David Kipping

And even at that point, I think Hubble had even looked at that star and had totally ruled out any possibility of what he was talking about.

And so that's a problem.

How do you get to a point as a scientist where you just can't accept anything that comes otherwise?

Because it starts out with the dream of fame, and then it ends in a stubborn refusal to ever back down.

That can happen, but I guess the distinction here is evidence.

So in this case, the evidence was so overwhelming, it wasn't really a matter of interpretation.

You'd observe this star with the same star but with maybe 10, even 100 times greater precision for prolonged, much longer periods of time, and there was just no doubt at this point this planet was a mirage.

And so that's why you have to be very careful.

I always say, don't ever name, you know, my wife and my daughter, like name this planet after me that you discover.

And I'm like, I can't ever name a planet after you because I won't be objective anymore.

How could I ever turn around to you and say that planet wasn't real that I named after you?

yeah i think the generally the more i want something to be true the more i inherently doubt it and i think that just comes from you know i i grew up um with a religious family and was just sort of indoctrinated to some degree like many children are that okay this is normal that you know there's a god and this is the way the world is uh god created the earth and then as i became more

well-read and literate of what was happening in the world scientifically, I started to doubt.

And it really just struck me that the hardest thing to let go of when you do decide not to be religious anymore, and it's not really like a lightbulb moment, but it just kind of happens over 11 to 13, I think for me it was happening.

But it's that sadness of letting go of this beautiful

dream which you had in your mind of eternal life for behaving yourself on Earth, you would have this beautiful heaven that you could go to and live forever.

And that's very attractive.

And for me personally, that was one of the things that pulled me against it.

It's like it's too good to be true, and it's very convenient.

that this could be so.