[wickedpinto]

I absolutely believe that there is life elsewhere in the universe, however, I don't believe that intelligent life could possibly develop based on these results without a number of variables that are consistent with our own planet, then again I'm arrogant :)

Having said that, I can't show you the math myself, but the intuition based on sheer numbers I think proves that we ain't so special, though special enough to keep looking for others like us.

Personally I'm a fan of the "why is there life on earth? Because of the moon" sort of argument, but it's bigger than that. That photo of Saturn's moon doesn't validate that life CAN exist on it any more than it confirms that any life on that moon must be very specialized, and hardy to survive on a planet/moon being torn apart by Saturn's gravity.

But ain't a scientist, I just love Asimov :)

[Question_Assumptions]

The Moon may have allowed life on Earth but not for the reason most people used to site (i.e., tides). I think the Moon, is important because the Moon-formation collision that is now the leading candidate for how it formed reliquified the Earth and likely contributed heavy elements, iron, and water to the young Earth. This has kept our core molten all these billions of years so we have a magnetic field. That means that unlike Venus or Mars, we aren't being directly hit by the solar wind and other radiation and crust isn't collapsing and cracking as the planet solidifies. In fact, the evidence of the other rocky planets in our solar system suggests that core solidification in the first billion or two years is the norm and Earth is unusual in that it still has a molten core and magnetic field. The Moons of Jupiter retain liquid and warmth through gravity deformation and radiation, not necessarily the most life-friendly energy sources for a world to have. Do any of the big outer moons have magnetic fields?