[pluck]

... presented at the recent AIC. This particular research comes on the back of a great deal of work he (and others) have been doing on Earth-like exo planets. The Catalyst piece may have painted him as slightly unconventional, but he is a very well regarded scientist.

Some thought Frank Drake (aka Mr SETI) was unconventional, but we (science) need those that think 'out of the box' from time to time.