos. Surely fear and information hiding cannot get us to a better future. They never have.
On that note, I wrote some book recommendations for my LinkedIn followers this morning and included this mention of you:
—
No current reading list on the sky would be complete without including Avi Loeb, the controversial astrophysics professor from Harvard who is adamant that we should examine all of space scientifically and not with military or political intent. Interstellar is his second popular-level book (I finished his first two weeks ago) and does a wonderful job of breaking down the practical reasons that we must look at space in a new way than we did before. Our modern instruments and scientific knowledge of the formation of the universe simply compel to us look more carefully — in order to find out about our own origins.
And this leads to the Big Takeaway I’m finding from all of these modern books, discussions, and documentaries on astrophysics. They all talk about life on other planets! This was not even a topic of space discussion when I was a child. It was a fringe subject for wackos. What’s changed is that now we know that life itself can arise from the quantum conditions of the Big Bang (over a great deal of time, of course) and since that bang spread out everywhere, there are many potential places where life like ours — or unlike ours — can likely be.
Them’s the facts, ma’am! These are exciting times on the ultimate frontier, the view from this Spaceship Earth, as Ray Bradbury called it, on which we’re merely passengers.
—
Thank you for all you’re doing, Professor Loeb, and be well!
— David Bethune”
Letter 3
“Avi, I don’t think I’ve ever been so impressed with anyone in my lifetime as I am with you. Standing up to, what it seems like everyone!! At times, and you never flinched once, ever…
Good on you, I’m 63 retired but the young man who now owns my boat is next generation of my line. I’ll be going up to Massachusetts next June to teach him the trade of harpooning bluefin, you have an open invitation to come with us. A day or two off the backside of the Cape would be good escape and a chance to see something special
Proud of you, stay your course….
Corky”
Letter 4
“Dear Dr. Loeb,
I wanted to take a moment to express my appreciation for your work. Your combination of scientific rigor, intellectual generosity, and genuine humility is rare and deeply inspiring for those of us following your research from the sidelines.
My own background is in radiology and clinical nutrition, with a growing focus on physiology, biochemistry, and science communication. I’ve been developing an educational comic series to make complex biological concepts easier for students to understand. It’s a small project compared to the scale of your work, but it reflects how much I value clear, accessible science.
If your research ever intersects with areas where imaging, biological interpretation, or health science perspectives could be useful, I would be grateful for any opportunity, even a minor one, to contribute. And if humanity ever finds extraterrestrial visitors with suspicious bone density or questionable micronutrient status, I promise I’ll keep a ready eye on both the skeletons and the vitamins.
Thank you for the example you set in how curiosity and humility can coexist at the highest levels of science. It genuinely means a lot.
With respect,
Azadeh”
Letter 5
“Dear Dr. Loeb,
I wanted to thank you for the wonder and open-mindedness you bring to the field of astronomy. Your work, particularly your approach to Oumuamua and the Galileo Project, has deeply inspired me.
As an artist who often weaves science into my work, I recently released a song titled “3I/ATLAS, The Star Whisperer”, which was directly influenced by your theories about interstellar objects. While the song has some poetic interpretation, it’s ultimately a reflection of curiosity, the spirit of exploration, and how your ideas inspired a reimagining of what’s possible.
If you ever have a moment to listen, it would mean the world to me.
Here’s the song:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/7xkmReT3ERYZP1ouCipVLe?si=4eiTAepTRJaYYRM7ribUSQ
YouTube: https://youtu.be/DFu-1naCMk8?si=b80bjdR0ctsGKHCL
Thank you again for helping so many of us keep wonder alive in science.
Warmly,
Suzee”
Letter 6
“Dear Professor Loeb,
I hope this email finds you well.
I am writing to you from Manila, Philippines. I’ve been following your work regarding ‘Oumuamua, the Galileo Project, and your recent discussions on the Joe Rogan Experience about 3I/Atlas… ESPECIALLY 3I/ATLAS! That thing is CRAZZZY, Sir! hahaha
I wanted to reach out and tell you that your persistence has had a profound impact on me personally. In a world that often feels cynical or “closed,” your willingness to look at the anomalies — to chase the “glitches” in the sky — reminds me to keep looking for the magic in my own life.
Here in the Philippines, we have a word called “Kilig.” It’s usually used for romantic excitement, but it also describes that sudden, shivering thrill of possibility — the feeling you get when you realize the universe might be bigger and more wonderful than you thought. Your work gives me that “Kilig.”
Thank you for being the one to “look out the window” while everyone else argues about the room. You’ve inspired me to keep my eyes open, whether I’m looking at the stars or just driving my old Honda City through the province.
Please keep searching. We are watching, and we are rooting for you.
With deepest respect and admiration,
Guile (A fan from the Philippines)”
***
Happy Thanksgiving to all earthlings! Stay curious.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Avi Loeb is the head of the Galileo Project, founding director of Harvard University’s — Black Hole Initiative, director of the Institute for Theory and Computation at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and the former chair of the astronomy department at Harvard University (2011–2020). He is a former member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and a former chair of the Board on Physics and Astronomy of the National Academies. He is the bestselling author of “Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth” and a co-author of the textbook “Life in the Cosmos”, both published in 2021. The paperback edition of his new book, titled “Interstellar”, was published in August 2024.
