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Drake equation
Sign in to saveprobabilistic argument to estimate the number of alien civilizations in our galaxy
The Drake equation is a mathematical formula that tries to estimate how many intelligent alien civilizations might exist in our galaxy by multiplying together various factors like the rate of star formation and the likelihood of life developing. It matters because it provides a structured way to think about the possibility of extraterrestrial life, even though we can only guess at most of the numbers involved.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
In the Vinony graph
Within Vinony's link graph, Drake equation is referenced by 374 other articles, and connects out to Milky Way, plate tectonics and red dwarf.
Vinony files it under 1961 introductions, Astrobiology and Astronomical controversies.
Its subject is documented across 55 Wikipedia language editions.
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Encyclopedic overview
Illustration of the Drake equation Frank Drake in c. 1960s
The Drake equation is a probabilistic argument used to estimate the number of active, communicative extraterrestrial civilizations in the Milky Way Galaxy.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Drake equation” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.