Exactly. 13 billion year old universe. 5 billion year old solar system. Life on earth was effectively pond scum for 3 billion years. Humans went from banging rocks together to transistors and space ships within 500k years. We have been a civilization for a laughably small time on astronomical terms.<p>Given the timeframes involved it&#x27;s entirely likely that any &#x27;aliens&#x27; are half a billion years ahead or behind us. Our first encounter with life will likely be one of three things.<p>1. Pond scum millions of years away from being anything else.<p>2. Aliens who have been extinct for millions of years.<p>3. Aliens so hopelessly advanced they are deities<p>Even just a million year gap would be insurmountable. Which is nothing on the universe&#x27;s timeline.