vikingo9

physics simulation + AI = new solutions

could shock waves inducing freezing wipe out life on these exoplanets?

it begs the "Boltzmann brain" hypothesis - it's astronomically more likely that the neurons of my brain will spontaneous configure to make me see a tree rather than a tree spontaneously forming from a collections of atom.

Seems to me that the more evidence the more likely we will have the definitive statement "planet X exist" which is currently not the case

In fact there are nearly always a series of prizes one typically sees before the Nobel, e.g. the Wolf Prize, Boltzmann medal, etc. It would be odd that someone comes out of left field and takes the Nobel.