possibly - tho doubtful that we'll ever know

Paul Davies' (one of the directors of SETI) books on it outline the challenges in more detail than I could here.

Laws of thermodynamics would suggest that the chances of life happening spontaneously are zilch.

which is funny, cos we're here discussing it (Douglas Adams had a good spiel on this point under 'the universe is big, mind bogglingly big...).

It's kind of interesting that isomer chemistry suggests that life had a single point of origin here on Earth (our only data point). That it didn't spontaneously arrive across the globe, or even from two points...

Can't say I'm terribly invested (Dawkins stylee) in the answer, eitherway, but do raise my eyebrows at the 'where life can arise it will arise proclamations'

As a chemist, the route from no life to replicating molecules currently looks unconvincing. Would just like some plausible pathways to be proffered rather than handwavey proclamations (but infinite-ish space, infinite-ish time) - as the odds/probabilities don't stack up.

As we exist we clearly don't understand it. But hard statements (like my first one, heheheh) saying that we're definitely alone or that the universe is teeming with life are just statements of faith/belief eitherway.

And from there it's a short leap to Theravada buddhism and discussions on whether the universe's nature is purposive.

And from that whether the whole point of the universe and life within it it to speed up the process of entropy and the heat death of everything.

Posted By: Cardiff Canary, Jul 14, 17:19:06