The vast distances of space make it highly unlikely that we'll ever find intelligent life. Even if we do somehow have reason to believe it would be on a certain planet, it would take us forever to get there.
The only way around it would be to bend the rules of time and space, and therefore travel. The only thing then is, if either species could do this, why would the bother to waste time exploring around as a species? They've probably already figured out the secrets of the universe.
If either species, them or us, has evolved intellectually to the point where interstellar travel is possible, without already dooming their species, we've probably evolved to the point where we are more beings of spirit or energy, then flesh and bone. One finding the other would be like us trying to talk to ants.
Even in the remote possiblity we could figure out some manipulable and reliable way around physical travel in the next little while, we'd probably have to send probes and robots, we wouldn't be able to go ourselves.
I love ideas like these, but I like to look at them more metaphysically. I think when we do break the barriers of time and space, it'll be more of a spiritual thing, or a consciousness thing, instead of a physical thing. At that point we probably won't be experiencing the world or the universe, the way we are now anyway.
That's if we can keep from blowing ourselves up until then, or killing our world and regressing as a species.
It would delight me to know end to here that we found a planet and it had life on it, and really get those fundamentalists scratching their heads. But I doubt it will be that easy, or that we'll see it anytime soon.
Instead, hopefully, we'll just continue to work on ourselves as a species, making ourselves better, more humane and caring, more 'god-like'. Not just in power or knowledge, but in responsibility and wisdom.
Then we'll awaken to all the things around us. See all this life an energy that was always around us, we were just to primitive to understand. Truly realize all the prophets words when they said we were all made in 'god's' image and that we are 'all connected'. Be embraced by love and meaning.
We barely see all the life there is on this planet. We're not ready to see it elsewhere yet. And that might have been the plan all along. The reason for these VAST VAST distances, and our fragile little bodies.
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