It has been said that the Drake Equation is “a wonderful way to organize our ignorance.” In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake –who later became director of Carl Sagan Center for the Study of Life in the Universe–developed a mathematical formula to estimate the probability of finding intelligent aliens in the Milky Way. His equation, consisting of only seven variables, stimulated heated debate about a puzzling enigma known as the Fermi Paradox. Decades later, his famous formula continues to influence the search for extraterrestrial life in the universe, and, perhaps, to help determine someone’s chances of catching COVID-19.
