Andrei Finkelstein, Russian Astronomer, Says We'll Encounter Aliens Within Twenty Years

Andrei Finkelstein, director of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Applied Astronomy Institute, is pretty sure we're not alone in the universe. Reuters reports that Finkelstein told attendees at a forum dedicated to the search for extraterrestrials, "Life exists on other planets and we will find it within 20 years." While he can be accused of playing to his audience, Finkelstein has been sending radio signals into space since the sixties in an attempt to make contact with otherworldly beings. He predicts extraterrestrials will live on water-abundant, Earth-like planets and look similar to humans. "They may have different color skin, but even we have that," he said. [Reuters]