Yeti Tracks : The Drake Equation

Well, here is my first yeti tracks, a type of post where I intend to add detail or discussion about something I've already mentioned, a sort of follow-up post.

I realized I mentioned the Drake equation in my post about Gliese 581 C without really saying what it was, for those who don't know. Basically the equation was created by Dr. Frank Drake as a method for estimating the number of extraterrestrial civilizations it might be possible to come in contact with. The variables in this equation are almost all subject to debate, but the one that this discovery specifically relates to is ne which is the number of planets per star that would be capable of developing life. The discovery is also very relevant to the Rare Earth hypothesis, which basically states that the conditions required to support life in the universe are very rare, and the Mediocrity principle, which states the opposite by saying there is nothing particularly unusual or special about the conditions required to support life in a universal context.

If you are really interested, you can read more about the Drake Equation, the Rare Earth hypothesis and the Mediocrity principle at Wikipedia. See you out there!