“Nah, just common everyday ETs. What is so difficult about that?”
Too easy, Carl Sagen thought the distances were too far. I tend to agree.
Three days ago, physicists announced that they had made a solid out of light. I bet Sagen never saw that coming. What else will pop up over the next few years? Sagen, and the balance of scientists on this planet, do not know the whole of physics.
It makes very little sense to me to see something that is outside of our capabilities, and then declare it non-existent in order to preserve clearly inadequate viewpoints. It seems a great deal more learned to see those things, and then assume we have a lot more to learn.
Rumors are Sagan was a government disinformation agent on this topic.
It is a fascinating rabbit hole worth a look.