In infinite wisdom Louis Scheffer answered:

Rich <someone@somewhere.com> writes:

In infinite wisdom Louis Scheffer answered:

Rich <someone@somewhere.com> writes:

[...]

Don't take this as an attack, it's not meant as one, but it seems
that you have a vested interest in this project.

I have my personal biases, like everyone else.

A vested interest is not a bias, it's a monetary stake in the
some outcome.

I have no monetary stake either way. 

OK.

Are SETI searches worth the small amount we spend on them?
Absolutely, this is one of those high risk, high payoff gambles.

High payoff? How so?

If it succeeds (obviously a big if) it would be the scientific
discovery of the century, if not the millenium.  It would answer
a question outstanding since ancient times - a question extremely
interesting to everyone, not just scientists.
It would mean a Nobel prize at the very least, and a place in
the textbooks of the future along side Maxwell, Einstein,
Watson and Crick, and Armstrong.  And this is just for
detection - if there is any information content it could be
even more interesting!

So a high payoff is fame and fortune, and immortality as it were.

Unlike the original War of the Worlds broadcast, aliens are everywhere
today (in media, print, cartoons, advertisements, you name it). I really
don't see that much would change. YMMV. But it would not be the earth
shaking discovery it would have been just 40 years ago.

Rich

   Lou Scheffer