The Drake Equation

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The Drake Equation

• Noah Weiss

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Basics

• The Drake Equation is a hypothetical equation
  created in an attempt to estimate the number of
  extraterrestrial civilizations in our galaxy.
• It was developed by Dr. Frank Drake in the
  1960s.

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Frank Drake

• Author of the Drake Equation.
• Founder of the Search of Extraterrestrial
  Intelligence (SETI)
• Primary field is radio astronomy, which is the
  branch of astronomy in which celestial bodies and
  phenomena in space are studied by examining their
  radio wave emissions.

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The Equation

• The Drake Equation is
• N (R)(fp)(ne)(fl)(fi)(ft)(L)

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The Variables

• N is the number of civilizations in our galaxy
  with which we might expect to be able to
  communicate
• R is the rate of star formation in our galaxy
• fp is the fraction of those stars which have
  planets
• ne is average number of planets which can
  potentially support life per star that has
  planets
• fl is the fraction of the above which actually go
  on to develop life
• f is the fraction of the above which actually go
  on to develop intelligent life
• fc is the fraction of the above which are willing
  and able to communicate
• L is the expected lifetime of such a civilization
  

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Current Drake Equation

• http//www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/origins/drake.html
• R10/year
• fp.5
• ne2
• fl1
• fi.01
• fc1
• L10000
• N10000

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Is there life in the universe?

• Current efforts to find life in out solar system
  are concentrated on Jupiters Moon Europa, which
  has a layer of liquid water under its surface,
  and examining meteors.

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Works Cited

• Microsoft Encarta, Exobiology
• http//www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/origins/drake.html
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SETI
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake_equation
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Drake