Drake Equation Calculator

Created by Frank Drake in 1961, the original Drake equation was designed to calculate the number of intelligent communicative species which could be expected to exist in the galaxy. To accomplish this the equation multiplied a series of terms such as the rate of star formation, the fraction of stars with planetary systems, the number of planets in each system, etc. The number of intelligent species was simply the product of all these terms. Many different versions have come to exist over the centuries since the original was created; the original equation is reproduced here.

When the original equation was created only a few of the terms were known with any significant degree of accuracy; the real value of the equation, then, lay in the debate it promoted rather than the answers it produced. As Humanity has expended into space it has become possible to gain a greater understanding of astrophysics and a sampling of the distribution of life in a statistically significant percentage of the galaxy, allowing the equation to be used with a much higher level of confidence.

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Last updated : 7 May 2024

Rate of star formation :	per year (typical values 10-40)
Percentage of stars with planets :	(typical values 20% to 50%)
Average number of planets per system :
Percentage of planets capable of supporting life :
Percentage of life capable planets that evolve life :
Percentage of life bearing planets on which intelligence evolves :
Life span on an intelligent civilisation :	years
Current number of intelligent lifeforms :