We’ve all probably wondered at some point whether we’re really “alone” in the Universe, and whether Agents Mulder and Scully from the X-Files were right about us having extraterrestrial friends visiting us from time-to-time.
Astronomer Frank Drake also wondered the same thing (however long before the Mulder and Scully) and in 1961, he came up with an equation to detect the number of alien civilizations there are in the galaxy.
His equation for detecting life in the galaxy is cleverly mapped out in this infographic, which takes you through each critical variable for developing an alien civilization. Click on the different presets at the top of the page and you can look at the estimates from Drakes original equation, today’s estimate, or our favorite, today’s “skeptical” estimate.
Have a play with the infographic and tell us what you think of Drake’s equation!
