intelligent life

Life in the universe is (maybe) common. But Intelligent life may be rare or nonexistent.

Q. How does intelligence form?
Q. What factors lead to intelligence?
Q. What roll does energy (fossil fuels, solar, hydro play in the intellectual development of life?
Q. What is more important? technological growth or social growth.
Q. Is technology necessary for intellectual evolution?
Q. Is technology a dead-end path? leading to a society so structured and rigid that it can not adapt?
Q. What is the roll of religion in intellectual development? is it a hindrance or a path to something greater then technology?
Q. Can intelligent life evolve in the lifetime of a planet?

Factors leading to intelligence - conflict, evolution, environmental pressures(evolution + something), GOD(DESS). Conflict and evolution can be the same, depending on the timescale of influence or perspective. One argument is that evolution as a force that rewards resources use. Thus an argument could be made (rather simplistically) that our resource use is a natural act. Anything we do is natural and good. The counter argument is that we should look to sustainable use of resources, a sign of intelligence. But, is it a sustainable use for the near future, the life of the species or the life of a planet. Is it possible that we are not the first, only OR LAST intelligent life to form on earth? Is it possible that whales are on an intelligence path that we cannot reach through technology? We may not be able to reach beyond the solar system, could whales, or other life forms use the power of the mind to reach and influence life beyond our solar system or immediate galactic neighborhood. Conflict that may not have a significant affect on biological evolution may have an effect on social or intellectual development. For example the race conflict may not have immediate biological affects, but the changes to society on intelligence may be immediately large. Eventually having a biological affect?
What is the roll of energy in the intellectual development of species? Is the presence of cheap portable energy necessary? Does the presence of portable energy provide a boost to the intellectual development of a species? What would our world be like if there was no coal, gas, or oil? It is conceivable that we might have played and learned about electricity. It may have taken us longer to learn the uses of electricity. Without fossil fuels, the electrical generation would have been less then what we have now. That smaller supply may have relegated electricity to a novelty. What is the roll of economy of scale. If we run out of oil, the electrical budget (worldwide, nation wide) will be so low that the use of computers will be limited. That limitation may result in the eventual loss of computers. As a novelty item computers would not be worth the cost of production (when you consider that the machines to produce computers will eventually run out as well). As a novelty item not many people will be using them and the demand and knowledge to use them will decline as well. So much of what we do depends on oil that when it does run out our society may regress. For those areas where the regression is fast the decline may be more then the mean. Take an American an put them in a situation where there is no oil, and they will have a harder time adapting than someone from a third world country. In a large group the affect could be worse. Is it possible that we could see bands, clans or groups of cannibals?
I’m not suggesting wide spread cannibalism, but imagine a concentration of humanity without access to food. Without oil how would enough food be delivered to those areas that need it? A black-market develops for food, desperation means people don’t ask or want to know where it comes from. Gangs form and find murder for food profitable. At first it might be murder for theft, but then “why waste the meat” leads to the butchery of victims.