> The implication of the whole article is that there something we have missed.

I think this article is talking to people who haven't internalized the details of the scientific consensus. Those people are still going around, talking about "life" and making decisions based on the flawed understanding this article is critiquing. I think it's likely that the thing that "has been missed" is not narrowly scientific in the way you seem to be thinking - but more about broad implications and worldview.