Consider the string of necessary coincidences in assuming we are any sort o f "average".
Water (hydrogen & oxygen in massive quantities within a specific temperatur e range). Carbon. Iron. Copper.
These four things within a specific set of chemical parameters are what per mit life such as ours within our temperature band on our planet. Change any one of the above, or the surrounding chemistry and "we" are not possible
Nor is there any reason to believe that the concept of "language" applies. Of course, there will be commonality as required by any 'developed' civiliz ation, one being the periodic table. But how to convey that between identit ies is the difficulty. We cannot even assume that we might recognize intell igence in an ET, nor they in us.
Not suggesting gods vs. spiders. What I am suggesting is that we share much with spiders, somewhere around 50% of our genome. We will not have that co mmonality with an ET, nor will ETs have a genome to compare. That is the po int.
Evolution converging is touching and naive. There is no reason for it to do so, and if there is an 'imperative' towards life and/or intelligence, conv ergence would be counter to that imperative. Where there is free energy, th ere is a potential for life. It need not be based on water, carbon, iron, o r copper, all or any. We have the sun as our source. Might be something els e, elsewhere.
But, let's assume intelligent life with a similar chemistry operating withi n a similar temperature range. Meaning that they will want roughly the same things we do, and must go through roughly the same steps to get them. A lo t of other assumptions follow necessarily as well. Now, give them FTL drive .
How successful have we as a species been at meeting new people 'just like u s' but for skin color and environmental development? Not very. Not even wit h those just like us separated by only a bit of land or water. Now, make th at 'other' not even a little bit like us. Perhaps as different as a lemur a nd an octopus.
Now, consider where we are at this moment.
The state of the planet. Population. Feeding that population. Natural resources. Clean water. Clean air.
We are reaching the point of unsustainability. Will the theoretical ET sour ce be any different. Or, will they need resources. Remember, Lemur & Octopu s, Human and Spider. And we share genes with them. They will need resources , and find a the functional equivalent of a bunch of spiders as the only im pediment. We certainly do not treat strange humans well. They will have abs olutely no incentive to treat us well.
Guys and gals, there may well be, and very likely are ETs. But they won't c are about us. They may need what we have, and they will take it if they ca n.
Further, if they are not based on water/iron/copper/carbon, we are well-and
-truly SOL, assuming that they come here. For sure, they will not be coming 'to us'. Just here.
More light reading: Not Final by Isaac Asimov.
Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA