don't you think a much higher technologically evolved civilization that is just a few thousand years ahead of us would have mastered being able to travel very long distances through space?
Yes and no. I think it is entirely possible they could use light-sails and nano-crafts with self replicating probes. I don't think meat based or even augmented life will be traveling the stars, it requires too much energy and resources and takes far too long. There are countless conspiracy websites that go into details on how the supposed saucers/cigars work with bending space, but when you check the numbers it doesn't make any sense.
They could have mastered wormhole tech, alcubierre space drive and a lot more we haven't even dreamed of yet.
That may be true, but given current scientific understanding those things seem like they will forever be impossible. They violate far too many laws of physics to make any practical sense. If they are possible, they are hundreds or thousands of years beyond what humanity can do currently and any species with such tech wouldn't find Earth very interesting.
I do think our "filters" will prevent us from getting to that point if it's that far into the future. I think if we could do it in under 10,000 years it would be possible for us, but let's see if we make it even that long. Long before then we might be handing the torch over to AI anyway
The numbers definitely don't make sense based on what we know right now, but maybe things will change as we learn more about the universe (and try to link up the physics of the very small with the very large.) I agree though that even if we gain the knowledge, I doubt we will have the technology to harness the necessary energy for a very long time.
Do you think if other sentience makes it here, it would also be AI? That makes sense. I'm not sure suspended animation would work very well to conserve energy for long trips for organic beings
What about an automated probe to Alpha Centauri? Think that's doable inside 100 years, Doc?