In an attempt to answer the famous question, What are the odds that alien life exist elsewhere

in the universe?, in 1961, astronomer Frank Drake wrote an equation that has proven to be a
fundamental key in solving the question. The equation is used to to quantify the likelihood of finding
technologically advanced civilizations somewhere in the universe. The Drake Equation, as its called,
accounts the fraction of stars with planets around them, and the fraction of those planets that would
be hospitable to life. Scientist have incorporated newly found scientific data since the equation was first
invented, updating it every time new information is acquired.
In another point of view, science historian Matthew Stanley asks himself, Is Earth unique?
From there, Stanley takes a look at our past and discusses humanitys evolving view of its place in the
cosmos. In his search for an answer, he explains that Humans have once thought that the Earth was not
only unique, but at the center of the entire universe. Through scientific investigations, studies have
shown that our planet is just one of seven other planets orbiting the sun, showing that its not even at
the center of its own solar system. On the contrary, scientist have discovered thousands of planets
around other stars- most being big and gaseous like Jupiter- unlike Earth at all. They have also found
that most solar systems have the larger planets orbit closer to their parent star, whereas in Earths solar
system, the larger planets orbit further out. After reviewing such evidence, the question comes back to
mind, Does this suggest that Earth is unique? Mather Stanley explains that this question is rather
difficult to answer, for the telescopes that search for exoplanets have a bias selection towards larger gas
planets, for they are easier to detect. In an estimation from Peter Behroozi, for every grain of sand on
Earth, there could be as many as 10 Earth-like planets in the universe. Take into account that the
universe is extremely large, and scientist are only able to search for life on planets within the Milky Way
Galaxy.
In a paper published in 2015 in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Socity, Behroozi
and his co-author show that galaxies that are larger produce a greater number of Earth-like planets, in
comparison to smaller galaxies. As explained by Behroozi, since galaxies that are the size of the Milky
Way are more common in the universe, thats where most Earth-like planets in the universe should be
found. This concludes that the location Earth is in, being in a Milky Way-size galaxy, it is no unique. This
information helps scientist make estimations about how many planets are currently in the universe but
also how many will form, with the same assumption that the universe will continue to expand and
evolve the way it has in the past. In Behroozis same paper, he explains that the the universe will be
forming 10 times more planets than how many currently exist, making a 92 percent chance that we
are not the only civilization that the universe will ever have, he explains.
In his discussion, Stanly also brings up the point where humanitys search for life beyond Earth
has a certain influence by their own times and experiences, when predicting what lies beyond this
planet. As an example, Stanley brings up extremophiles, which are, organism that live in environments
that were previously thought inhospitable, like at the bottom of the ocean, under the ice in Antarctica
and in areas that receive high dose of radiation. He continues by explaining that the Drake equation is
in need of updating, but not only with scientific evidence, but also with new perspectives. When the
Drake equation was first made in the 60s, the time between when a civilization discovered atomic
energy and when that society managed to destroy itself through nuclear annihilation was the value for
L. The equation also includes the variable fc, which represents the fraction of alien civilizations that
"develop a technology that releases detectable signs of their existence" (such as radio communications
or television broadcast signals sprayed out into space), says the SETI Institute. However, todays
communications are no longer leaking out into space, for they are passed only between ground sources
and satellites. Though, there are still many projects dedicated to searching for leaky alien
communications. For example, looking for focused laser-based systems used by alien civilization to
communicate between multiple planets or multiple star systems, have been urged by some scientist.
Stanleys main point is that humanity can look only for alien civilizations that bear some resemblance to
our own, to some extent. The research done today revolving search for life on other planets focus on
telescopes that are able to study the atmosphere of distant planets, as well as look for signs of
biological processes. For instance, high levels of methane or oxygen that are produced by many living
organisms on Earth or from the planets atmosphere could be due to biological activity. So even if we
bomb ourselves back to the Renaissance or the Stone Age, the evidence that a civilization once existed
on our planet would not be erased, said Behroozi. The composition of a planets atmosphere could
even reveal how an intelligent civilization that once lived managed to kill itself, explained Stanley.
Stanley then goes on to explain that what will always infuse science is personal bias and human
experiences, which can also help lead to success. Different perspectives help people look at things
differently and in new ways, which can help lead to breakthroughs. He then says, "I think it's actually
helpful to embrace the fact that this is always how science is done," he said. "And to accept that
everybody's different, everybody has weird ideas, and that's actually a source of strength rather than
weakness."