Avi Loeb

you know, a culture of mud wrestlers.

It's different from chess players.

And you know, I don't want to mud wrestle.

I don't want to get dirty.

I don't respond to the, I learned my lesson with Oumuamua.

I don't respond to those people because once we collect, I just want as much evidence as possible so that they would not be able to shove the anomalies under the carpet of traditional thinking.

That's my motivation.

So I'm inspiring a debate right now.

And there is a huge interest in that debate so that we will collect as much data as possible so that by the end of the day, we'll figure out what our dating partner is.

If it happens to be a rock rock,

You know, on the other side of the table, you go on a date and you see a rock, so be it.

If it's something else, that has huge implications.

And therefore, we should consider that possibility seriously and just collect as much data as possible.

Well, I got a hint for the answer to your question.

When I wrote the first paper on Oumuamua, I suggested it might be technological.

And the paper got accepted for publication within three days' record.

The reviewer said, this is a great idea because it's consistent with all the data we have.

It's most likely a flat object.

And therefore, it could be pushed by reflecting sunlight, which was my proposal.

Then the media came to my door.