Lecture 39: The Drake Equation
How many intelligent, communicating civilizations live in our Galaxy?\nWe have no idea. One way to approach the question and come up with\nquasi-quantitative estimates is the Drake Equation, first introduced by\nradio astronomy Frank Drake in the 1960s. I will use the Drake equation\nas an illustration of the issues related to the question of\nextraterrestrial intelligence, and to set the stage for future lectures\non the likelihood of finding other intelligences in our Universe.\nRecorded live on 2009 Nov 23 in Room 1005 Smith Laboratory on the\nColumbus campus of The Ohio State University.