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There IS life out there: Space scientist says there could be four intelligent alien civilisations in our galaxy
Alien life is probably not little green men but I do believe complex intelligentorganisms in various forms are out there

The question of whether there is extraterrestrial life has fascinated human thinkers throughout history.
In recent decades, technology has allowed us to movebeyond pure speculation.
We have sniffed for the tell-tale signs of water within our solar system, analysed incoming radio signals for patterns indicating alien communication – and are now searchingdistant stars in our galaxy for rocky, Earth-like planets.
While these experiments have yet to provide a definitive answer, they are generating data telling us more about the probability of otherforms of life being out there.
Most space scientists agree it is unlikely life has only occurred in our little corner of the universe.
Bookmaker Paddy Power is offering odds of 16-1 that the existenceof extraterrestrial life will be confirmed this year.
Alien life is probably not the little green men so beloved of science fiction.
Yet, as I explain here as part of the celebration of Science Monthon TV channel Eden, I do believe complex intelligent organisms in various forms are out there.
This does not mean that we should prepare the alien reception committee just yet.
The question oftenoverlooked is how likely is it that we will find them or they us?
The Drake equation, devised in 1961 by Frank Drake, Emeritus Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of California,is a formula designed to estimate the number of detectable extraterrestrial civilisations in our Milky Way galaxy.
Note the important word “detectable”.
The answer is the result of multiplying sevenvariables – the 200 billion stars in our galaxy, the percentage of these that have planets, the average number of life-supporting planets per star, the proportion of these on which life develops...