I am thinking, once we get a way to either download our selves, or make AI (Why would we make AI that were not human beings?. HOW would we, if we set out to do so?. The creatures of our minds, will BE of us) we will be able to go out to where ever we detect aliens, at the speed of light. And have one come here. Beam out the source code for a "human" representitive and hope they don't dislike Windows too much. <br />"It wasn't electronic warfare, Mr BEM, it is just that Bill Gates hates EVERYONE, even people he never met like you."<br /><br /><br />Emulated on a human server, it will still be an alien software running on human hardware. And so we "Meet" him, the same way you and I have "meet" for these last three years, see?.<br /><br />I agree, that sucks compared to yomping along through Rigel 7s argon atomosphere, burning BEMs a new ringpiece with ones finger lazer, but the universe does sadly seem to have been set up by someone inordinately fond of beetles, NOT Space Marines, he doesn't seem to have planed for us to indulge in Bug Hunts.