Brad Wardell put up a blog as to alien intelligence and it has generated enough replies I want to keep it going. The reason I put this up is because there is a tendency to have replies degenerate over time as the topic becomes more sidereal due to various factors. Allow me to put in my two cents and let it go on where you choose.
The idea of using lack of species development to increase the odds against the existence of alien intelligence is interesting ,as there is a thesis put forth by Steiger that uses the same exact position to argue FOR it. He holds that the planet is a garden and we are 'star children' who are subject to controlled evolution for purpose of reeping a crop of useful humans to go on to other uses. The rest of the species are allowed to die off in cataclysmic events which happen on regular schedule of some 5,125 years or so. The proofs you put up are the exact reason there is intelligent design to our development not its' refutation under this.
Recently I have been considering the finding of a cave of treasure in Central America which was myth until it was discovered by some searchers. It occured to me the site can be laid on a grid and mapped by another location known as Machu Picchu[sic]. If the thesis is correct, then we will discover an entire network of underground Cities. A set of ancient and advanced civilization remains plotted along a designed pathway, which shows un-broken knowledge of same ,may extend historical records back beyond imagination.The intrigue of Machu Pichu to me is in the statement there exists a boulder which covers an opening to a tunnel. It was at this site entrance that the 'Priests' of these people would periodically commune with the 'Gods' who lived underground and would impart knowledge to them. Such beings would not be homo sapiens. I've always been a guy to get down to it when a new problem presents itself. I advocate a more active role in the search for alien intelligent life, and would definitely go find that rock and go on down there if I had the money to. (Don't roll it back after I go down please).
If you think alien life is wierd, consider that there are attempts being made to get access to a hidden set of humanoid skeletal remains held in a secret location by the Smithsonian Institute that are 20 feet tall. This would not even conflict with biblical accounts of the Book of Genesis of "Giants" on earth before the 'deluge'. The struggle for understanding goes on and as new facts emerge, speculation begins to develop into concrete theory, then new facts,...
Mystery, riddle, enigma, I'd like to read anything anyone has to offer on this topic. Feel free to comment or e-mail: wahkonta@graffiti.net