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Tim Harford explains the numbers and statistics in the news and in life

Tim Harford explains the numbers and statistics in the news and in life.

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Can maths prove the existence of aliens?

11/11/2023 GMT

BBC World Service - More or Less, Can maths prove the existence of aliens?

We look a famous equation which tries to explain whether life exists in outer space

We look at a famous equation which tries to explain whether life exists elsewhere in the universe

Are we alone in the universe – and if not, how many other civilisations might there be? Remarkable images and data sent back to Earth by the James Webb telescope have given a new impetus to a well-worn debate. We ask how far mathematics – and in particular a famous equation called the Drake Equation – can be used to answer one of the most fundamental questions we face. Paul Connolly investigates with the help of Catherine Heymans, Astronomer Royal for Scotland and Professor at the University of Edinburgh and Bill Diamond, President and CEO of the SETI Institute in California.


Presenter: Paul Connolly
Producers: Paul Connolly and Jon Bithrey
Editor: Richard Vadon
Production Co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Sound Engineer: David Crackles

(Image: : A cluster of young stars, surrounded by clouds of interstellar gas and dust, in a nebula, located in the constellation Carina. Credit: Reuters)

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