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16 Comments
- Nairebis, on 09/22/2009, -1/+12Argh, that nonsense was published in a supposed science web site?
The Drake Equation was not intended to quanitfy ANYTHING. It was intended to start a conversation about what factors are involved in estimating the amount of life. It's purely qualitative.
Unfortunately, too many people think by putting an equation to something, somehow it magically produces a meaningful number. Hint: we have ZERO clue about the probability of life arising under any circumstances. The numbers are pulled completely out of thin air.
And no, the fact that Earth has life proves nothing about the probability of life elsewhere. See: anthropic principle. - MattJF317, on 09/22/2009, -1/+7http://xkcd.com/638/
- hpi5555, on 09/21/2009, -1/+7If we can't figure out where life can possibly form on our own earth, how the heck could we tell if life is on other foreign planets?
- yocouchdigga, on 09/21/2009, -6/+11Can bacon exist there and be consumed by people?
If yes - Habitable
If no - ... I don't even want to think about such things. In fact, you need to go... now. - Disgod, on 09/22/2009, -0/+4Well two things. One, we may not have a perfect grip on how life developed, but our knowledge of the origins of life are much much better understood today so it is now an educated guess rather than blind speculation. And two, we also have a much greater understanding of the early Earth, its atmospheric and chemical makeup, among other things so we have a decent baseline to use as a Ostarting off point.
This isn't to say that any equations won't have problems. The biggest issue is what if life coul develop in a radically different way than life on earth or are based off of an element other than carbon, like silicon. We don't currently know all the possible ways life can develop or what form it might take so any equation will need huge error bars. Of course if we find a planet rich in oxygen we're golden. Only life has ever managed to make an oxygen rich atmosphere stay around, otherwise it just gets chemically reacted out of the atmosphere. - desertDenizen, on 09/22/2009, -0/+4That this article made it to the front page gives me hope for Digg.
These ***** comments make me want to look up the article on Reddit however. I'm sure it was there yesterday. - twistfunk, on 09/22/2009, -0/+4you forgot to put /a for autotune
- Ghostalker, on 09/22/2009, -0/+2*THUD*
That's better. - djcflo, on 09/22/2009, -0/+2best equation i ever had
- level10, on 09/22/2009, -0/+2Because it's easier to tell if something does exist rather than how it came to exist?
- Fazaman, on 09/22/2009, -1/+2Drake, check your camera!
- Parrappa, on 09/27/2009, -0/+1Yes, yes it's that drake.
- DubWainwright, on 09/22/2009, -1/+2The Drake Equation is useless. Nothing like stringing together 14 variables we have no way of quantifying. It has been used to argue that contact with alien intelligence is impossible, and, conversely, inevitable.
Though, in all fairness, an announcement like this is sure to garner attention, thus propelling careers and funding for these scientists... so, well done. - dankoleary, on 09/22/2009, -3/+3This Drake? Canadians you know what I mean
Baby, you my everything, you all I ever wanted
We can do it real big, bigger than you ever done it
You be up on everything, other hoes ain't never on it
I want this forever, I swear I can spend whatever on it - thwoom, on 09/22/2009, -1/+1is it,
You=the ***** best. ? - evanft, on 09/22/2009, -2/+0Holy *****, Jimmy's getting his own equation!!!!
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