Does TV sci-fi get it right?: “Some aspects of the [Battlestar] Galactica universe may be as bogus as other science-fiction creations (such as spaceships with artificial gravity that instantly jump from one star system to another). But when it comes to the idea that the first intelligent aliens we meet may actually be machines, astronomers say the show is definitely on the right track.

‘There are two kinds of encounters with aliens you can have,’ said Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the California-based SETI Institute. ‘Either you pick up a signal, or you pick them up on the corner. But I think it’s safe to say that in both instances they will be synthetic. They will be artificial constructions.'” (MSNBC)