Social Media Data Tells the Story
Using Brandwatch, a social media analytics platform, researchers analyzed roughly 700,000 posts on X about 3I/ATLAS between July 1 and November 21, 2025. The findings are striking:
- Nearly 40% of all posts referenced aliens or extraterrestrial technology
- About 130,000 posts mentioned Avi Loeb
- More than 60% of those explicitly paired his name with the alien hypothesis
As Bayar notes, these are conservative numbers, counting only explicit mentions and excluding implicit alien references 👽.
How 31/ATLAS “Anomalies” Became Evidence
Much of the conversation centered on a set of alleged “anomalies” that were highlighted repeatedly by Loeb. These included:
- Mineral composition (“nickel without iron”)
- Size, often compared to Manhattan
- Trajectory described as “fine-tuned”
- Speed and non-gravitational acceleration
- Jets, probes, or thrusters
- Tail and anti-tail behavior
- Speculation about radio signals, including the 1977 “Wow!” signal
Although Loeb frequently acknowledged that 3I/ATLAS is likely a natural comet, researchers found that his extended discussion of extraordinary alternatives often overshadowed that idea.
