Will Alien Life Be Artificial?
The Drake equation is a (very rough) guide to estimate the number of extraterrestrial civilizations, but it might also suggest that alien life is more likely to be artificial
Published in
5 min readSep 6, 2020
The Drake equation
Developed by astronomer Frank Drake in the ’60s, the main purpose of the eponymous equation was not to give a precise number of aliens civilizations lurking beyond the purview of our telescopes, but to stimulate discussion.
What are the parameters we need to take into account? How good (or bad) are our current estimates for said parameters? How can we refine the question and the equation? And so on.
Without further ado, the equation goes as follows:
N = The number of civilizations in the Milky Way Galaxy whose electromagnetic emissions are detectable.
R* = The rate of formation of stars suitable for the development of intelligent life.
fp = The fraction of those stars with planetary systems.
