Extraterrestrial: Intelligent life beyond Earth

In late 2017, scientists at a Hawaiian observatory glimpsed an object soaring through our inner solar system, moving so quickly that it could only have come from another star. Avi Loeb, Harvard’s top astronomer, showed it was not an asteroid; it was moving too fast along a strange orbit, and left no trail of gas or debris in its wake. He concluded there was only one conceivable explanation: the object was a piece of advanced technology created by a distant alien civilisation.

Avi, author of Extraterrestrial, will lay out his controversial theory that our solar system was recently visited by advanced alien technology from a distant star. Join him as he takes you inside the thrilling story of the first interstellar visitor to be spotted in our solar system.

The event will include a response from Amanda Rees, an historian of science at the University of York. Our mind-stretching event will be introduced and chaired by physicist and writer Tom McLeish, also of the University of York. Together with Avi they will discuss the profound implications of this visitation: for science, for religion, and for the future of our species and our planet.