It’s an age-old question: Do aliens exist? And what are the odds we’ll make contact? A famous mathematical equation, known as the Drake Equation, helps scientists estimate the odds of finding intelligent alien civilizations. With host Athena Brensberger, we dive into The Drake Equation in this episode of "What the Physics?!" | NOVA l PBS

In 1961, astrophysicist Frank Drake wrote down a simple equation that changed the way we look at the universe. It wasn't designed to give us a precise answer, but to organize our ignorance about the cosmos. It is called the **Drake Equation**: N = R* × fp × ne × fl × fi × fc × L It calculates "N"—the number of active, communicative extraterrestrial civilizations in the Milky Way galaxy. Here is what the variables mean: ⭐ **R*:** The rate of star formation. 🪐 **fp:** The fraction of stars with p