Yes, but the places you might look, we can't (yet). This is like saying disease requires the alternative, supernatural explanation because we do not yet have microscopes to see them. True, we do have to guess that other life exists because we don't yet have the tools to undertake such an exploration. It's very likely we will find life on other planets (as evolution and probability predict) if we ever are able to explore the other planets. Regarding consciousness, again we do not understand human intelligence. But intellectually putting supernatural explanation on the other side of every frontier of understanding does absolutely no good to undertake that exploration. In fact, I would argue, by putting a cause/explanation there, it is both lazy and counter-productive as it encourages people to no longer need to explore. That's really what this whole debate is about. Religion/divinity/creationism philosophically is almost exactly opposite science. Science says, 'well let's have a look and run some experiments' and divine explanation replies 'well that's not necessary, we have the answer already.'
that's the only reason science doesn't pursue this course, is because it can't. the problem is closer to finishing a puzzle with half the pieces missing, and the remaining pieces cannot be assembled into the correct picture. i believe that pretty well sums it up. either answer to the ET question is profound. i'm not talking about any "god" here i just wonder what the placebo effect has on all of this, can we really get rid of . . . what ever it is?