The observatory from which peg 51b was discovered was about to be closed in the 90s, because it wasn't "profitable" enough. Mayor was refused funding for his exoplanet detection idea.
Discovering the first exoplanet was a game changer. But making such discoveries isn't possible if you let capitalism decide which research gets funded and which does not.
@moutmout if we did, the only shit that'd get funded would be:
- weapons
- drugs to keep workers working
- how to prolong rich people's life