Gonna hop in real quick.<br>1. Life is the rule not the exception.<br>2. The question of how long stable conditions must be maintained for intelligent life to flourish is of little consequence.<br>3. The galaxy is bustling with intelligent life. <br>4. The question rather is, what faster than light means of communication have all space brothers discovered that we have not?<br><br>The weakest force might be a strong bet.