I get the impression he's doing real science but using outrageous ideas to gain funding.

The tiny metal spheres stuff was interesting even though it's not aliens.

Yes, perhaps that's right. Seems pretty dishonest to me though. He's a "serious Harvard scientist", so people listen when he tells us that some rock they've spotted may be an alien spaceship. Even though there is surely zero evidence for such an assertion. What the hell is he doing?