Where is everybody? (NIKE)

December 14, 2010 10: 43 GMT by Alex Hudson BBC News Update some scientists believe there could be thousands of planets with the question of If yes or no, we are only in the Galaxy of intelligent life is one that has fascinated the conspiracy theorists mathematicians.

But if extraterrestrial life forms are abundant in the universe - that some people believe - why they not been in contact?

The doctor who Superman, and Marvin the Martian, fiction, has regularly brought foreign land as friends or enemies, but, again, anyone not proved that they have never seen a stranger except on film or television.

In 1960, a radio telescope was pointed out in space to listen to the signs of extraterrestrial intelligence, try adding scientific fact to the question "is someone there?

But, 50 years later, it is not known the answer to it.

"It is probably the question most important exists," explains Dr. Frank Drake, who was a pioneer of radio astronomy and is considered the father of Seti - Search for extra terrestrial intelligence.

"Is it to mean be a human being." What is our future? Are there other creatures like us? That they become? What can produce evolution? It is up to what point?

"He comes every extra terrestrials learning and this will certainly enrich our lives like nothing else could."

Where is everybody?

In 1961, Drake created a formula to work on how likely it is that we are alone in the Galaxy, a formula behind yet how experts see the issue today.

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The Drake Equation is a formula designed to find the number of smart civilizations in our Galaxy, using

The number of stars form each year multiplied by the fraction of these stars with planetsTimes the number of these planets of the solar system that could support lifeMultiplied fraction of these planets which appearsMultiplied life by the fraction of these planets bearing life which intelligence arisesTimes fraction of those who might become technologically advanced with a desire to communicateMultiplied by the length of time they still detectable signal transmission in so-called spaceThe "Drake Equation" considers the amount of able contact Earth civilizations. And figure Drake and his colleagues estimated in 1961 is 10,000.

Many argue about the exact figures, the equation is based on the unknown. But if this number is anywhere close to correct is the pressing question why do we have any solid evidence of their existence?

It was a question posed by the physicist Enrico Fermi until 1950, saying: "where is everybody?" his colleagues at lunch. It forms the basis of the Fermi paradox that juxtaposes estimated high of intelligent life and lack of advanced evidence.

This "great silence" - as it is often referred - drew attention to the size of the universe and how alone we seem. It is a paradox that has not yet resolved in a satisfactory manner.

Astronomers have it estimated at approximately 70 sextillion - or seven followed by 22 zeros - stars in the visible universe. A recent census said there could be an Earth-like planet planets circling 23% of the stars in the night sky.

The only math is almost inconceivable headache in scope, size and scale.

Phone home?

"We should be prepared ready" for foreigners, explains space science professor John Zarnecki University. Stephen Hawking says there are certainly foreigners and high Seti astronomer Seth Shostak said that hunting life abroad should take into account foreign "sensitive machines", almost without taking into account the possibility that there is nothing to search.

Recent research suggests that there may be up to 50 billion planets earth in our Galaxy, the Milky

But many scientists argue that because humans use wave technology from little more than a century - at the age of the Earth plus four billion years ago - even if no one is there, the window of opportunity to have a similar technology is incredibly small.

Indeed, wave radio we know our communication purposes, already change waveform analog in a digital pulse, a much more complex signal to detect. And similarly, scientific wave may not look good. While much of the wave spectrum is under review, there is still a small fraction.

The theory goes that no other inhabited planet is likely to be using the same technology at the same time, or at least at a distance of making contact. The actual terms of and phone House would, they say, basically impossible.

History of humanity

Another theory is that with intelligence comes from destruction. The time between making contact and self-esteem of habitat destruction is short.

Vendors in this theory cite nuclear war or the creation of an artificial virus only by technological advances as examples of why it is likely.

Is someone there?

And many are in disagreement about whether it is anything to look at all. Indeed, the simplest answer to Fermi Paradox is that there is no smart to find life therefore none were found.

The human race is either an accidental blip in the universe or we're special and the conditions we have advanced were unique.

Hypothesis in REE pointed out that, due to design complex and the infrastructure of our planet, the amount of coincidences and circumstances that must occur together make it almost impossible life.

Professor of philosophy, Nick Bostrom, University of Oxford, even raised the question whether human beings humans live in a computer simulation created by human beings humans with superior intelligence. In this model, other humans would not be created for this program.

But Mr. Drake has a simpler answer why life was not found.

"We just have not tried enough," he said.

"We have looked carefully only a few thousand stars and little canals that are possible on the electromagnetic spectrum and has even difficult to start."

"If you take reasonable values or optimistic for the equation [Drake], he suggested that right, there are maybe civilization approximately 10,000 we can detect in the Galaxy."

"This is one of 10 000 000 stars." Until we have a good chance to succeed, we still have a long way to go. »

The search for life: the Drake Equation is on BBC four, Tuesday 14 December 2000 GMT, and thereafter on iPlayer.