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I remember reading A Short History Of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson and one particular rambling that stuck with me was that the Earth had been through something like 7 extinction periods where 99% of all life had been eliminated. It was after all these extinction periods that life evolved to what it is today.

That gives you another perspective--one that shows the possibility of life outside earth is pretty small.

But I wonder if there is some probability that can take both of these factors into consideration.




Or pretty high, if you realize that 7 extinction events were not capable of completely eradicating life.


Yah. Good point. But if I remember correctly, Bill Bryson's argument was that it TOOK 7 extinction periods for life to evolve to what it is today.

So if we're talking about more intelligent life forms than our own, then perhaps that probability is still small.

Who knows though.




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