Intelligence: A Rare Cosmic Commodity

I don't really care about not finding intelligent life out there, I'd be happy just finding other life out there. Even if it is not intelligent, a intelligent life form is just a big bonus.

This article just makes it sound like, just finding other life forms means nothing. That its all about finding other intelligence.

Hell....I'd be happy just finding some intelligence in THESE forums...

You've got that one right. Stupidity seems to have become a virtue, on this forum and in society in general. The ability for critical thought is all but gone. Sad actually...

As a layman with only a partial notion of the processes....there are so many necessary variables that affect evolution----for example ice ages which in earths history have stressed or even extinguished many evolved forms. The stress benifits certain mutations.....The very existance of the dinosaurs likely postponed the rise of mammals for example---indeed it is possible that certain dinosaurs such as raptors could have developed nuclear weapons eventually.....they didn't and at this point it is purely hypothetical.
My position is that adbvanced life would originate in an oxygen environment and be carbon based. An ozygen atmosphere is as necessary as the ability to grasp and use tools----without oxygen there can be no harnessing of fire to work metal----sort of basic. What that advanced life would resemble??????primates were naturals due to their agility.....elephants are not successful at climbing ladders....and so on.

Release your creativity!

Carl Sagan, in his book 'Cosmos' had theorized a wide variety of life. Silicon and Carbon are chemically similar, so silicon based life is just as possible as carbon based. Silicon is also very plentiful on Earth.

They wouldn't necessarily evolve as we have, needing oxygen perhaps they could metabolize methane or even hydrogen sulfide! Copper and Iron are also chemically similar, so their blood may be copper based, rather than our iron based. Horseshoe crab's blood is copper based.

Earth's gravity and atmospheric temperature range affected our evolution. How would something evolve on a gas giant, with no solid surfaces?

Because we evolved the way we did, doesn't mean all life has to. Why does 'life' have to mean 'advanced'?