Setting aside vixen99's completely cogent response for a moment, what about curiosity? Despite the plethora of planets we've discovered recently, I'm betting t

Setting aside vixen99's completely cogent response for a moment, what about curiosity? Despite the plethora of planets we've discovered recently, I'm betting that sentient life is pretty rare. In human terms, you could ask "Why would people even bother with hydrothermal vents?"