Now that we know planets are common in our galaxy, how would we tell if one holds life? Sure, it will take incredibly powerful telescopes and ambitious new space missions, but what are we looking for? What are we listening for? How do we help other worlds know that we are here?
Here’s the thing: Life on Earth has an expiration date. No matter what humans do, our aging sun will eventually be so hot that we can’t survive. If we want to live on, it will have to be beyond Earth. The only question is, will it be US who live on, or just our radio broadcasts and dead satellites?
