Avi Loeb: 757 peer-reviewed papers
Avi Loeb, the Harvard astrophysicist who champions the extraterrestrial hypothesis for Oumuamua, has published 757 peer-reviewed scientific articles.
Snapshot · The Shawn Ryan Show
#316 Brian Keating - The First Object Ever Found From Another Solar System
Explore episode
Jun 25, 2026
Where this was said
Science, Faith, and the Return to Judaism After 9/11
At 2:41:54 · chapter starts 2:32:20
Keating unpacks his extraordinary religious autobiography: born Jewish, raised Catholic by his adoptive family, became an altar boy who wanted to be a priest, turned atheist at 13 when he learned Galileo was imprisoned by the Church, and remained a committed atheist through his academic career. The pivot came after 9/11 when he felt ashamed to know nothing about Judaism — his birth religion and the root of the conflict that defined the moment. He embarked on serious study, learning Hebrew at 30 and engaging with Torah as an adult scientist rather than a bored child. His central thesis is that 'belief' is a weak epistemic state — he doesn't 'believe' in gravity, he has evidence for it — and he wants to apply the same evidentiary standard to God. He distinguishes between the Hebrew concept of emunah (faith/trust) and mere belief, and argues that the scientific quest and religious faith are not only compatible but mutually reinforcing.
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