Harvard scientist Avi Loeb has offered a provocative analysis of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, suggesting its chemical composition raises questions about whether such objects could seed life on planets or deliver poison. His comments follow the release of new images and data as the comet continues its journey through the inner solar system.
Loeb's analysis focuses on the recently measured ratio of methanol to hydrogen cyanide in the comet's gas cloud. While he concludes the comet is likely harmless, his questions frame the visitor as a fascinating scientific mystery: a potential source of life's building blocks, or a carrier of cosmic danger.
