The Drake Equation and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2008/04/03/The_Search_for_Extra-Terrestrial_Life

Astronomer Ian Morison explains how scientists assess the likelihood of discovering extraterrestrial life, using a formula called the Drake Equation.

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Professor Ian Morison describes our attempts to detect the presence of other advanced civilizations, explains why we should not be too disheartened by our failure so far and how a giant radio telescope, due for completion in 2020, would give us a realistic chance of searching the whole Galaxy - Gresham College

Ian Morison made his first telescope at the age of 12 with lenses given to him by his optician. Having studied Physics, Maths and Astronomy at Oxford he became a radio astronomer at the Jodrell Bank Observatory and teaches Astronomy and Cosmology at the University of Manchester.

Over 25 years he has also taught Observational Astronomy to many hundreds of adult students in the North West of England. An active amateur optical astronomer, he is a council member and past president of the Society for Popular Astronomy in the United Kingdom.

At Jodrell Bank he was a designer of the 217 KM MERLIN array and has coordinated the Project Phoenix SETI Observations using the Lovell Radio Telescope. He contributes astronomy articles and reviews for New Scientist and Astronomy Now, and produces a monthly sky guide on the Observatory's website.

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[monkies978]

Our existence proves the possibility of intelligent life in the universe. It's very arrogant to assume we are the only intelligent beings in the universe.

[charliedgz]

Thats the point of the equation. It's theory.

And on the flipside for all we know intelligent lifeforms could be an extremely common thing in the universe.

[sunkissedlotus]

two - one on top one on bottom haha.

[SantoryuWazamono]

what's the square root of 69?

[carmellaparent]

Thanks for sharing THIS. Awesome Post!! 

[MiniGeek31337]

@monkies978 Right answer.

[SeltsamerAttraktor]

@Gamer123SIMZ The universe keeps getting bigger, yes, but because the space between galaxies expands, not that there's new matter popping somehow into existence.

[SeltsamerAttraktor]

I don't like the Drake equation at all. It's just putting some factors together and guessing their numerical values. Furthermore it does a number of assumptions that might not be right, i.e. that an advanced civilization will communicate by means of radio waves or even EMradiation in the first place. We are just in our technological infancy. Any civ. a few thousand years older will use a different method, far more ingenious, based on their superior understanding of fundamental physics.Or cables.

[Gamer123SIMZ]

the thing is the universe keeps getting bigger. there may be other universes. there is a HUGE possibility that there is more intellegent life in the universe

[spartacandream]

@charliedgz So common even, that we're different that we only had a humanlike civilization once. You're right, we really don't know for certain, we're just figuring this out. Or trying to anyway

[AlienshateU]

Learn about the Fermi Paradox.

They are setting you all up for the fake "alien invasion" to help set up the 7 year New World Order just in time for 2012! Do not fall for it. Do NOT take the RFID Somark tattoos nor PositiveID verichips!

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12