Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb thinks it’s time for the scientific community to get over its bias against UFOs.

Loeb argues that while we haven’t yet found any evidence of aliens, this may be precisely because scientists have been so reluctant to look for them.

Loeb is far from alone in seeking signs of life beyond our pale blue dot. Bioastronomers are using observatories like NASA’s James Webb Telescope to search for chemical signatures of life on exoplanets — planets outside of our solar system. NASA is also sending probes to see if there are signs of life within the solar system. Other scientists are looking for “techno signatures,” such as radio signals that could lead to other civilizations.

These quests have “barely scratched the surface in terms of what anybody would consider a comprehensive search,”

Loeb believes that to best serve the public’s interest in UAPs, scientists should be at the helm. They should be collecting independent high-quality data that can be shared openly without concern for military defense. And now they have the technology to do it, between high-quality telescopes and AI that can sort through hours of video. UAPs, Loeb argues, are “low-hanging fruit” in the search for alien intelligence.