The kind of alien life these scientists are talking about are microbial and invisible to the naked eye.Still, any discovery of alien life carries pretty big ramifications for future space travel and exploration. According to the Guardian, scientists are encouraged by the makeup of the comet saying the signs such as the organic-rich black crust are likely explained by microbial entities living beneath the surface of the ice.
At the same time, Rosetta, a spacecraft that is orbiting the comet has picked up readings of unexplained viral particles. The questions that have arisen from these findings will likely move closer to getting answer over the next few months. Philae was able to land on the comet back in November but then went into a hibernation period. The device awoke in June and has started sending back data that has gotten the science community quite excited.
