
Science and pop culture look to the skies to answer the ultimate question: Are we alone?
CNN
Scientists have been hard at work for decades trying to find signs of other life in the galaxy. When answers aren't available on UFOs and other phenomena, popular culture fills in the gaps with our collective imagination.
One side of the equation posits the number of civilizations in our galaxy with which it might be possible to communicate. The other side gives all the variables that add up to that number, including the average rate of star formation, the number of planets around those stars that have developed intelligent life and the ability to send radio signals. "Depending on how you calculate it, the answer can be none, or it can be a billion," said theoretical cosmologist Katie Mack, author of the recent book "The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking)."More Related News