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| Personal background |
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I am a 20 year old (2002) Computer Science major at Wilfrid Laurier University.
I deeply enjoy Science Fiction and Fantasy novels and movies. My favorite authors are Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clark. Star Trek was instrimental in introducing me to Science Fiction.
At school, I am involved in the STEP Council, the Science Division Council, the PhysComp Club, and I am a tutor and a teaching assistant for computer science.
I am a member of the Wilfrid Laurier University SETI@home group. |
| Thoughts about SETI and SETI@home |
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"The universe is bigger than anything anyone's ever imagined... If it is just us, it seems like an awful waste of space." -Contact, 1999
The Drake Equation
N = R x fp x ne x fl x fi x fc x LThis equation aims at determining the number of advanced civilzations that are transmitting right now (N).
What the different variables mean:
R is the rate at which stars have been born in the Milky Way per year
fp is the fraction of these stars that have solar systems of planets
ne is the average number of "Earthlike" planets (potentially suitable for life) in the typical solar system
fl is the fraction of those planets on which life actually forms
fi is the fraction of life-bearing planets where intelligence evolves
fc is the fraction of intelligent species that become capable of interstellar radio communication
L is the average lifetime of a communicating civilization in years
Using optimist numbers, the number of 'detectible' civilizations is:No= 1 * 1 * 1 * 1 * 1 * 1 * 100 000=100 000
Using numbers that work against life (not normally the case--life has a way of working around obsticles):
Np=1 * .25 * .1 * .1 * .1 * .1 * 50 000 = 1.25
The only way to disprove all life is is to that that fl, the number of planets where life actually forms, is 0. This implies:
Nd=1 * 1 * 1 * 0 * 1 * 1 * 100 000 = 0
Therefore, we don't exist. Obviously, this cannot be the case.
Frank Drake expects this N to be 50 000
The question isn't 'is there life out there', the question is 'how much life is out there'. The answer could be zero, or the answer could be 42. But there is an answer... |
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