We could prepare better for similar occurrences. Such as funding better the astronomers and the labs so that we have instruments able to at least detect and take pictures of such objects, if not probe them.

Not to mention the possibility of one hitting the earth, for which we are completely unprepared. Even if it’s just a rock and not an UFO.

The main reason for having this debate is that we weren’t even capable of taking a good picture of it. The best thing we have is a white dot with varying brightness over time. We have no clue what it was and we probably will never know.

The state of the tech we have would be understandable if it was 1990, but in 2021 it’s starting to look pathetic.

Possible venues for experimentation and research: 1. Do we have or should we develop a technology to detect incoming bodies like that earlier? 2. Do we have or should we develop a propulsion technology and/or spacecraft that is able to intercept these bodies at some point in their trajectories and send back some useful information

We are doing both those things (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CA%BBOumuamua#Hypothetical_sp...)

We were doing those things before we even detected ʻOumuamua. Whether or not ʻOumuamua specifically is extraterrestrial - which is not worth considering based on weak evidence - didn't change anything.

This is the problem: the evidence doesn't make the case, and "considering the possibility" doesn't lead anywhere interesting in terms of actual experimentation.

What a thought!

Billions of billions of stars, with planets and civilizations, pushing technology to new heights, but ultimately realizing that the best way to leave your handprint on the galactic cave wall is a Universe-wide message in a bottle.

I’m afraid we have more chances of making ourselves known by randomly throwing these bottles, than by answering back to where it came from.

Or it could be a civilization-in-a-bottle artifact with carefully programmed trajectory between several stars. If the message sender blew itself to nuclear ashes, its frozen siblings could have a new opportunity in a new system.

From the article:

This is precisely why an agency like ESA is developing its Comet Interceptor Mission, to be ready to chase future interstellar visitors.

This is basically the thesis of the article and the person you're responding to: the "orthodox inquisionists" are already doing this stuff, because they're not actually as close-minded as Loeb is making them out to be.

One that Loeb has mentioned: the status quo 10-year plan involves searching exoplanets for oxygen, which could arise without life, and which organisms would not necessarily need or produce. Instead, Loeb thinks we ought to look for industrial pollutants. A positive result on that would be extremely interesting.