Shayanne Gal/Business Insider
- Elon Musk says we need to colonize space because we may be the only intelligent civilization.
- His comments were inspired by a draft study from Oxford University researchers that looks at the Drake equation — a formula that explores the possibility of other intelligent alien life in our galaxy.
- The research suggests there’s a 41% chance we’re alone in the Milky Way and a 32% chance we’re alone in the visible universe — and those are the optimistic numbers.
Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, has long proselytized for the cause of interplanetary colonization.
If Earth gets whacked by a giant space rock, a cataclysmic solar storm cripples human electronics, or we cleanse ourselves from the planet in nuclear fire (accidentally or otherwise), it could help to have a backup civilization on a world like Mars.See the rest of the story at Business Insider
NOW WATCH: Stephen Hawking warned us about contacting aliens, but this astronomer says it’s ‘too late’
See Also:
- There’s a compelling explanation for why we’ve never found aliens — and it could mean humanity is doomed
- This veteran NASA astronaut has tried SpaceX and Boeing’s new spaceships and spacesuits — here’s what she thinks
- Mars will come closer to Earth in the coming weeks than it has been in 15 years — here’s how to see it
DON’T MISS: Astronomer’s stunning photo of the Milky Way shows our galaxy through a crystal ball
