Equation of life? New model calculates the likelihood of intelligent beings existing in our universe and beyond

The likelihood of intelligent life in our universe, and any hypothetical universe beyond it, can be estimated by a new theoretical model that reflects the famous Drake equation.

This is a formula devised by American astronomer Dr. Frank Drake in the 1960s to calculate the number of detectable extraterrestrial civilizations in the Milky Way.

More than 60 years later, astrophysicists led by Durham University have created a different model that focuses instead on the conditions created by the accelerating expansion of the universe and the amount of stars forming.

This expansion is thought to be caused by a mysterious force called dark energy, which makes up more than two-thirds of the universe.

What is the calculation?

Since stars are a prerequisite for the emergence of life as we know it, this model estimates the probability of intelligent life arising in our universe, and in multiverse scenarios of various hypothetical universes. It may be possible to use it to

The new study does not attempt to calculate the absolute number of observers (i.e. intelligent life) in the universe, but instead calculates the relative probability that a randomly chosen observer will inhabit a universe with certain properties. will be considered. The research was published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

The paper concludes that a typical observer would expect to experience significantly greater densities of dark energy than those seen in our Universe. This suggests that its ingredients make it a rare and unusual case in the multiverse.

The approach presented in this paper involves calculating the rate at which ordinary matter is converted into stars for different dark energy densities throughout the history of the universe.

Models predict this rate to be 23% in our own universe, compared to about 27% in the most efficient universe for star formation.

This means that we do not live in a hypothetical universe where intelligent life has the highest probability of forming. In other words, according to the model, the values ​​of dark energy density that we observe in the Universe do not maximize the potential for life.

How dark energy affects our existence

Dr Daniele Solini, Principal Researcher at Durham University’s Institute for Computational Cosmology, said: “Understanding dark energy and its impact on our universe is one of the biggest challenges in cosmology and fundamental physics.

“The parameters that govern our universe, such as the density of dark energy, may explain our own existence.

“But surprisingly, we found that even fairly high dark energy densities can still coexist with life, suggesting that we may not be living in the most likely universe.”

This new model could help scientists understand the effects of differences in dark energy density on the formation of the structure of the universe and the conditions for the development of life in the universe.

Dark energy causes the universe to expand faster, balancing the pull of gravity and creating a universe that is capable of both expansion and structure formation.

But for life to develop, there needs to be areas where matter can condense to form stars and planets, and conditions need to remain stable for billions of years to allow life to evolve.

Importantly, this study shows that the astrophysics of star formation and the evolution of the large-scale structure of the universe combine in subtle ways to determine the optimal value of dark energy density required for the generation of intelligent life. It suggests that.

“We will use this model to investigate the emergence of life across different universes and answer some of the fundamental questions we ask about our own universe,” said co-author of the study, Professor Lucas Lombreiser of the University of Geneva. It would be interesting to see whether the appropriate question needs to be something like this: reinterpreted. ”

Drake equation explanation

Dr. Drake’s equations were more of a guide for scientists on how to proceed in the search for life than an estimation tool or a serious attempt to determine an accurate outcome.

The parameters included the annual star formation rate in the Milky Way, the proportion of stars orbited by planets, and the number of worlds that could potentially support life.

By comparison, the new model couples the annual rate of star formation in the Universe with fundamental factors such as the dark energy density mentioned above.

The study involved scientists from the University of Edinburgh and the University of Geneva.