Humans must become an interstellar species to avoid extinction, as our current single-planet civilization is one pandemic away from annihilation, according to astrophysicist Avi Loeb.
Loeb's Warning on Pandemic Risk
Loeb, known for his controversial claims about the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, wrote on his blog that a COVID-19-like virus could wipe out humanity if we remain confined to Earth. He stated: "If humanity gets through the next century without a civilizational catastrophe, we will have the opportunity to become an interstellar species. A single-planet civilization is one pandemic away from extinction. An interstellar civilization is much more difficult to extinguish."
Space as an Insurance Policy
Loeb emphasized that venturing into space provides an insurance policy, transforming humanity from a fragile transient into a potentially enduring entity. He dismissed settling on the Moon or Mars due to harsh conditions, advocating instead for constructing kilometer-scale habitable space platforms artificially.
Funding and Inspiration
Loeb acknowledged the political challenge of reallocating military budgets—$2.4 trillion annually—to space exploration. He expressed hope that discoveries through his Galileo Project or the UAP Science Advisory Council to the U.S. Government might inspire change. "Witnessing a more accomplished sibling in our family of intelligent civilizations will encourage us to do better," he wrote.
Hitchhiking Interstellar Objects
Loeb suggested using objects like 3I/ATLAS, which moved at 58 kilometers per second, as "hitchhiking" vehicles. Such an object could reach Alpha Centauri in 22,000 years, while crossing the Milky Way would take a billion years. He also proposed synthetic biology to design astronauts capable of surviving long journeys and adapting to space conditions.
