Given the political climate re science and life, a website run for lawyers might be the safe place to publish. The idea of the US government (via nasa) looking for life elsewhere than earth rubs certain people the wrong way, people with political power.
Since there’s no such thing as 100% proof in science, when and who gets to “call it” that the signs of life have been discovered outside of Earth? Presumably NASA, but how do they decide?
Officially it'll be "called" when a politician feels like it's solid enough proof for them to leech off of it.
Scientifically, it'll be called when there's too much evidence to genuinely dispute it. Probably when a collection of specimens is found, either dead or alive, that can be shown to be unrelated or distantly related to Earth life.
Scientifically, it'll be called when there's too much evidence to genuinely dispute it. Probably when a collection of specimens is found, either dead or alive, that can be shown to be unrelated or distantly related to Earth life.