[likeabbas]

> You have to believe all the steps that make intelligent space-faring life elsewhere come into being

I would argue that it's very selfish thinking we would be the only intelligent life in the universe, let alone our own galaxy. If you're throwing out the entire argument based on that presumption, then this conversation is pointless.

Science is about optimism to learn what we don't know. There are things in the sky that we can't identify, as Obama has said https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1hNYs55sqs We should be open to the idea of all possibilities, rather than dousing fire on it.

[0points]

    ------> Point
    ---> You

[exe34]

you only read half the argument.

[likeabbas]

Why would some Von Newman probes colonize us instead of just observing?