Top image: The Allen Telescope Array (ATA). Courtesy SETI

Whilst we’ve spent years of human existence wondering if there’s life on Mars, scientists are now telling us to divert our concentration to the nearby star known as HD164595b. As The Guardian first reported, recent information has come to light from the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (SETI) that has lead top space researchers to propose the idea that life may be out there, after picking up a “type I civilization” frequency when coming across HD164595b.

But don’t start your re-watches of E.T. and Close Encounters just yet. The Russian satellite is known to cover a large sweep of radio dial, and the frequency picked up is still being met with scepticism. Apparently, it’s possible that it could quite simply just be noise.

The news follows last week’s discovery of a possible human-friendly planet located just outside our solar system. As space exploration and sci-fi continue to amalgamate, it’s clear that the future is upon us. Start investing in those space boots whilst you still can.