It's sad that when conversation turns away from the terrestrial, these 'professional thinking people' all seem to get very closed minded. They can't see beyond humanity when looking beyond Earth, they have a tendency to anthropomorphize the universe. Scientists really need to think about the lessons of Wonko The Sane, in that a scientist must be willing to see what is there to be seen, even if it isn't what they are looking for. I wish they could free themselves of the reluctance to speculate, the deep seated fear that someone else might laugh at what they are willing to admit they don't know.