I don't know . . . even alien microbes would be sort of exciting, wouldn't they? Especially the fact that they are replicating! (SF readers know to what horrible fates replication can lead, right?) So maybe it's not intelligent life, but even establishing that there is "life, period" out there raises some big philosophical, theological, and cultural challenges. Hope I live to see it (although I, too, would rather run into the Vulcans than space bacteria).

Thanks to the SFBC for starting this blog -- looks like it will be fun.