[raybbr]

I showed slides of the lifeless conditions everywhere, with the exception of our home planet. Not surprisingly, there is no self-actualizing taking place on Mars, nor anywhere else as far as can be credibly conjectured.

"Everywhere"? Is he saying there is no life other than earth in the entire universe? Are we to apply the same standards to his seeming assertion of "settled science" that we do to the global warming alarmists or does he get a pass?

Isn't his statement akin to "We've recorded higher temperatures on twenty thermometers over the last ten years. We can't read the ones further away so we'll just go with what can see."

[Cboldt]

-- Is he saying there is no life other than earth in the entire universe? --

Yep. Although he makes a technical error by saying life is "outside the probability distribution" (technically, no possible series of random events has zero probability - that we are here is at least evidence, if not proof, that intelligent life is possible), I think his reasoning is correct. The probability of even simple life is so low that calling it "impossible as a random event" is not unreasonable. So many improbable things have to line-up, including a relatively non-hostile environment, that the probability of life anywhere else is close to zero, even considering the known vastness of the universe.

[Hugh the Scot]

Yes, "Everywhere". Your argument sprouts from the assumption that there is something to be found.

AGW alarmists assert that there is "something there" when the evidence doesn't support that conclusion. Are you also asserting that there's something there with no evidence to support you?

As to R_A's wallet; it's a silly argument. No. Looking in your wallet and assuming wouldn't be the correct analogue...

Looking everywhere that is accessible within your yard and on your property, and then declaring that there's no one there prior to digging up the soil and sawing all of the trees in half, is a more apt comparison..

[Yashcheritsiy]

Is he saying there is no life other than earth in the entire universe?

Can you show us where there is any other?

Until actual evidence of such become available, the assumption that there is life elsewhere is simply wishcasting.