Physicists including Robert H. Dickle and Fred Hoyle have argued that we are living in a universe that is perfectly fine-tuned for life. Following the anthropic principle, they claimed that the only ...

(via SciShow) In 1961, the astronomer Frank Drake wrote down what is now known as the Drake Equation. It's so important to the culture surrounding the search for extraterrestrial life that scientists ...

When Frank Drake penned his famous equation in 1961, he gave us a framework to estimate the number of detectable technological civilizations in our galaxy. Beginning with the number of potentially ...

In 1960, while preparing for the first meeting on the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), legendary astronomer and SETI pioneer Dr. Frank Drake unveiled his probabilistic equation for ...

The Drake Equation looks like a simple way to estimate alien civilizations — but the implications are brutal. If the number is high, it suggests the universe is crowded, and humanity may not be safe ...

The Drake equation is one of astronomy’s most famous attempts to answer the question: Are we alone? It asks not just about any life, but the top shelf stuff: intelligent life with the ability to ...

At first glance, the Drake Equation looks like a hopeful scientific tool. In reality, it leads to disturbing possibilities about isolation, extinction, and survival. This breakdown explains the ...

Is there really a way that we can estimate the number of technologically advanced civilizations that might exist in the Milky Way galaxy? In 1961, while working as a radio ...

Ars Technica has been separating the signal from the noise for over 25 years. With our unique combination of technical savvy and wide-ranging interest in the technological arts and sciences, Ars is ...