For centuries, from the earliest legends of the man on the moon, mankind has fantasized and speculated about other life in the universe. With the discovery of biochemical evolution which showed how life could evolve out of simple compounds, those speculations took on a new dimension.
Most scientist now believe that it is possible there is other intelligent life in the universe.
The First Encounter from the most practical issues, such as how the news of contact should be handled, to the most exciting and troubling questions of philosophy, religion, and science. Extraterrestrial Intelligence begins the search for a cosmic context for mankind. It leads the way in reflecting on the next stage in our gradual self-discovery. Summer 1976 coincided with summertime on Mars. That's when Viking space probes 1 and 2 ventured out and became man's first attempts to locate extraterrestrial life.