Avi Loeb is the Frank B. Baird Jr. Professor of Science at Harvard University, a internationally bestselling author, and one of the most decorated astronomers alive. He earned his PhD in Physics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem at 24, led the first international project supported by the Strategic Defense Initiative, and spent five years at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton before joining Harvard. He has published over a thousand scientific papers, written nine books, and in 2025 was ranked third in publication record and research impact among all astronomers worldwide. TIME named him one of the 25 most influential people in space. As founder of the Galileo Project, Loeb is the only scientist of his standing conducting systematic, instrument-based research into extraterrestrial technology — and publishing every finding.