Probability One

Book: Probability One
Author: Amir D. Aczel
Place I Read It: In my tiny house with no air conditioning in the high desert of Oregon while pretending that the juniper pollen wasn't ruining my life by coating my throat and lungs with a disgusting tasting yellow paste.

Drake's Equation:
N=N/* f/p n/e f/l f/i f/c L

N : the number of civilizations in the galaxy currently capable of communicating with other civilizations.

This number depends on the value of the seven factors on the right side of the equation that I couldn't seem to type in scientific notation. But then, how many blog nuts are trying to type out scientific notations? Aren't most of us just whining about our jobs and our love lives? Mostly, I complain about how crappy my asthma is making me feel or my latest trip to urgent care.

But I digress.

N* : number of stars in the galaxy
This number may be as high as 300 billion. That's not even that many when you consider that there are like, 100 billion OTHER galaxies.

f/p : the percentage of stars with planets
They estimate this to be like, .5.
n/e : the environmental factor
The number of planets with environments favorable to the formation of life.
f/l : the fraction of planets with life
The actual proportion of planets on which life forms.
f/i : intelligent life
Ditto the previous but add in the word "intelligent" before "life"
f/c : communication
This is my personal favorite, because, since we have received no radio signal or other sign from space, we have no data "for any statistical estimation of this parameter." Ha!
L : longevity
My second favorite; intelligent civilizations may eventually destroy each other.

"Interplanetary travel for the armchair explorer..."

I loved this book because Mr. Aczel told me what I wanted to hear, that we are not the hot shit species that we think we are, and he threw in a bunch of scientific evidence to convince me that I am even more justified in my beliefs.

To quote Fox Mulder while Scully rolls her eyes: "I want to believe."