My dad launched the quest to find alien intelligence

Re:My dad launched the quest to find alien intelligence by jes5199 on Sunday June 21, 2020 @11:44PM (#23597197)

I’ve heard that the Drake equation was originally (?) intended to be a parable that makes you think about whether our civilization is likely to destroy itself before making a noticeable impact on the universe, in order to promote nuclear disarmament

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Re:My dad launched the quest to find alien intelligence by cgriswald on Monday June 22, 2020 @01:53AM (#23597597)

I’ve studied this a lot but it’s been awhile. Drake et al we’re doing this during the Cold War and were definitely aware we could wipe ourselves out either with weapons or through ecological disaster. The L term is specifically about civilizations destroying themselves (although it can also be advances in technology which end radio-as-we-know-it).

The great filter is an attempt to explain the Fermi Paradox. Fermi was there, but the paradox necessarily came after the Drake equation.

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Re:My dad launched the quest to find alien intelligence by EE84M3i on Monday June 22, 2020 @12:09AM (#23597281)

As far as I know, the concept of the 'great filter' was invented by (the now canceled) Robin Hanson.

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Re:My dad launched the quest to find alien intelligence by jes5199 on Monday June 22, 2020 @12:19AM (#23597318)

Hanson gave it that name in the 90s but it’s implied in Drake’s equations - I think people in the 1960s were aware of the subtext

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