A Harvard astronomer is so confident that humanity will uncover evidence of extraterrestrials that he’s willing to put money on it. Avi Loeb who believes there’s far more to the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS than meets the eye has accepted a wager proposed by Skeptic magazine publisher Dr. Michael Shermer.
The bet states that no confirmed discovery or disclosure of alien visitation to Earth whether through UFOs, UAPs, technological artifacts, or biological evidence will occur by December 31, 2030, as verified by major scientific institutions or government agencies.
The winner of the $1,000 wager will donate the money to the Galileo Project Foundation.
“Believers keep showing up in the media boldly claiming that proof of alien contact is coming any day now,” Shermer said. “Thirty-three years later, I’m still waiting.”
Loeb, however, insists the real search is only just beginning.
“The investigation of technological artifacts truly kicked off in 2025,” he wrote on his blog, citing the discovery of 3I/ATLAS, the launch of the Rubin Observatory, and the construction of three new Galileo Project Observatories. “It is better to be an optimist because life is sometimes a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
Which of the two men will ultimately win the bet remains to be seen. Loeb faces a steep challenge not only must proof of alien life emerge within the next five years, but it must also demonstrate that extraterrestrials have actually visited Earth.
Either way, the outcome is sure to make headlines when the deadline arrives.
