Frank Drake - Why Do We Search for Intelligent Aliens?

Why does alien intelligence hold such fascination? Can we even conceive of what they might be like? To appreciate intelligent, sentient life in the universe, right now we have only one data point: ourselves. We would love more. Is it realistic to suppose we will find intelligent aliens?

It is with deep sadness that we at Closer To Truth, along with our viewers, acknowledge the death of Frank Drake on September 2, 2022 at the age of 92. More importantly, we celebrate his life and seminal contributions to how we think about the universe, the possibility (to Frank, the high likelihood) that extraterrestrial intelligences populate the universe. He made significant contributions to radio studies of the planets and was one of the founding pioneers of the search for extraterrestrial intelligences; he was one of the first trustees of the SETI Institute. His eponymous “Drake Equation” set the standard for estimating probabilities of extraterrestrial intelligences.



Frank Donald Drake was an American astronomer and astrophysicist. He is most notable as one of the pioneers in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, and the founder of SETI.


Closer to Truth, hosted by Robert Lawrence Kuhn and directed by Peter Getzels, presents the world’s greatest thinkers exploring humanity’s deepest questions. Discover fundamental issues of existence. Engage new and diverse ways of thinking. Appreciate intense debates. Share your own opinions. Seek your own answers.

[rileyhoffman]

RIP Frank Drake. Fascinating 'possibilitizer.'

[christianzupp]

His optimism was inspiring, RIP Dr. Frank Drake

[andreasplosky]

"Why Do We Search for Intelligent Aliens?"
Because it would be spectacular. The most spectacular discovery imaginable.

[browngreen]

We want to find intelligent alien life to assure ourselves that we're not the only freak show in the universe. Because when you examine the history of life on earth, human being intelligence is definitely freakish.

[-by-_Publishing_LLC]

(7:40) *FD: **_"The problem is you don't know how much searching it's going to take until you've succeeded."_* ... Those who read my comments know that I consistently posit that Existence is *information* that constantly seeks out higher states of *information.* That's what Existence is all about, my friends. Existence will continue this search until it discovers an unbreakable level of *information* that compels it to stop.

For 13.8 billion years, Existence has been evolving *information* from mathematics (data) to simple structure (subatomic particles), to complex structure (cosmos), to animated structure (life), and ultimately into cosmic self-awareness (humans). Yes, "WE" represent the highest level of *information* that exists in the known universe, ... _and science backs this claim!_

The reason why we seek extraterrestrial intelligence is for the same reason: because humanity is a microcosm of Existence. We are merely replicating what Existence has been doing from the very start. And as Mr. Drake astutely points out, ... we'll keep searching until we find something out there that compels us to stop.

... Existence in all its complexity is really quite simple.

[darthsideous]

Here's an equation, Frank + Drake = LIVING LEGEND 👍

[ferdinandkraft]

Maybe it's because we're tired of searching for intelligent humans.

[ablebaker]

"... remember when you're feeling very small and insecure
How amazingly unlikely was your birth...
and pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in space, 'cause there's bugger-all down here on earth." - Eric Idle, Trevor Jones (Monty Python's The Meaning of Life)

[mrshankerbillletmein]

Faith in evolution is very strong even though it is not demonsrtable or testable.

[cosmicpsyops]

Life instinctively pushes to proliferate and toward order.

[MichalTerajewicz]

Because it’s fun. All we do in life is for fun, one way or another.

[jamesruscheinski]

Drake equation provides focus for search of extraterrestrial intelligence?

[vincentkillewald]

Why do we search for extraterrestrial intelligence? Because we have not been able to find intelligent life on this planet!

[iemandanders]

Mass sightings, abductions and contacts notwithstanding, it's nice having an equation.

[davegrant]

What are the odds humanity will snuff itself out through its own technological advances in any given year? Now divide it’s reciprocal by a billion, for the chances humanity will last that long anyway.

[owencampbell]

Hope we find other existences to satisfy our curiosity even if we never come together

[solmatrix]

The beings that responded to our Nasa message via cropcircle stated they are made of silicon instead of carbon they also use the same numeric systems maybe they passed these knowledge to us purely speculation of course but surely we shouldn't limit our thinking of what life can be made out of. The universe can create AI as well as organic life imagine a designer without limitation. What if machine life brought us here ?

[lcc]

Great guy but his ideas are outdated and ignorant of the research another intelligence has existed on Earth since the beginning of recorded history.

[jimmycrosby]

Is that annoying noise in the background coming from Alpha Centauri...
Frank was involved with work that will change our human culture, his passing is a sad day.

[davidfunk]

Maybe they don't live on a planet but left theirs to live on ships.