>>"That's ridiculous," I argued.  "I'm a member of the dominant species on this planet!  Of course we would know!"
 
"Right," drawled a mitochondrion sarcastically.  "Of course you are!"<<
 
 
Once again the nail is hit squarely on the head. If only buggers cud tawk.
 
"Is there anybody out there?" The entire premise of the Star Trek franchise was to fulfill that notion through fantasy. Without an actual field test (warp speed & transporter rooms), the world may never know...

Not sure what everyone is on about, we should be searching for intelligent life HERE first!

Let's face it.  We're not sitting here at the apex of our intellectual development peering into the dark, trying to see if we can spot anyone else of equal intelligence.  Instead, we're looking around to see if we happened to be seated next to one of the smart kids in the hope that we can copy off of their test.  Unfortunately, they appear to be aware of our intentions and have cleverly blocked our view.
 
 

...and furthermore, is the search for intelligence a sign of intelligence, or merely a desperate cry for help?

Oh, here's another thing.  Is it possible that aliens are using mirrors to make the universe seem larger than it really is?  Why does that thought still make me feel smaller?

Ok, that wasn't the last one. 
 
Does the idea that we haven't been able to make contact with aliens discourage you or give you hope?  One one hand, some might find the idea that we are alone in a dark and perilous universe rather frightening.  On the other hand, being enslaved by a superior and hostile alien civilization sounds unpleasant, too.  When playing Galactic Hide and Seek with unknown opponents, you might want to let someone else yell, "Here I am!" first.  I'm just sayin'...

mike_mccue
I heard a presentation recently that pointed out that, when you consider the age of the universe and our planet, the amount of time it took for life to appear and learn to send signals and space craft out into the universe was an incredibly short span of time.

Off the top of my head...

• The Universe is estimated to be around 13.8 billions years old
• The Earth is estimated to be around 4.6 billion years old
• Life on Earth is believed to have started around 3.6 billion years ago
• Life on Earth has existed for approximately 26% of the age of the Universe

 
 

craigb
Not sure what everyone is on about, we should be searching for intelligent life HERE first!

That was funny!

A billion years is hard to fathom. Everything we really know about the Universe we've learned in the last 100 yrs. The Fermi paradox posits that since life seems to have originated on earth so easily, where is everyone? You shouldn't be able to turn around without bumping in to an alien.
 
Max Tegmark ponders that maybe we're the only life in the Universe. There may be a roadblock to life. Either behind us and we got lucky or ahead of us  and we're not going to be so lucky. Anyway, interesting speculation if you're into that stuff.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GctnYAYcMhI
 
Steve

tKx5050
You shouldn't be able to turn around without bumping in to an alien.

Been to California lately?