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Re:Mars has right ingredients for present-day microbial life... by throwawayboise on Saturday April 24, 2021 @06:20PM (#26928662)
Even so the galaxy (let alone the universe) is huge, and faster-than -light or extra-dimensional travel is probably impossible. Contact with another civilization is extremely unlikely even if life is abundant in the galaxy.
Re:Mars has right ingredients for present-day microbial life... by hossbeast on Saturday April 24, 2021 @08:10PM (#26929280)
Check out von neumann automatons. The idea is that once you started colonizing, you'd cover the entire galaxy in ~a million years, aka very quickly on a galactic timescale.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-replicating_spacecraft

Re:Mars has right ingredients for present-day microbial life... by scrollaway on Saturday April 24, 2021 @08:35PM (#26929384)
A galaxy is very tiny on the scale of the universe.
Re:Mars has right ingredients for present-day microbial life... by hossbeast on Saturday April 24, 2021 @11:32PM (#26930142)
Sure, but the gp said galaxy.
Re:Mars has right ingredients for present-day microbial life... by foobiter on Saturday April 24, 2021 @08:30PM (#26929364)
the universe is huge and time is long, there could be millions of civilizations and we could happen to exist at a time that doesn’t coincide with a single one
Re:Mars has right ingredients for present-day microbial life... by Ericson2314 on Saturday April 24, 2021 @10:56PM (#26930004)
The universe is extremely young. We might just be tied for first, if it takes 3rd generation stars for example.