White House picks Harvard professor with polarizing alien theories to lead new UFO council

By — Collin Binkley, Associated Press Collin Binkley, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/white-house-picks-harvard-professor-with-polarizing-alien-theories-to-lead-new-ufo-council Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter White House picks Harvard professor with polarizing alien theories to lead new UFO council Politics Jun 30, 2026 7:31 PM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — A polarizing Harvard astronomer known for splashy theories about alien visits has been tapped by the White House to lead a team of outside scientists to study the national security risks posed by UFOs. Avi Loeb, a cosmologist who studied black holes and served as head of Harvard's astronomy department until 2020, was recently appointed to helm a new scientific advisory council tasked with investigating the origins of mysterious orbs and other objects reported by military personnel in recent years. It's part of President Donald Trump's push to declassify more information about the issue. READ MORE: Pentagon begins releasing new files on UFOs and says people can 'make up their own minds' Loeb's team will report to a new White House panel focused on UFOs, now often referred to as unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAP. "It's like a detective story," Loeb said in an interview. "It's a lot of fun, as long as you don't pay too much attention to the critics." For the last decade, Loeb has been scanning the skies and seas for evidence of intelligent alien life. He began the quest in 2017 as scientists puzzled over an interstellar object soaring by Earth. While others proposed it was a comet or ice chunk, Loeb said it could be a thin "light sail" detached from an alien spacecraft. His theories have won praise in UFO circles but often put him in conflict with academic peers. Other astronomers accuse him of making exotic claims with little evidence. Some chafe at his habit of skipping the peer review process and bringing claims directly to the public. Steve Desch, an Arizona State University astrophysicist who has challenged some of Loeb's theories, said Loeb uses flawed methods to reach wild conclusions about alien life — all while shunning a more established branch of science searching for life beyond Earth. Loeb's role on the White House panel casts doubt on the entire endeavor, Desch said. "I don't know what's going to come of this, but we're not going to get any closer to answering these questions with him in charge," Desch said. The team includes scientists, UFO activists and a billionaire Loeb brushes his critics aside, saying they lack the imagination to consider new ideas. He's promising a grounded approach to his work for the White House. As he analyzes UAP, he's starting with the assumption that they're the work of humans, he said, approaching it from a national security perspective. Nonetheless, he envisions an outcome where his work could lead to something bigger. If the government invests