For centuries, from the earliest legends of the man on the moon, mankind has fantasized and speculated about other life in the universe. With the discovery of biochemical evolution - which showed how life could evolve out of simple compounds - those speculations took on a new dimension. Most scientists now believe that it is possible that there is other intelligent life in the universe.
What are the possibilities of our making contact with ETIs in the profound vastness of space (a problem, as Isaac Asimov notes, too easily dismissed by cultists)? What will be the consequences to our...