Other intelligent life-forms will differ greatly in appearance - they may resemble the creature in E.T. or startle us with their beauty - but life itself is common, I'm certain.
Frank DrakeRead
There was a magic about pulsars... no other things in the sky had such labels on them. Each one had its own distinct pulsing frequency, so it could be identified by anybody, including other creatures, after a long period of time and far, far away.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Pulsars are unique celestial objects that can be identified by their distinct pulsing frequencies.
In this quote, Frank Drake highlights the extraordinary nature of pulsars, fascinating astronomical objects that emit regular pulses of radiation. This distinct characteristic allows for their easy identification across vast distances, suggesting that both humans and potentially other life forms can recognize these celestial signals over extended periods and distances in the cosmos.
Themes
PulsarsCelestialFrequencyUniverseIdentification
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on astrophysics, you might quote this to illustrate the uniqueness of pulsars.
More from Frank Drake
All quotes →While NASA talks about 'Are we alone?' as a number one question, they are putting zero money into searching for intelligent life. There's a big disconnect there.
Frank DrakeRead
Forty years as an astronomer have not quelled my enthusiasm for lying outside after dark, staring up at the stars. It isn't only the beauty of the night sky that thrills me. It's the sense I have that some of those points of light are the home stars of beings not so different from us, daily cares and all, who look across space with wonder, just as we do.
Frank DrakeRead
Right now, there could well be messages from the stars flying right through this room. Through you and me. And if we had the right receiver set up properly, we could detect them. I still get chills thinking about it.
Frank DrakeRead
We send messages all the time, free of charge. There's a big shell out there now, 80 light-years around us. A civilization only a little more advanced than we are can pick those things up.
Frank DrakeRead
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