Aliens? - What's The Big Deal?

At the Euroscience Open Forum conference in Dublin, leading scientist, Jocelyn Bell Burnell recently stated: ‘I do suspect we are going to get signs of life elsewhere, maybe even intelligent life, within the next century.

Just what is the issue here?

Aliens have long been amongst us:
Edward Heath.

Harriet Harman.

Tony Blur.

Ken Clarke.

Hilary Clinton.

Nick Clegg.
To name but a handful!