Why do you assume that any 'other' "intelligent life" in the Galaxy would be more advanced than our own? What if we are the most advances species in the universe? What if we are equally 'advanced'. Why would the absence of contact mean either there is no other intelligent life or that we are doomed?
What if the intelligent "life" would not be organic? Developed as reactions of physical waves and thus communicating or whatever phenomena we don't know but showing "intelligence" which we cannot percept ?
pdube
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Who's on First - ET Life