Absent repetitive environmental collapse/extinctions events amphibians would probably still be the dominant species. And after 350 million years they would likely be highly evolved.
I claim there is no technologically capable life in the galaxy.
First, you can’t be in the center 2/3 where 95% of the stars are because every billion years or so a solar system wide cataclysm will occur.
Second, your planet needs lots of water or else the climate varies too much.
Third, you need lots of water, but not so much that there is no land or else there is no technology.
fourth, the dinosaurs had 300 million years on earth and failed at technology. Technology is really hard.
fifth, you probably need an unusual moon like ours which stabilizes our orbit (rotating dumbell is more stable than a rotating sphere).
Our moon is really large relative to the planet. It also was likely created by a very unusual collision. This is because the moon is a lot like the earth’s crust and has no iron core so it did not form by acreation. It also means our iron core is bigger than normal and the crust is thinner than normal as the core of the colliding body and earth’s core merged and the crust go blasted into orbit by the collision. This is important or else you get a small core and a thick crust like mars and eventually you get a dead planet.
Our crust is thin and the core is still active so we get outgassing and we get plate techtonics and carbon recycling.
Sixth, mars should support life as it has a good star, is in the habitable zone, in the outer 1/3 of the galaxy, is the right size, used to have a lot of surface water, and it is still dead.
Seventh, under the optimal conditions of planet earth, it still took 5 billion years for tech to blossom here.
ET will not be coming anytime soon I think.
Exactly. Look at all the things that had to be just in the right place for life to exist on this planet...the chances of this occurring randomly, are infinitesimal, at best.
Our crust is thin and the core is still active so we get outgassing and we get plate techtonics and carbon recycling.
We also get a nice magnetic field that conserves our atmosphere and protects us from harmful radiation.
Absent repetitive environmental collapse/extinctions events amphibians would probably still be the dominant species. And after 350 million years they would likely be highly evolved.
I know a couple of scientists who agree with you.
Rare Earth: Why Complex Life is Uncommon in the Universe
One of the most compelling books on the subject I ever read.
And both are atheists.