Teeming with life?

"Then the subject of the Drake Equation came up. And Dr. Kaku gave a very interesting perspective on it."

Someone who I know professionally and I got together this week. Out of the blue she asked me a question. "Do you believe in aliens?" These days you always need the qualifier - what kind of aliens? Illegal aliens, or aliens from somewhere "out there". She confided in me that she did. She thinks there is plenty of life "out there", and some have visited Earth.

Now I hesitate to bring this up as one of my good friends just chided me (again) recently for bringing this topic up. It really is a "third rail" type of topic with many folks. Some think you are a kook for even mentioning it. That being said, I will say this. A few weeks ago I was watching a science show with the very respected Dr. Michio Kaku narrating it. Then the subject of SETI and the Drake Equation came up. And Dr. Kaku has a very interesting perspective on it.

First some background. Frank Drake is an astronomer and mathematician. He decided a while ago (1961) to try to come up with an equation which could predict the number of possible civilizations that could exist in the Milky Way Galaxy. The number keeps changing due to variables, but it is in the thousands - maybe as high as 15,000. Or, it could be as little as zero.

Then if you really want to go out on a limb, some astronomers believe highly advanced civilizations may have learned how to "warp" or bend space. That would mean travel between galaxies would be as simple for them as us traveling from the Twin Cities to St. Cloud. And if you believe the current number of galaxies to be 100 billion, that could make the Drake number over a trillion possible civilizations in our universe.

You can actually take one more step down the rabbit hole. Some scientists believe (and are starting to gather more evidence) of the "string theory". That we live in a multiverse instead of a universe. Many dimensions. Then if you assume advanced civilizations are also capable of trans-dimensional travel as well as warp speed, that would take the Drake Equation and make a number so large, it would be incalculable.

Back to Dr. Kaku. He is a very down to Earth, empirical type of scientist. With that, his comment on the possibility of "E.T." is simple. We would be fools not to believe in the possibility of other life in space.

So what I told my friend this week when she asked that question is my mind is open. Yes, like many, I have seen a "something". Was it a UFO? Maybe - but it was also nothing like I had seen before. I have talked to many people who have seen a "something". What are they? All I know is this. The "U" in the UFO stands for unidentified. And until they become identified, my mind remains open.