Life, as we know it, only exists in one single known location in the Universe: Earth.
If we assume life is abundant in the Universe, then we should be able to pick up signs of others, such as radio signals, or bio-indicators in other planets' atmospheres, and so, we ask where the aliens are.
Since we don't find any, we then assume that there is something preventing this abundance of life from developing into something we can detect, and something's called the Great Filter.
As of yet, we only have a single point of data, and since we're still here there's some speculation that we've allready passed through the filter. Another data point would mess up the math a bit and we could, statistically speaking, end up with a scenario meaning we still haven't passed the filter, and that we might still have an apocalyptic event wiping us out.
Life on Venus would give us a better idea of what to look for in other places, and that might help us narrow down the search a bit and find other places with life.
Intelligent life is a different matter. We don't know how common it is for
1) a planet to have formed around a star with the right composition of materials
2) have the exact right conditions for life to form early
3) for that life to survive for billions of years while
4) building up large reserves of substances that can
5) be used as fuel by a tool using bunch of talking apes
6) propel their civilization's technology far enough to match ours
7) send a signal that can reach our specific little dot
8) for that signal to be reach us during the miniscule time-frame that we've been able to pick it up.
I mean, what if the glory days of the Milky Way was 500 million years ago and we're developed just a little to late to be able to see the last remnants of galactic civilization crumble to dust? What if we just happen to be the first, and we develop past such technology before anyone else develops it?
If we assume life is abundant in the Universe, then we should be able to pick up signs of others, such as radio signals, or bio-indicators in other planets' atmospheres, and so, we ask where the aliens are.
Since we don't find any, we then assume that there is something preventing this abundance of life from developing into something we can detect, and something's called the Great Filter.
As of yet, we only have a single point of data, and since we're still here there's some speculation that we've allready passed through the filter. Another data point would mess up the math a bit and we could, statistically speaking, end up with a scenario meaning we still haven't passed the filter, and that we might still have an apocalyptic event wiping us out.
Life on Venus would give us a better idea of what to look for in other places, and that might help us narrow down the search a bit and find other places with life.
Intelligent life is a different matter. We don't know how common it is for
1) a planet to have formed around a star with the right composition of materials 2) have the exact right conditions for life to form early 3) for that life to survive for billions of years while 4) building up large reserves of substances that can 5) be used as fuel by a tool using bunch of talking apes 6) propel their civilization's technology far enough to match ours 7) send a signal that can reach our specific little dot 8) for that signal to be reach us during the miniscule time-frame that we've been able to pick it up.
I mean, what if the glory days of the Milky Way was 500 million years ago and we're developed just a little to late to be able to see the last remnants of galactic civilization crumble to dust? What if we just happen to be the first, and we develop past such technology before anyone else develops it?