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For the time being, being certain that life is common (or rare) is akin to believing in God: there's nothing that can prove or disprove that belief, and it is a

For the time being, being certain that life is common (or rare) is akin to believing in God: there's nothing that can prove or disprove that belief, and it is at this point a matter of faith. Fortunately, not like religion, we may one day have a definitive answer on the matter of life in the Universe, but today there's just not enough data to affirm anything.

wredue 3y ago
It’s not the same as faith: Life observably exists The life we know of began as soon as conditions could possibly have enabled it. This suggests that “the formula” for life may not be accidental or coincidental, but inevitable under earth like conditions. Intelligence is not a necessary product of evolution. Large rigid bodies may not be a common pathway. If I was going to wager, I’d bet most life on other planets is microbial.