[Poobah]

That last quote somes up my feelings perfectly... it's inevitable.

It's quite possible that the universe that we know is only just one out of never ending slew of constantly new and dying universes much like those of dividing cells of single celled creatures living in the back pond... but where as the single cells organisms are based on physical rules that permiate this perticular planet, the forming and dying of universes involve much more interesting dynamic thresholds of gravity, space and energy. (black holes, quarks, and smaller yet undiscovered particles, and all things awsome.. lol).

The point I like to try to make is this.. earth, and with it this universe just didn't get here out of the blue one day... it formed because certain things happened that necessitated its creation.. much like we give birth to a child.. everything that needed to take place, took place for the universe to be born.

Which means, universes existed prior to this one, and prior to those ones... and like the circles of life that exist on our planet.. those same circles of life exist on a universal scale.. and even on scales larger then that..

all of which means.. life has existed before mush like us.. and before that... cause nothing happens without purpose... Life like us exists cause we have learned to serve a purpose useful to the conclusion of the life circle of the universe... we will some how help to facilitate the circle of life.. and no doubt there is other life forms in this universe that we will someday have to contend with or learn to live with.. that exists just in case we fail to do our part... (no body puts all the eggs in one basket, and niether does the universe).

So not only do I believe there is without a doubt other life in this very universe... I believe there has been life countless times in universes before this one, and in other universes right along side this one, and in universes to come. it's not even a question in my mind.