Well, it was only a few years ago, ya didn't have any evidence of planets orbiting other star systems either. Boy, that sure changed.
Did ya know our tiny world isn't even visible right down the galactic block? A bit further away, still in our own galactic neighborhood, the giant planets of our solar system aren't even visible. Our galaxy is a big place, most don't realized how big.
On a natural level, no matter how big the numerator (# of planets) is, odds cannot be determined until we have a way to figure out the denominator (exact conditions needed to generate intelligent alien life, and the number of planets, if any, that might meet those conditions).
Fact is, we have no idea what conditions might exist which may support other types of life. Ya see, I've always felt man is really arrogant in this regard.
Some of the things being discovered are literally turning physics on it's head.
Those who believe in intelligent alien life in the Milky Way do not further their cause by belittling people who think otherwise
You got me wrong, I said I felt much of the ignorance regarding astronomy/galaxy/universe was a *hoot*, and were directed at some of your own comments as responses. Public schools and all that. You understand.
Ya see I am happy to tell people who for instance believed the moon emits it's own light, when it's actually reflected sunlight off the lunar surface. Yep...No kidding. But I set them straight and we had a good laugh. Nothing stuffy here.
In fact I've done many of things to help people understand astronomy and the universe. From kids to adults. Lots of them. Lots of work involved in that process too. More than you know.
And BTW, I readily admit, there is much more I don't know than do know or understand here. (For the record.)
I went through my UFO phase in the 70s (it was a bit of a fad,
UFO's? Interesting...I never went through or experienced that fad. I was never into fads anyway.
But since ya brought it up, I sure have seen some objects I was never able to identify. A whole bunch, in fact.