An entertaining tour of the seemingly simple formula guiding the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

The thrilling possibilities of life in the cosmos through the lens of the Drake equation, a seven-variable mathematical expression that calculates the number of civilizations in our galaxy that humans could potentially contact.

First proposed in 1961, the equation begins with simple and well-known numbers such as the rate of star formation in the Milky Way and the fraction of stars with planetary systems. It then wades into thornier topics such as the number of planets with environments suitable for life, the fraction of suitable planets on which life appears, and the likelihood of intelligent life emerging on a planet and becoming technological.

Cloudy with a Chance of Starships guides us from the basics of astronomy to the very frontiers of planetary science, along the way covering the Big Bang, the formation of solar systems, the origins and evolution of life, and the fascinating methods used by astrobiologists today.

Seven Rasmussen is an astrobiologist, author, and science communicator. They teach at Columbia University and in the CUNY system.