Is There Anybody... Out There?

[Shade_Wilder]

Hello Fellow Space Junkies!

Yup, more space/science reading that caught my eye that I decided to share.

First, September 2nd saw the sad passing of Frank Drake, the creator of the Drake Equations on the possibility of alien life/alien civilizations.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has opened up a new era of space discovery that will inevitably include questions about non-human life in the universe; who among us hasn't lain on their back, looked up at the stars and wondered?

What are/are not the Drake Equations? The Drake Equations are often misunderstood as something defining a numerical probability of alien life, but that is not quite the case. The Drake Equations try to provide a framework for a logical discussion of alien life/alien civilizations possibilities and/or probabilities. It is something that will certainly come up more and more as we receive more and more data on the cosmos from the JWST; a great example of their continuing relevance is that we have discovered over 5,000 exoplanets since the equations were published, and we need a framework to discuss them.

https://www.space.com/drake-equation-intelligent-alien-life-continuing-importance

https://www.seti.org/drake-equation-index

The second article is the real reason that I am posting.

As noted above, the JWST is re-shaping our perspectives of the universe by allowing us to see more of the universe, and to essentially see back in time.

(Hmm... BTW, I consider the gift of presenting a new perspective to another person as one of the finest thing one human can do for another, so...)

The article in 'Big Think' (link below) offers a different perspective.

While the JWST offers us a look at the past from our perspective here in our solar system, this author turns that around and demonstrates what aliens, should they exist, could/would see of us. As location/distance is a key aspect in 'looking back through time', the author demonstrates what aliens would see of us, based on where they are.

Yup, it is a fascinating approach, and one that forces us to look at stuff from a new perspective; it is a gift.

Enjoy!

https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/earth-across-universe/