--especially the discovery of water, or the likelihood of water, in so many places, and the hundreds of exoplanets that are being found.
You are evidently very young or haven't followed this science story with understanding of the incredible progress that has been made on these matters in such a short time or the technological wonders that are making them possible, as well as the technical expertise and brain power and persistence that are making them possible.
To say "ho hum," as the original poster tagged onto this story, or "well, duh," as you have just added, is as mind-boggling to me, in a negative way, as all these amazing discoveries are, in a positive way.
At the least, you and the original poster should show some RESPECT for the effort of other humans who are advancing our knowledge of the universe by leaps and bounds, with these discoveries. "Well, duh" is an egocentric, overly self-involved remark. It contributes nothing. It seek to deflate the work of brilliant people who are in the process of discovering that there is probably water EVERYWHERE and planets EVERYWHERE--a huge breakthrough in our understanding of our own planet, our own history--that of the human race--our solar system, our galaxy and the great universe.
The likely prevalence of water and exoplanets was NOT KNOWN twenty years ago. It was not even known TEN years ago. Do you realize how short a time that is? Do you realize what it MEANS?!
And with every new confirmation--more places where water is found or likely to be found, more planets around distant suns, more exoplanets in the "habitable" zone--this incredibly changed picture of the universe becomes clearer and clearer, that there is very likely LIFE everywhere. And that changes our understanding of life HERE forevermore. This is NEW. This was NEVER KNOWN before. And it has all happened very rapidly--in a mere fraction of a human lifetime.
My head is still spinning from it. How can you be so jaded? Maybe it's not that you're young and can't remember when these notions were actually scoffed at by "mainstream" scientists; maybe the problem is that you are a tired, crotchety oldster who has lost the sense of wonder. But, whatever your age and experience are, why inflict your sour, incurious outlook on others? If you have nothing to say but "well, duh," why not be silent until you can contribute something worthwhile?
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Suggested reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraterrestrial_liquid_water
Try to understand how difficult this search has been--for water, for exoplanets and ultimately for life. The first planet outside of our solar system in the "habitable" zone of its own sun was discovered only two years ago. Certain discoveries of water are rare; much of it is inference from other conditions, such as existing in the "habitable" zone. The statement that "there is water everywhere" is largely an extrapolation from the visits of our amazing and increasingly sophisticated unmanned spacecraft exploring our solar system, and from amazing and increasingly sophisticated instruments such as the Kepler and Hubble telescopes gathering images and other information from our galaxy (only one of many billions of galaxies in the universe).
You say that it is "common knowledge" that there is water everywhere. "Common knowledge" can be wrong. So why call upon "common knowledge" for your "well, duh" evaluation of this confirmation of water on Mercury? What you want is appreciation for the scientific work that is in progress, adding, bit by bit--all hard-won knowledge--to an utterly different picture of the universe and ourselves than ever existed before. The confirmations are important. They are the essence of science. And the technology and expertise that it took to RE-visit Mercury with better instruments than before is nothing short of awesome.
You and the original poster remind me of someone who is tone-deaf attending a magnificent orchestral production of Beethoven. "Well, duh." "Ho-hum." Why attend, if you cannot appreciate it?
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