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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Eltab" data-source="post: 7765843" data-attributes="member: 6803337">At this time, I am the only poll-ee who holds my opinion.  <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/cry.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":.-(" title="Cry    :.-(" data-shortname=":.-(" /> <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f641.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":(" title="Frown    :("  data-smilie="3"data-shortname=":(" />Granted a sample size of 1 is tough to predict from.As we discover more extrasolar planets and extrasolar systems, we keep finding out how unusual Terra / Sol is.  For instance, eccentric orbits are more common than near-circular.  The zone around Star X where water can stay liquid on an Earth-like planet has gravitational interference from a gas giant.  Or is in a gas giant's path.  The rocky planets we do find have the wrong atmospheric composition.  Or are so close to a dim star that they would be tidally-locked.  A 'hot Jupiter', as we understand its formation, wipes out the Earth-like worlds in a system as it moves to where we find it.  Warm yellow stars are rare compared to dim cool red dwarves.We know of only one biochemistry set that produces intelligent life, so it is hard to estimate what other chemistry sets would (a) function as life; (b) support intelligent life.  We can speculate, and we can write off a few proposed biochemistries based on the chemistry or physics.The book Rare Earth may have overstated the case, but I think it headed is in the right direction: intelligent life requires some unlikely background events / conditions, which did not happen often.  They did happen here in this physically oddball system.  We do not yet know how tightly the astronomy constrains the biology.In effect we want to roll all 20's on many dice sequentially.  Yes it will be cool if it happens, but do not hold your breath for it.</blockquote>

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