Is intelligent life the exception or the rule?

Question

Is intelligent life the exception or the rule?

Answer 1

Go sit in a welfare office for an hour and I think you will agree it is the exception.

Answer 2

Statistically, the exception.

We have nothing to determine the answer to this question apart from the evidence on this planet.  Any other basis for a determination is pure conjecture, most likely based on false assumptions.

Answer 3

On this planet it is the exception. One species out of millions on this planet is inteligent.

But I suppose you mean to ask if planets with life also having at least one inteligent species is the norm. It is 1 out of 1 for all the planets with life that we know about, so that is the rule. But of course, any guess about life on other planets is just that, a guess, so far.

Answer 4

We only know of one planet with life.  That is Earth.  It is 4,500 million years old and has had life on it for more than 3000 million years.  If human beings are the only "intelligent: life on it, and they have been around a million years or so, then for any planet that has life now, there is a 1 in 3000 chance that the life is intelligent.

I would say that intelligence equal or greater to that of the human average is the exception.

Answer 5

intelligent life? where? certainly you are not talking about this planet.

Answer 6

Life has been here for 3 billion years or so, and human-level intelligence only arose within the last 2 million.  Plus, we only account for a tiny percent of the total species and the total biomass.  So I'd say it's pretty dang rare.

Evolution does not tend towards intelligence, as someone suggested.  We're no 'more evolved' than anything else.

Answer 7

Neither. If I had to go with one I would go with "the rule".

Evolution (biologically) is the rule and intelligent life is one of its byproducts.

The exception is the "Bible belt" Nascar fans.

Answer 8

On other planets in the universe, the answer in unknown.

On Earth, intelligent life is the extreme exception. The vast majority of lifeforms here are single celled.

If you consider only humans, intelligent life is still extremely rare. Intelligent life has only been on Earth for less than a millionth of it's duration.

Another consideration: Some lifeforms from another planet may consider Earth lifeforms to be far from intelligent compared to their own.

Answer 9

Ugh these kind of stupid alien questions are asked here everyday

100000000000000000000000 times.

NO THERE ARE NO ALIENS NOR FLYING SAUCERS!

THEY ARE GOVERNMENT CRAFT!

Please use your head for more than a hat holder.

Answer 10

Judging by the way that most people in governmental departments tend to think and behave it must be an exception.

Answer 11

I suppose it depends on what your definition of "intelligent" is. If you mean to the level of human intelligence (as we are now), as opposed to microbes, then I'd have to say, the exception.

Answer 12

On earth, it's the exception. I say that sarcastically with a touch of heartfelt honesty.  I think if we were "Intelligent" (whatever that is) we wouldn't be destroying ourselves or the planet.

I think if most other life forms are like us, the universe is in deep trouble.