Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus is the latest target in the perennial excitement around finding extraterrestrial life. Its warm subterranean ocean is thought to contain all the right ingredients to harbor alien microbes, which would arguably be the biggest scientific discovery in human history. While finding microbes—even biosignatures on places like Mars—would be incredible, perhaps we’re overlooking something critical in the search for life in our solar system, specifically intelligent life. Take that, tiny microbes.

A new paper from astronomer Jason Wright, Prior Indigenous Technological Species, poses the question: Have we exhausted our options in searching for signs of extremely old, intelligent life? Contrary to what this outlet or this outlet or this outlet claims, Wright’s paper does not offer any evidence or proof of an ancient alien civilization—instead, it ruminates on whether or not there’s a chance we’re overlooking some critical clue in our hunt.

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