White House taps Harvard astrophysicist to head UAP council

The White House has appointed Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb to lead a new scientific council investigating Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), a significant step in the government's approach to unexplained aerial objects and their potential national security risks. Loeb, a figure long associated with controversial extraterrestrial theories, will head the UAP Science Advisory Council, which will report to a UAP Governance Board overseen by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

The appointment is part of a broader push for transparency on UAP, an initiative championed by the Trump administration. Loeb's team has been tasked with evaluating the nature of these phenomena, with a specific focus on the mysterious spherical objects, or "orbs," frequently captured in military footage. Shortly after its first meeting last month, the council requested more than 50 videos, images, and documents from the Pentagon related to known UAP incidents.

In describing his new role, Loeb framed the investigation as an evidence-driven inquiry, comparing it to a detective story. He stated the work would begin with the assumption that UAP are human-made, a point he suggested was...