But so far chances of intelligent life seem to be vanishingly small and using those numbers we get one civilization every few galaxies.
Comment on To put life into perspective
Ranvier@sopuli.xyz 2 months agoThat would be very surprising if it were true, considering the incomprehensively vast numbers of stars and planets out there.
SlopppyEngineer@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Gabu@lemmy.world 2 months ago
There could be ten different civilizations in a radius of 100 light years of us with the same technological level we had 200 years ago and we wouldn’t know.
Ranvier@sopuli.xyz 2 months ago
We’re working with an n of 1 basically. If you’re talking about the drake equation, many of those terms are wild estimates that we simply don’t know the answer to. In the course of astronomy history when we’ve assume uniqueness about earth or our cosmic situation we’ve generally been wrong. Unfortunately the vast distances between stars make an estimation of life in the universe difficult with current technology.
But there’s septillions of star systems in the galaxy with billions of years for life to happen. Intelligent life has happened at least once because we’re here. It would be utterly shocking if we were the only intelligent life out there.
ricdeh@lemmy.world 2 months ago
If it were not true then that would be the actual surprise. The probability for life to form has been computed over and over during the past century, incorporating ever more gains in scientific knowledge, and it is on the order of 10^-100^, meaning that there likely is no other life in at least our galaxy.
Gabu@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Source: your anus.
Ranvier@sopuli.xyz 2 months ago
There’s no one that can make the estimate accurately right now. Any calculation like that is going to rest on lots on many wild estimates and unknowns. Happy to look at it if you have a source though.