Difference between revisions of "384: The Drake Equation"

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
Jump to: navigation, search
(Explanation: Complete)
Line 8: Line 8:
  
 
==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}
+
The {{w|Drake equation}} is a model for estimating the number of life forms in our galaxy.
This comic explains the {{w|Drake equation}} which is a model for estimating the number of life forms in our galaxy. It adds a factor for the "Amount of bullshit you're willing to buy from Frank Drake." This is most likely due to the factors being difficult to measure or estimate with sufficient accuracy for determining a concrete number.
+
 
 +
[[Randall]] changes the "number of life forms" to "number of communicating civilizations" in our galaxy. Most life forms probably did not establish civilizations (like the famous velociraptors), but if they do exist, communicating civilizations would have to wait for hundred, thousands, or even more than hundred thousands years for an answer.
 +
 
 +
That's the reason why Randall also did add the factor for the "Amount of bullshit you're willing to buy from Frank Drake". All the factors are difficult to measure or estimate, no number is determined by an sufficient accuracy, so that equation is just "bullshit".
 +
 
 +
The title text is a pun on the {{w|SETI|Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence}} project, the scientists just searching at the wrong frequencies.
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==

Revision as of 21:28, 21 August 2013

The Drake Equation
But seriously, there's loads of intelligent life. It's just not screaming constantly in all directions on the handful of frequencies we search.
Title text: But seriously, there's loads of intelligent life. It's just not screaming constantly in all directions on the handful of frequencies we search.

Explanation

The Drake equation is a model for estimating the number of life forms in our galaxy.

Randall changes the "number of life forms" to "number of communicating civilizations" in our galaxy. Most life forms probably did not establish civilizations (like the famous velociraptors), but if they do exist, communicating civilizations would have to wait for hundred, thousands, or even more than hundred thousands years for an answer.

That's the reason why Randall also did add the factor for the "Amount of bullshit you're willing to buy from Frank Drake". All the factors are difficult to measure or estimate, no number is determined by an sufficient accuracy, so that equation is just "bullshit".

The title text is a pun on the Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence project, the scientists just searching at the wrong frequencies.

Transcript

The Drake Equation:
N = R * fp ne fl fi fc L Bs
N: Number of communicating civilizations in our galaxy
ne: Number of life-supporting planets per solar system
fi: Probability that life on a planet becomes intelligent
Bs: Amount of bullshit you're willing to buy from Frank Drake


comment.png add a comment! ⋅ comment.png add a topic (use sparingly)! ⋅ Icons-mini-action refresh blue.gif refresh comments!

Discussion

Looks like someone mixed up Frank Drake and Francis Drake --Btx40 (talk) 14:32, 19 February 2013 (UTC)

Bs looks more like B6 162.158.79.185 17:03, 13 March 2019 (UTC)

The title text shows a lack of imagination about how aliens could communicate. It need not be that they're using narrow direction and different bands. First, they could be using radio in a way that wouldn't be detected, much as how no WWII radio expert would recognize modern, digital, encoded cell tower transmissions. Second, there may be other means of communicating over distance, like entangled particles. —Kazvorpal (talk) 07:50, 10 November 2019 (UTC)

Alternate solution factor: N= [stuff already mentioned]^["probability" that there is not a God who, if He exists, perhaps made this universe so that there would be no process where beings like us could come from the dust of a planet by natural means.] Yeah, it does depend on one's bias and worldview. 172.70.130.91 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)