The Drake equation is a mathematical equation used to estimate the number of detectable extraterrestrial civilizations in the Milky Way galaxy. It is used in the field of the Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence (SETI). The equation was devised in 1961 by Frank Drake while at the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center.
Read more about Drake Equation: History, The Equation, Elaborations, Historical Estimates of The Parameters, Discussion and Current Estimates, Criticism, In Fiction and Popular Culture
Famous quotes containing the words drake and/or equation:
“The advantage of time and place in all practical actions is half a victory; which being lost is irrecoverable.”
—Francis, Sir Drake (1540–1596)
“Jail sentences have many functions, but one is surely to send a message about what our society abhors and what it values. This week, the equation was twofold: female infidelity twice as bad as male abuse, the life of a woman half as valuable as that of a man. The killing of the woman taken in adultery has a long history and survives today in many cultures. One of those is our own.”
—Anna Quindlen (b. 1952)