If we find alien life, here or elsewhere, how will we know it when we see it? Recently, the Mars Rover noted that it didn't find methane on the surface of Mars, not even trace amounts, and yes, methane is a trace gas like CO2 but shouldn't there have been a smidge? Yes, if there was the life nearby, at least the type of life we might be thinking of. Well, where might be the type of life we think of; plants, mold, bacteria, microbes, insects, etc.? That is if there is life there? Let's talk.
Well, we probably won't find the type of life we'd view as similar on the surface, very few things life on rugged terrain of this type on our own planet. Under the surface there could be frozen water ice, could be millions of years old. At the poles there is both water ice and dry ice (CO2 ice), so that makes more sense for a place to find, again what we think we are looking for. Personally, I like Drake's Equation and Mars is habitable for humans with a little work, we've done good modifying our environment here, I'd say we are ready for that next step, and have been for a long time.
The other day an acquaintance and I were discussing this and he stated; "Interesting thought: If aliens ever did or if they have visited, they would not be here to attack us. In order to become that highly technological without destroying your world and species I would put my money on anything that advanced as having to go through a rethinking of thought patterns. "
Sure, an advanced species able to survive long term, may have already made the mistakes humans have in the past, present and future. They may be without time and able to control it, along with energy manipulation for extensive travel. Now then, should we assume that alien races wouldn't be a threat to us? Or that they would be? Hard to say, but here is another thought.
Well, we cannot judge ourselves as the baseline or our way of thinking onto others, that can lead to mistakes, but if you look at the best of each category of species on this planet, only a few have isolated themselves from the food chain to win their domain, most have dominated it and seek new sources for their food chain. Energy beings make sense, there is plenty of that in the universe, and they'd probably have mastered it over time and probably pretty efficient with it.
Indeed, they may find us a rather interesting species, maybe too primitive to even bother with, get to know, or teach anything. They might see us as a very undesirable food source with all the poisonous non-organic crap we are busy putting in our bodies. Of course, if they are energy beings, they have all the energy they need, and they don't use food to convert into energy, so we might just be "ho-hum" interesting to such an advanced species. These are fun thoughts to think of aren't they? I enjoy this as I do enjoy writing a bit of science fiction now and again. Please consider all this and think on it.