It seems like every time NASA needs funds or is threatened with losing funds, out of the blue they come with these EXTRAORDINARY DISCOVERIES! Now "there may be a another planet on the other side of the galaxy just like the earth!" Like we're all suppose to get intrigued by that. They've been scanning the galaxy for decades, why the sudden discovery (or "may be" as they put it)? I don't buy it for second.
-
Spot on.
NASA is struggling for funds. Unfortunately by sensationalising space they are only hastening their own demise. I find it incredible that their marketing department (assuming they have one) has not pointed out to them that the average taxpayer associates "life in space" with psychos, rednecks and liars, and will thus assume that nasa is in cahoots with these types.
So they have this embarassing exobiology "institute" that regularly comes out with these sensationalist claims, followed shortly after by criticism from real scientists leading to the claims being quietly forgotten. They are becoming the laughing stock of the world of science. Remember the "arsenic bacteria" scandal from a few months ago, and the "microbes in mars meteor" gag where even a president was fooled. Thius is not doing anything positive for the reputation of nasa.
SO as to this latest discovery? The Kepler spacecraft is a marvel of modern technology and has discovered a new exoplanet. This is a discovery that astronomers everywhere would applaud. But unfortunately, that "institute" has to taint the announcement by making ridiculous claims about "life" that are totally unwarranted. I mean the planet has a MINIMUM mass of ten earths, likely leading to an atmosphere hundreds of times as heavy as earth's and a runaway greenhouse effect.
No mention of the planet's stability. Yet just because the discovery is in space and so little is known about it, the immediate conclusion is that it "might be inhabited". Then the media hops in and the "might be" becomes a "must be".
NASA is struggling for funds. Unfortunately by sensationalising space they are only hastening their own demise. I find it incredible that their marketing department (assuming they have one) has not pointed out to them that the average taxpayer associates "life in space" with psychos, rednecks and liars, and will thus assume that nasa is in cahoots with these types.
So they have this embarassing exobiology "institute" that regularly comes out with these sensationalist claims, followed shortly after by criticism from real scientists leading to the claims being quietly forgotten. They are becoming the laughing stock of the world of science. Remember the "arsenic bacteria" scandal from a few months ago, and the "microbes in mars meteor" gag where even a president was fooled. Thius is not doing anything positive for the reputation of nasa.
SO as to this latest discovery? The Kepler spacecraft is a marvel of modern technology and has discovered a new exoplanet. This is a discovery that astronomers everywhere would applaud. But unfortunately, that "institute" has to taint the announcement by making ridiculous claims about "life" that are totally unwarranted. I mean the planet has a MINIMUM mass of ten earths, likely leading to an atmosphere hundreds of times as heavy as earth's and a runaway greenhouse effect.
No mention of the planet's stability. Yet just because the discovery is in space and so little is known about it, the immediate conclusion is that it "might be inhabited". Then the media hops in and the "might be" becomes a "must be".
keywords: the,Do,you,039,another,in,their,NASA,maybe,galaxy,on,of,claim,other,side,earth,that,believe,Do you believe in NASA's claim that their maybe another earth on the other side of the galaxy