When Could We Meet the Aliens?

This morning, a group of astronomers attended a round-table discussion in London, with the UK science minister Malcolm Wicks, titled "Is there life out there? Other Earth-like or Habitable planets." They boldly predict that we'll find life on Mars in the year 2015, and life in other solar systems in 2020.

I don't know if their predictions are so accurate because they already know something we don't, but if we look at the general picture of the search for extraterrestrial life, it seems that this prediction may not be so preposterous after all.

The last year alone brought us some very important discoveries in space, and every day, there are news about a new technological development that will bring the aliens closer to Earth. Well, not technically, but anyway, you got the idea.

For example, for the first time in history, an alien planet outside our solar system is proven to have water in its atmosphere. It's not liquid, but it proves water can exist on many extrasolar planets. So far, around 240 planets have been discovered outside our solar system and at least one of them is suited for life.

Also this year, the search for extraterrestrial life has taken an unexpected twist as European astronomers have just detected an incredible planet, bearing a striking resemblance to our Earth, which could mean that we're not alone in the universe.

The planet is the most Earth-like ever spotted and is thought to have perfect conditions for water, an essential ingredient for life.

OK, so we're getting closer to finding aliens. Supposing that, in the year 2020, the biggest news will be "We found the aliens," what would this mean? Most probably, we would have spotted a planet with obvious signs of intelligent life, maybe one glowing in the dark due to the artificial lights, much like our Earth does.

The biggest problem will be the fact that we won't be able to tell anyone but ourselves. Since we've already explored the close vicinity of the solar system, the potential inhabited planet would most likely be located at several light years away, if not hundreds or thousands.

Unfortunately, we won't be able to tell them we found them, since any signal sent toward that planet will take at least a few hundreds of years to get there.

So, we will probably be forced to look at them, but nothing more. Who knows, maybe they'll be looking at us in the same time, being themselves incapable of interstellar travel.

It would be like spying the girl next door, and never being able to go there yourself and talk to her.