At a glance
- Our kind of strange friend
- Science-fiction character
- Story connection
- Imagined worlds beyond Earth
From imagined visitors to scientific questions
The scientific search includes looking for signs of biology and signs of technology. NASA calls these biosignatures and technosignatures. They are things scientists would need to measure and examine, rather than simply imagine.
What the evidence tells us
NASA says it has not found credible evidence of extraterrestrial life. It also reports no evidence that unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAP, are extraterrestrial. “Unidentified” means we do not yet know what was observed; it does not mean “alien.”
Your turn to investigate
What is the difference between “I cannot identify that light” and “That light is a spaceship”?
Where these notes come from
Grown-ups can view sources in the Parent Area.
- NASA · Questions about UAP and the search for life
NASA’s stated evidence status and definitions of signs of life and technology.
Notes checked September 2026.
More than words
Animals send signals in many ways. Giant pandas leave scent marks on trees, rocks, and the ground. They also make calls. A signal makes more sense when we notice what is happening around it.
Try noticing
Watch an animal from a distance. What changes in its posture? Are there other animals nearby?
- Smithsonian’s National Zoo · Giant panda communication
From legend to storybook
The Alien Who Couldn’t Say Hello brings this friend into an imaginative story about connection beyond words.
Find the forthcoming story on our shelf →Something to look at closely
Keep a storybook clue, then see how a naturalist might interpret it.
Open this friend’s notebook page →