R* = 7/year, fp = 0.5, ne = 2, fl = 0.33, fi = 0.01, fc = 0.01, and L = 10000 years
These estimates produce:
N = 7 × 0.5 × 2 × 0.33 × 0.01 × 0.01 × 10000 = 2.31
The variable "fi =" which above is given the value of 0.01 seems to be a gross understatement and a product of human centric reasoning. The reasoning for the value is predicated on the millions of species which exist and have existed on earth, which there has evolved only one intelligent species capable of communication. This chauvinism based on human centric world view is slowly starting to change. According to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Dolphins are not only "self-aware" but may also have an intelligence comparable (at the least) to that of chimpanzees. In this new paradigm, the fact that this single planet may have given rise to two (not including our probable antecedents) intelligent life forms should drastically change the value as stated above.
Now, sitting the other "questionable" posited values aside for a moment- let's take a moment to fully grasp what this truly means. A single planet, in the "Goldy locks zone" has been capable of producing two distinct living organisms capable of both insight, self-awareness and communication. One planet, two intelligent life forms; how many stars and planets are there again in our own milky-way? There seems to be every reason to restate the Fi variable to something much larger than 0.01. Further, it seems that our understatement of this variable has more to do with humanity's collective inability to conceive of an intelligence that does not fit our predefined stereotypes.
What these new developments do however, is inform us that the extraterrestrial hypothesis (ETH) is not only a valid hypothesis and a good starting point for the explanation of many "ufo" type encounters; but, also intelligent life should not be considered "unique" to our planet but rather ubiquitous to the entire universe.
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