[RadioAstronomer]

Fermi's point is that we don't need to look. They would be here. Agree or disagree, but that is the argument. There are a lot fewer unknown variables in Fermi's conjecture than in the Drake equation.

Hog wash! Its a long way to even the nearest star and how would they know we were even here to begin with. What I see is many little islands (solar systems) that are completely isolated by distance and General Relativity.

[js1138]

Hogwash if you like, but over tens of millions of years, any intelligent beings are going to try to span the distances. You really have a billion years or so to work with.