Imagine we'd meet with sentient, cultural and civilisational aliens, but we'd find each other boring
Structurally they are similar enough that we can communicate. The discovery would be altering our science, but every attempt to exchange beyond technicalities and niceties is somehow incredibly boring to both sides.
After the initial awe, it would be like, yeah, we know aliens.
I know you're being blithe, but I'd question any galactic federation representative that couldn't comprehend that the slab of glass just happens to be the most efficient method of sharing information we as a species ever devised.