Only_Interaction8192 t1_jcvzi5z wrote on March 19, 2023 at 11:57 PM

Reply to comment by Sargatanus in The Fermi Paradox and the Possibility of Intelligent Extraterrestrial Life by Beginning-Court1946

I think your point is very much a possibility, BUT why do you think intelligent life is rare? Even on Earth humans were not the only intelligent humanoid species. Neanderthal was believed to have been as intelligent as humans. So if intelligence has happened at least twice just on this planet, I don't think it's a stretch to believe it's happened elsewhere.

Sargatanus t1_jcw0maq wrote on March 20, 2023 at 12:06 AM

Two species that were so closely related that interbreeding was possible, and archaeological evidence suggests that Neanderthals copied the tools and practices of Homo sapiens rather than creating their own, so I don’t think that quite counts, but I digress. If a species of dinosaur or therapsid had built cities and spaceships (which would be cool, but there’s no evidence for that) then that would be a different story.