Why is it a "straw-man" argument, Craig? I simply extrapolate from your rather angry denunciation of this announcement that you are not happy at the emphasis placed on
the possiblity that this planet may harbour suitable conditions for life-forms similar to those on Earth; and that, because it
seems currently beyond our scope to definitely establish life at this distance, that the funding is best directed elsewhere. Nothing straw about that argument- I have no need to quote your posts to prove it.
There is one line of yours I'd like to quote, however:
Quote:
|
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 you replaced the word "life" with the words "evidence of a planet", and published this sentence in Sky and Telescope Magazine 30 years ago,(when I started buying it) you might get an inkling of just how far we've come, and how much we can still achieve.
I hope I don't give you the impression that I scorn your opinions. I did attempt a smiley in that previous post. But I find your derogatory tone the very antithesis of why I love astronomy.
best wishes