Astrology prevails at the M.I. of Technology

In the midst of discussing various futuristic science concepts at a research group lunch this afternoon, the professor asked a hypothetical question of what seemed more likely to occur at some point in the next century:

1. we’ll be contacted by intelligent life from another planet
   
2. we'll generate technology that will allow us to get "beamed" from place to place (as in Star Trek)

oddly, I was the only one who vouched for the latter.