The simple truth is, we have no idea. Of course we don't. Data points so far: One. Statistics on that kind of basis tend to be rather meaningless. One thing we

The simple truth is, we have no idea. Of course we don't. Data points so far: One. Statistics on that kind of basis tend to be rather meaningless. One thing we do know to be extremely unlikely: That we - exactly we, us, here at this specific point in time - should somehow have arrived at a point where we can confidently secondguess the universe in all its glorious details. We can't, and we don't really even have the foggiest idea what kind of life is possible, or how it comes about in the first place. All the Drake equations in the world can't hide the fact that we know nothing. Every single galaxy may be bursting with life, or we may the only specimens anywhere in the dark, cold void. My personal guess - which is no better or no worse than anyone else's - is that life or its functional equivalents is more or less everywhere, but that intelligent critters like ourselves are exceedingly rare.