It's not a matter of ego. I expected Shermer to be everything he was cracked up to be. He's not. I am reasonably conversant in biology and genetics and even I caught him in some 'fancies' -- some call them lies. I was not only disappointed, but disgusted. And that has nothing to do with anything about me. I'm not that terrific. The point is that EVEN I was able to spot the nonsense in what he was saying!
Rare Earth does more than say human-type life cannot exist on other planets, or would be, at the most, extremely rare. In chapter 11, "Testing the Rare Earth Hypothesis" he admits he is starting with this basis: "Microbial life existed as soon as Earth's environment made it possible..."
That is a self-serving presupposition based on the idea that the correct interpretation is being made of the earth's history by evolutionists.
He starts chapter 12, "Assessing the Odds," with the admission that where the data is concerned regarding most of what he has been saying, "almost no research has been done, and our questons, like those referred to in the question above [from 'Dirty Harry': "Do you feel lucky? Well do ya?"], are the simple questions of children -- questions as yet with no answers. Some of these questions can thus be tackled only with our imagination."
So we have, from those who believe life CAN be elsewhere on earth, an entire book on its implausibility in anything larger than microbial form, and then admissions that even this was based on evolutionary presuppositions and lack of research, necessitating dependence on imagination.
Sigh....
There is no evidence anywhere for life in any form except on earth.
Pyre, I appreciate you being a theorist. But, please, try to theorize off of what is known, not just off of what is imagined. Data really should be the foundation of even scientific theories, shouldn't it/they?
Jovaro, the whole point of my point was that there is no data to indicate life yet -- it is pure imagination. Wishful thinking. And that is not science.
Andreas, I don't have the time to review the book for you. It's not expensive. Buy it if you are interested. It is on Amazon.