Microscopic metallic spheres discovered in the Pacific Ocean are likely from manmade industrial pollution, not a piece of an interstellar meteor, according to several new studies. Last summer, Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb claimed that tiny, metallic balls found on the ocean floor may be remnants from an interstellar meteor. However, analysis indicates that the spheres more likely originated from burning coal on Earth. Loeb and his team discovered the micrometer-sized spherules during an expedition in search of meteor fragments in Papua New Guinea. They believed that a recorded meteor had interstellar origins, resulting in these spherules.
Several blog posts and non-peer-reviewed papers argued that the spherules were unique in composition and cited high percentages of beryllium, lanthanum, and uranium, suggesting they may contain signatures of alien technology. Despite these claims, new studies dispute these ideas. Some researchers question whether the meteor in question was interstellar at all. Additionally, experts point out that little pieces of the meteor would have survived entering the atmosphere, and the spheres have the profile of coal ash contaminants, making their meteoritic origin unlikely.
Loeb responded to these claims by stating that the collected samples have yet to undergo a proper analysis, urging the critics to wait for comprehensive evidence. He insists that much remains to be learned about the nature of the spherules.
