Reply #11: There are good arguments for both points of view [View All]

Some scientists and philosophers posit that intelligence is special and specific to humans. This is sometimes called the Anthropic theory because Barrow and Tipler first wrote about it in detail, though it is not their idea alone.

The multiple-source theory is the mainstream theory: that there are many intelligent life forms in the universe.

The Pigwidgeon theory (I'm sure it has a different, real name) is that there are many different kinds of intelligence in the universe, most of them probably widely divergent, but falling into different kinds of groups -- e.g., DNA-coded animals, metallic crystalline lattices, intelligent space clouds, you name it.

The universe itself is thought to be intelligent, though most proponents of that idea embrace it for mystical reasons, as a substitute for God. I think it's possible only because our understanding of intelligence is currently so limited. But, no, I strongly oppose the corrupt grotesquery that is "Intelligent Design" -- though I'll take an honest-but-religious William Paley over a vulgar political pimp like Bill Dembski any day.

--p!