The ‘Oumuamua Encounter: How Modern Cosmology Handled Its First Black Swan

The first macroscopic object observed to have come from outside the solar system slipped back out of sight in early 2018. 1I/2017 U1 ‘Oumuamua offered a unique opportunity test understanding gravity, planetary formation and galactic structure against true outlier, astronomical teams around globe rushed study it. Observations lasted several months generated tsunami scientific (and popular) literature. brief window available created crisis-like conditions, this paper makes comparative techniques used by cosmologists those financial economists qualitatively similar situations where data conflict with current paradigm. Analyses were marked adherence existing paradigms confidence results self others. Some, though, over-reached turning uncertain findings into graphic, detailed depictions making unsubstantiated suggestions, including that it was an alien investigator. Using specific instance cosmology’s research strategy approaches economics researchers comparable circumstances is example reverse econophysics highlights benefits extra-disciplinary lens.