Many papers have been carrying this article about the search for extraterrestrial life. As more planets are discovered interest in this effort increases:

But after four decades of frequent ridicule, the astronomers seeking signs of life in the heavens are gaining some respect. Since 1960, when Tarter’s colleague Frank Drake first pointed a radio telescope at a pair of nearby stars in hopes of dialing in an alien broadcast, there have been about 100 searches for ET signals.
No aliens have been found. But new planets have, more than 100 outside our solar system since the first was discovered in 1995.
Whether those distant worlds teem with life, let alone intelligent life, remains unknown. But each new discovery further energizes the search for ET.

Many of the current efforts have as their target extraterrestrial intelligence, e.g., the SETI Project.
Things would move much more quickly if just a little bit of effort were spent looking for ETUI, or extraterrestrial unintelligence. For instance this speciman* was photographed two days ago and the astute observor should easily find more examples of infestation.
*Photo from Yahoo/Reuters.