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Only by the beginning of the 20th century was science advanced enough to move from speculation to the actual search for hard evidence. As amply documented by Steven Dick in Life on Other Worlds: The 20th Century Extraterrestrial Life Debate, by the end of the 20th century, scientists had demonstrated to all but the most zealously intransigent that — humble Earth excepted — our solar system was devoid of intelligent life and most likely devoid of any life. Further, as biologists discovered the ever-greater complexity of living organisms and the delicate balance of conditions that make them possible, it became clearer and clearer that fewer and fewer places in the universe could meet the conditions required for even the most rudimentary forms of life.

I'm sorry, but that is such a pig-ignorant, arrogant statement it almost defies belief.

We, at this stage in the development of our technologies and the understanding we have of the universe, know so profoundly little about even our own solar system that the presumptions inherent to the above statements comment only on the author, not the possibility of extraterrestrial life or intelligence.

it became clearer and clearer that fewer and fewer places in the universe could meet the conditions required for even the most rudimentary forms of life.

Actually, the possible environments are being expanded in types and qualities. Someone suggested there are microbiotics in the atmosphere of Venus, and who was left to say "No way!"? Europa, Titan, Mars, all have conditions not so different from where extremophiles have already been discovered on earth. Instead of the statgement as it was written should have appeared something like it becomes clearer and clearer every day that more and more places in the universe could meet the conditions required for at least the most rudimentary forms of life.

"I'm sorry, but that is such a pig-ignorant, arrogant statement it almost defies belief.

Just what about the following statement is pig-ignorant?
"scientists had demonstrated to all but the most zealously intransigent that — humble Earth excepted — our solar system was devoid of intelligent life and most likely devoid of any life."