I’m not sure I completely understand the desire to look in the vast reaches of space for civilizations that are more intellectually advanced than ourselves. I mean, correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems to me like when I was in school I remember the smaller, younger kids trying to stay clear of the bigger more advanced kids. It was not the best practice for the smaller kids to run up to the bigger kids and draw attention to themselves. Sure you can learn a lot from those more advanced than you, stuff like, don’t bother the big kids or you’ll get a swirly; or, once they are aware of you, they are always aware of you (i.e. you better start bringing twice the lunch money); and the always popular lesson, there is no place to hide on the playground. Let’s just say for the sake of argument that there are more intelligent life forms out there in the vastness of the universe; I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to alert them to our presence. I think we’re doing just fine, quietly playing in our little corner of the playground. Because once we are noticed we may start getting bullied. Then, the only thing left for us to do in an effort to save face in the universe, would be to find some kind of dumb life form out there and bully them; and hope they don’t have a bigger brother. Then where will the vicious cycle end?