SE>Yes. At the risk of sounding a bit of a cynic, I can't help being a
SE>bit suspicious of the (perhaps unconscious) possible motivation of
SE>funding for a troubled space program. It is well known that NASA has
SE>been having its problems and with a possible new Republican president
SE>who may be susceptible to pressure from conservative groups to scrub
SE>SETI type research, it may have been a case of "now or never"? Ross,
SE>who is not opposed to life on Mars, nevertheless questions the
SE>timing of the announcement:
You do not sound the least bit cynical, Steve. The whole affair was all
to well orchestrated, including a call by the president to spend
billions of dollars to rush off to Mars to confirm and build on this
astonishing new discovery. Yes, it only feeds the accusations that
science all too often generates self-serving mysteries so that the grant
money can keep flowing in.
At least Clinton could have waited for some peer review and further
work.
Thank you... (as I get down off of my soapbox)
Paul
to: IN:sejones@ibm.net
cc: IN:evolution@calvin.edu