Comments by "Itinerant Patriot" (@itinerantpatriot1196) on "Why We Haven't Found Any Earth-Like Planets" video.

  1. Cool stuff. A bit disappointing to the Bill Nye types who play scientist on TV and make claims of a galaxy chock-full-of life because that's what the script tells em to say. Or the Neil DeGrasse Tyson types who have a few more letters behind their name and make similar claims because it pays well. But none of this will stop either of them from living long and prospering. I imagine these findings might make it a bit tougher to pull funds out of NASA, especially if they get into a heated competition with Elon Musk and China over who can get to Mars and lay claim to the Moon. To borrow from the movies, they might use the Billy Bob Thornton argument and say they need a bigger telescope because: "Begging your pardon sir but it's a big-ass sky." Of course NASA, staying with the movie theme, could respond to the false findings and go all Jeff Specoli on them, responding: "We can be bogus too." Money always carries the day and while ROI isn't something any government agency is that concerned about, public perception is. What's more exciting? Finding a planet they may know more about in 50 years after building a few more new generations of telescopes that may or may not deliver or seeing old glory flying over a patch of dirt on the Martian surface. Can we do anything of real value with that patch of dirt? Not really. But it does look cool and the public does prefer cool to nerdy, and as the man from the press office told the astronauts in the Right Stuff when it came to public perception: "No bucks, no Buck Rogers." I'm gonna most likely be off this rock when either milestone gets reached but I'm betting on exploration beating out discovery because we are explorers by nature. Sorry planet hunters, that 24 billon dollar telescope ain't getting off the drawing board, not with a 30 trillion dollar national debt and a corrupt money laundering regime in Ukraine that needs propping up. Maybe if the Russians settle down some time soon. In the meantime, enjoy those Bausch & Lomb's.
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