Claims of alien life are overhyped – and miss the real accomplishment

If you’re the kind of person who keeps an eye on astronomical news – or glances at any news site – you may have seen a story about hints of a sign of alien life on an exoplanet called K2-18b. The claim is controversial, but much of the coverage was positive. The problem, I think, is Star Trek, or any other science fiction you might care to mention. Thanks to the budgets that govern television, we’re used to aliens being obvious; they’re usually about 6 feet…