Not even recognise
try the Greg Egan short story "Wang's Carpets", where mankind discovers yet another a race of boring non-sentient algae with an unusual structure. One investigator explores the theoretical implications of their structure and discovers that the structure is a virtual reality, and within this reality, a whole new layer of ecosystem thrives, with intelligent life forms that we can never (directly) communicate with...
Greg Bear, editor. "New Legends". Legend. 1995