[Brett66]

Fermi's point is that we don't need to look. They would be here.

That's a theory based on logical conjecture. It makes sense in some ways but it just takes one life-bearing planet to demolish the theory. I prefer empirical data to theoretical data. In the 2010 time frame we should have the instruments we need to test this theory. (Terrestrial Planet Finder etc.)

[tortoise]

Finding life really isn't enough. As most people educated in the relevant sciences will tell you, the hardest step wasn't going from chemicals to simple cells, but from going prokaryotic cells to eukaryotic cells. It isn't the part that most people look at, but it IS the important step that allowed the rest to happen, and it still has people scratching their heads today. There are lots of theories, but that step is considered to be the most improbable in the entire sequence of events.