Do you lean toward the Drake Equation or Rare Earth hypothesis?

Question

When it comes to your view of extraterrestrial intelligence? Why?

Answer 1

Drake Equation!

Answer 2

I lean toward Rare Earth, but there is no conflict between that and the Drake equation. By plugging the right values into the drake equation, you get rare Earth. I think Earth like planets are rare because we have yet to find one, even though people have been looking VERY diligently. And SETI has been trying equally diligently to find evidence of ET without success too. So Earth like planets and ET may exist, but they cannot be commonplace if we are having so much trouble finding even one of them.

Answer 3

I like the Rare Earth hypothesis. Life is just to fragile to think it could happen just anywhere. Too many things all need to fall in place at the right time for life to begin and then evolve. We have the larger planets out past Mars that act as a vacuum cleaner and pull in a lot of the debris that comes from farther out. Having a moon the size we have and where it is helps prevent the planet from wobbling on its axis. Being where we are in relation to the sun, and not being too hot or too cold. And many, many other things.

Answer 4

Drake ( http://www.pbs.org/lifebeyondearth/listening/drake.html )

Note - Drake estimates probability of ET = 'communicating civilization' we can detect 'now'.

If you want to 'guess' the existence of ANY E.T. at ANY time, set R = 7x10^22 divided by 14.5 billion = approx 4.8 x 10^12 (i.e. number of stars divided by age of universe) and set Fc = 1, L= infinity.

Answer 5

Drakes Equation gets people to think and hopefully to keep a open mind to the possibility,and to keep looking.
The big question is, would they want to associate with us.

Answer 6

Drake Equation.
We're not anything special.

Answer 7

It doesn't really matter how many habitable planets are out there when you can't get to them. We aren't going anywhere anytime soon so Earth is "rare" enough for us.