DAVID: Living creatures always try to survive. It seems built-in (epigenetics). To me that is the main purpose of life. We have not explained scientifically saltations of new species. > > dhw' Well, at least survival is an improvement over non-survival. As a purpose, it certainly makes more sense than complexification for the sake of complexification.-Not if it seems it would be an easy road to the h-p bush. Survivability and complexity fit the pattern of evolution.-> DAVID: IF different 'intelligences' exist. So far it is a supposition based on external observations only. > > dhw: Agreed. That is no reason for rejecting the hypothesis and insisting that convergence is the product of divine preplanning or dabbling. That is a supposition based on no observations at all.-The only observation is the enormous complexity which has been created by evolution and requires exquisite planning.