I don't think the question is useless, but rather very difficult to answer. We simply don't know enough yet to answer it, but might someday. As for alien life,

I don't think the question is useless, but rather very difficult to answer. We simply don't know enough yet to answer it, but might someday. As for alien life, I expect if there's anything out there, it's probably intelligent, redundant, and efficient. Who knows what form that could take? It might be robots, or computers, a mesh network, or something else entirely. Whatever form it takes, it'll be limited by the constraints of the universe (or multiverse, or whatever "reality" is). A lot of people's ideas about aliens are molded from television and movies. Historically we've had humans playing those characters, severely limiting how "alien" they can be. While very inspirational and valuable, it has the negative of potentially pigeon-holing peoples minds.