When a scientific controversy or breakthrough dominates headlines, press officers and journalists often quote a handful of experts. These views may be insightful, but they rarely tell us what the wider scientific community thinks. And yet public discussions frequently rely on phrases such as “the science says” or “scientists believe”, as if there were a clear and measurable answer. In reality, systematic evidence about scientific opinion is often missing. Attempts to find evidence for #life beyond Earth provide fascinating case studies into diversity of scientific opinion. #science #astrobiology https://theconversation.com/could-it-be-aliens-from-cheyava-falls-on-mars-to-exoplanet-k2-18b-heres-what-scientists-really-think-284393