An opinion on extraterrestrial life

So I've been thinking recently on how far we as a human population have advanced ourselves throughout the past, say, 100 years. I think it's safe to say that few people today doubt that extraterrestrial life does not exist. My question with this is, how far ahead would such populations or life be if they were say, 100 years, 200 years, 500 years, or even thousands of years ahead of us?

For instance, we went from flying the first primitive airplane (1903) to putting a man on the moon with relative technology in 1969 (Or the first rocket in space in 1944). So, with our human intelligence as a population, we were able to somewhat begin to master a division of science regarding flight.

Another example (but not as important) would be engine-powered car that is not powered by an external combustion engine (ie, a coal powered train would be external, since the coal is burned outside of the engine, and a car would be internal because the fuel/air mixture is ignited inside the cylinders) circa late 1800's (generally recognized as 1888) , to where we have come with cars today in using them in countless amount of tasks, and to making them more affordable, etc.

These examples are not including where we have come with surgical procedures, medicine, technology, internet, and other things we come into contact with that have developed in the last century or two.

So, with our limited intelligence, or our high level of intelligence, so to speak, as we do not know the capabilities of other species outside our visible reach, how far ahead could we expect a species to be if they were 100/200/500/etc years ahead of us?

Just food for thought.

 

It would be ignorant to believe that we are the only planet with organisms in a galaxy with, supposively, more 'things' than I can wrap my head around.

I'm optimistic that life will be found in my lifetime with the increasing technology that is being developed and the expanding space programs.

 

Just within our sun we have found water used to be on mars.

So saying no other life exist is showing terrible ignorance. I believe within the next 200-400 years space travel will happen and we will have the ability to reach further systems in just our milky-way galaxy.

 

I'm more curious to know what people think of development of said possible organisms on other planets/galaxies. I think it's pretty well accepted. there is other stuff out there