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The complex physical systems we call LIFE have been studied through the eyes of evolution and comology now for a century or two with very little (i think) success at explaining the uniqueness of our planet. (yes as far as we know for sure we are unique, so let's proceed with that mindset until proven otherwise.) This historical research framework fails to see the big picture of the reasons for life on earth, which include the habitable zone, earth's spin rate, the speed of light around earth, the mass of the sun, and the geoenergy released from the sun. These macroscopic factors specific to our star-planet scenario are required for life around any star; or at least our kind of life since there may be others we cannot comprehend.
As for the topic of consciousness, simply begin to acknowledge that our star just may be influencial in how the mind works. As the holder of 99.9% of all the mass in the solar system, what else could be more influencial to any aspect of life? Life is a product of these macroscopic attributes and it is connected intimately to them. It's finally time we discovered how they work.
Until we are able to explain how life has conspired to exist on our little speck of matter not just once, but over and over again after many extinctions, every earth-bound life form is equally as quixotic as any alien that may approache us from another place. i cannot imagine a more mute question - pondering possiblities of life elsewhere - until we have pinned down life here way better than we have.