[Slick]

I wasn't real clear about the applicability of the Drake Equation to atmospheres. Actually the complete Drake Equation is the probability that intelligent live elsewhere will contact us - not about proving that life is out there. There are a number of factors in the equation, but the applicable one is: fl (f "sub l"). fl is "the fraction of suitable planets on which life actually appears".

If you delve into the development of this factor, it considers a number of environmental effects, including atmosphere, distance from the star, water content, etc.

If any of you college people out there are looking for a good science elective to fill, consider a 2nd year astronomy class. Don't go for the one that shows pretty slide shows every day. Look for the one with a textbook that has a bunch of physics equations in it. I did that when I was in college and it turned me on to astronomy as a favorite reading subject. As a side note, if your college/university is near any large observatories (like we have in Hawaii), you will find that many of the leading astrophysicists will be around due to the telescopes and teach courses in their spare time, so you can learn from some real high-powered people.

Slick.