Recently I got into a thread on Alien Gods on another web-site. This is what I posted, can anyone add anything to it?

Let me set the record straight. I do not discount the probability of non-terrestrial life in the universe, in this galaxy or even (galactically) relatively close to us. In fact, I would give the probability of such life existing a 95% chance. I wouldn’t even be surprised that there is life (probably simple) on Mars or on Titan (possibly complex, but not carbon/oxygen). Looking at the galaxy and the universe with their myriads of stars, stellar clusters, etc; the first thing you are struck by is the mind-boggling immensity of it all. The vast distances involved between galaxies, between stars and even between the planets of our solar system. Since the speed of light seems to be the speed limit in this continuum and the nearest star (a binary and probably not having a planetary system) is somewhere in the range of 4 light years away (38,000,000,000,000 km), we would take at least 4 years to travel to that system. Probably longer, since we can not even approach .5 C (half the speed of light) currently and won’t be able to, in the foreseeable future. Added into this is the fact that our resident galaxy is 150,000 light years across and the closest other galaxy (Andromeda) is 2.3 million light (21,000,000,000,000,000,000 km) years away, showing that even the local area encompasses immense distances, requiring unthinkable travel times (just to cross our galaxy at light speed would require more time than modern mankind has existed). Even if we could achieve the mythological FTL (faster than light) drive, in order to open up more than just the local block (an analogy), would require speeds of at least 1000 C (this would allow travel to Alpha Centuri in approximately 1 Terran calendar day), a speed that would let us explore our nearby neighbors, but little else. Then when you stop and think about the other factors that govern speed - inertia, centrifugal force, etc, it becomes obvious that even the speed of 1000 C would mean little to a thin smear of protoplasm on the buckling plates of a starship floor! I am not saying that FTL is impossible, just not really feasible with what we know, now and anytime soon. Even the thought of “warping” or “folding” space, would have it’s drawbacks….Still I do believe that eventually we will overcome at least one of the obstacles and achieve some sort of interstellar drive. As far as advanced intelligent life forms, well – our sun is a third generation star, which means that it coalesced in a dust nebula that was rich in metals, carbon, oxygen, etc. This led to a metal using life form capable of manipulating its environment by the use of tools. A first generation star would not have planets, being composed of the only two existing elements at that time Hydrogen and Helium. When these “pioneer” stars reached the end of their life cycles and went nova, they would have spewed a slightly enriched dust cloud into interstellar space. Eventually, the 2nd generation of stars would begin forming. These stars would be able to have planetary systems, but any planets forming would be metal poor and even if life formed and progressed, it would more than likely have been doomed to an eternal Stone Age existence. Finally our generation of stars would begin arising from the ashes of the 2nd generation stars. These stars would be able to have planetary systems, and these planets would be metal rich, water rich, and carbon rich. These planets would probably spawn myriads of life forms, a bustling, striving, fighting zoo of creatures that would very possibly lead to a mammal equivalent and even a human equivalent. These “humanoids” would develop tools, culture, religion (can you imagine the Sirusian equivalent of PA arguing the existence of his god to the Sirusian equivalent of Mako) and eventually science. Not being an astrophysicist, I can’t say how long this would take, but I like to think that the 2nd generation planets and their life would all be close to the same age. I don’t know, but I would think that no race would be 1,000,000 years ahead of another. I can see advanced by a few thousand years, but not much more. These creatures, if they managed to overcome all the obstacles I have mentioned and began interstellar exploration, they would not be the god-like creatures that you folks seem to expect them to be, but more like Joe at the corner bar. They would be as prone as us to lose tools, materials, documents, etc. Just as we are as prone as Homo Hablis or Homo erectus to lose items of daily use. For this reason, I can see the lack of physical evidence as indicative of lack of alien contact. I wish it wasn’t otherwise, but at present that how it seems