http://phys.org/news/2016-08-life-earth-early-cosmic-terms.html

This work says possibly because we are the first or near the first which would explain everything and we won't find anyone because we are the first one to get techie in our galaxy.

I imagine we would probably not be first but the gist of this work is in the past there was much less chance for life developing and in the future there is much more likelihood of life developing because of the availability of the stuff of life, more carbon, phosphorous, sulfur and the like.

Early rather than first is more accurate. There could well be many many other civilisations out there. All they are saying is that if there are many now, there will likely be many many more in the future. But as with all studies of life in the universe, with a sample size of one, there are still too many unknowns to make good predictions.

Originally posted by twhitehead
Early rather than first is more accurate. There could well be many many other civilisations out there. All they are saying is that if there are many now, there will likely be many many more in the future. But as with all studies of life in the universe, with a sample size of one, there are still too many unknowns to make good predictions.

I doubt that we are special. But, I suppose, someone has to be?

Originally posted by apathist
I doubt that we are special. But, I suppose, someone has to be?