To me, this underscores the fallacy of thinking that we are actually going to travel to another galaxy. Since the trip to the closest one would take around 3,000 years with current technology, the crew would have to rasie children on board for multiple generations, grow food somehow or have enough stored, and would have to be able to repair things like oxygen generators for a lonnngg time.

Even if we could travel the speed of light, it would be 4 years to the closest star, and the chances of there being an earth like planet, at the proper phase in its lifespan (not boiling, not frozen), in any one solar system are way slim.

Furthermore, traveling at near the speed of light, you would probably explode into a fiery crash if you so much as struck a BB sized piece of gravel, and space is full of plenty of that.

Remember on Star Trek, when things would get real hairy and some instrument panel would explode into sparks and flames? I would imagine if that happened in deep space, about 4 years travel time away form earth, you might be looking at death in about 5 minutes.

Sorry to get all serious on you (unlike me), with the amusing (and slightly shocking) story you posted but I think we're dreaming about finding another earth.

edit: Whoops, a real scientist would cut me apart. When I said galaxy above, I meant to say solar system. Supposedly a small galaxy is in the process of a multi-million year colliding/passing through the Milky Way but the others are so far away, compared to other stars in the our own galaxy, it is inconceivable that even Capt. Kirk and Scotty (I'm giv'n her all I kin, Kiptain) could make the trip. Is this about right? I'm not absolutely certain.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K