The Drake Equation looks like a simple way to estimate alien civilizations — but the implications are brutal. If the number is high, it suggests the universe is crowded, and humanity may not be safe ...

For decades, scientists have tried to turn the question of alien life from late-night speculation into something you can actually write down on a whiteboard. The core idea behind “proving” aliens with ...

Frank Drake writing his famous equation on a white board. Credit: SETI.org On November 1, 1961, a number of prominent scientists converged on the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, ...