[monkeydreams]

> Couldn't the same thing be said about gene editing, or deep sea research, or any ongoing frontier research field?

These are not research fields with a definite, discrete goal condition. They are ongoing research fields.

The discovery of extra-terrestrial life is a huge, discrete goal condition. Everyone will remember which team/country first discovers and demonstrates such life. Few will remember who confirmed it (i.e. who came second).

[softawre]

Fusion has a definite discrete goal, doesn't it?

[jvanderbot]

Fusion wasn't mentioned. Also, the existence of other discrete, world-changing goals does not mean that the discovery of life on other planets is not a discrete, world-changing goal.

It's not like we're short on Nobel Prizes here.