Quote:
Originally Posted by el_draco
Considering the size of the universe, the uniform composition in terms of elements, the principles of physics, chemistry and biology as we understand them, what we know of star/planet formation, the returns from Kepler, what we are discovering in our own solar system about habitable possibilities and the extent to which life will fight to survive here on earth, I'd rate the chances of our planet being the only habitable place in the universe as zero.
I bet Mars and Europa at least will turn up trumps on some scale and that will just make life elsewhere a dead certainty.
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I'm sure microbes are abundant in many parts of the universe
If we find life on neighbouring planets, its only likely to mean transfer of micro organisms from one place to the other via meteorites, collisions etc. In other words, If we find other life in the solar system it will say nothing about life among the stars.
However finding microbes is different to finding a space faring communicating civilisation by many orders of magnitude.
The Nick Bostrom .."Simulation Argument" is much more likely