A-1: Alone in the Milky Way - Livestream

At the heart of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) lies the Drake Equation, a mathematically simple yet enigmatic formula proposed by American astronomer and SETI founder Frank Drake. The Drake Equation provides a way to estimate the number N of advanced civilizations present in our galaxy. Although N is often assumed to be a large number, (ie, there would be many civilizations in the Milky Way galaxy) large numbers for N are actually in conflict with observations, a contradiction known as the Fermi Paradox named after Italian-American physicist and 1938 Nobel Prize winner, Enrico Fermi.

Pascal Lee, planetary scientist at the SETI Institute examines the state-of-the-art of our knowledge about each term of the Drake Equation and reaches the surprising conclusion that N is likely to be a very small number, close to 1. We could be "IT". The implications of N-1 are profound and will be discussed.

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