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Ok … so can someone tell me how anyone is ever going to be able to verify the possibility of life at 600 light-years distant, (in say our lifetimes)?
If we can't distinguish life remotely on Mars, then why would anyone assign a more optimistic chance to this planet, with it having so many more unknowns, and no prospects foreseeable from future technologies, other than those which can only ever continually lead to yet another inference of surface temperature, purely caused by local solar irradiance ?
They need to get down to a more detailed level of scale granularity in order come anywhere near to discussing the real prospects of life, meaningfully.
The only way 'Habitable Zone' can ever step beyond an inference tool, is for a single case of exo-life to be discovered in a life-tolerance-constrained environment.
Quality scientific speculation takes into consideration the many variables involved, and results in an honest default position of 'unknown'. I don't see this anywhere when it comes to exo-planet announcements.
I fully recognise that the view, (which leads to further research of possible value), is one which proceeds along the lines of 'plausible, possibility of life' ... as opposed to the 'unlikely life' view, but why is the balanced scientific perspective almost never presented … and why is the fantasy-perspective never challenged openly?
Frankly, I'm starting to adopt the view that if the honest perspective is unable to roll of the finger-tips of researchers, then funding research should be directed away from their investigations and directed towards projects which aim at getting away from the ridiculously pointless quest of inference from 600+ light years distant. Put the funding towards local investigation, which attempts to more closely associate the relationship between possible exo-life, and more clearly definable 'Habitability' parameters.
Announcements about the numbers of exo-planet discoveries having increased, adds zero value to anything other than science-fantasy and public manipulation … which is the antithesis of the quest for understanding about physical reality. Its inconsistent with the scientific investigation process.
This is how religion got a foothold amongst the ignorant masses … by manipulation of emotions … do you all want science to be come that (as if it isn't well on that path, unopposed by the informed anyway) ?
Cheers
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