In 1960, he got his first chance to search for alien transmissions among the maelstrom of radio waves that crisscross the galaxy. “I wonder how widespread that situation is, in the universe.”Īs a young adult, Dad was one of the few scientists who took the search for intelligent life beyond Earth seriously. “To find the existence of intelligent creatures that are conscious-that would be very exciting,” Dad says now.
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The idea made sense to Dad, and he began thinking about how to detect such worlds. To him, “other worlds” meant “other worlds like Earth,” places populated by smart, exotic beings who might be broadcasting their presence to the stars. My grandfather was talking about the other planets in the solar system-at the time, they were the only planets humans knew of-but eight-year-old Frank didn’t know that. “He was trying to kick off a conversation, and in a way, he did such a good job the conversation is still going on.” Dreams of alien lifeĭad first started wondering whether humans are alone in the cosmos when he was growing up in Chicago in the 1930s and his dad mentioned one day that “there are other worlds out there.” “It was the best conversation starter, ever,” says astrobiologist David Grinspoon of the Planetary Science Institute. It’s a remarkable legacy considering he only wrote the thing down in 1961 when he was strapped for time and needed to organize a meeting. Scores of scientists are still guided by the equation today, and the latest discoveries about other planets both within and beyond our solar system are helping researchers to fill in the variables. Its logic has been borrowed and parodied in cartoons about finding a date or calculating the number of credible-seeming alien sightings. It’s written on the side of U-Haul trucks. The formula has since become one of the most recognizable equations in science.
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By considering a series of variables, the equation allows scientists to estimate the number of detectable alien civilizations that might be scattered across the Milky Way. Now known as the Drake Equation, Dad’s formula provides a framework for scientists looking for intelligent life beyond Earth. I also expected that there might be alterations made to it, and that has not happened.” “I never imagined that it would become of such widespread interest. Or maybe he’s listening to the shrieking scrub jays and chattering woodpeckers in the yard, confirmation that noisy lifeforms are thriving in at least one part of the cosmos.
Perhaps he’s thinking back to the November day 60 years ago when he unceremoniously drafted a formula that went on to shape humankind’s hunt for extraterrestrial civilizations. My dad, Frank Drake, is quiet for a moment. SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA“Dad, did you ever imagine that your formula would become so famous?” I ask the kind-eyed, 91-year-old person next to me on the patio.
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