Una nuova equazione per stimare la probabilità di trovare vita intelligente

Dopo oltre 50 anni l'astronoma Sara Seager ha ripensato l'equazione di Drake, che stima la probabilità di trovare vita intelligente nella nostra galassia.

The new equation looks like this:

N = N_*F_QF_HZF_OF_LF_S

Where:

N is the number of planets with detectable biosignature gases
N_* is the number of stars within the sample
F_Q is the fraction of quiet stars
F_HZ is the fraction with rocky planets in the habitable zone
F_O is the fraction of observable systems
F_L is the fraction with life
F_S is the fraction with detectable spectroscopic signatures

Now, it's important to note that this equation is not an update to the Drake Equation per se -- it's more like a parallel equation that can work in tandem with the original version. Rather than come up with a formula to predict the predominance of intelligent life, Seager is interested in predicting our chances of detecting any kind of life within the next ten years.