Surviving Space: How Bugs Might Travel Between Planets

It came from outer space. Life, that is.



This concept has drifted around the universe of space science since at least as long ago as 1864, when William Thomson Kelvin told the Royal Society of Edinburgh "The hypothesis that life originated on this earth through moss-grown fragments from the ruins of another world may seem wild and visionary; all I maintain is that it is not unscientific." He repeated the assertion in 1871 at the 41st Meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, using the less colorful term "seed-bearing meteoritic stones."

In 1903, in the German journal Umschau, Svante Arrhenius removed the meteors from the equation. Instead, he wrote, individual spores wafted throughout space, colonizing any hospitable planet they lit on. Arrhenius named the theory panspermia.

Learn more : www.space.com...

www.space.com...




[Edited on 2-12-2002 by ultra_phoenix]

Here is some evidence that the BBC reported Wednesday, 18 December, 2002. It helps prove the theory above. This came out a couple weeks after that story.

"Space bugs" grown in lab
Samples of bacteria which some scientists believe may have come from space have been coaxed "back to life" by researchers.

Defininately adds to the possibility that bacteria and other micro-organisms could survive the trip. But, if we were to "seed" another planet, wouldn't we just be possibly sending something harmful to whatever might be there?

The universe is about 15 billion years old.

The most successful life form would be one that origiinatd when planets first started forming arounf 14 billion years ago, and managed to spread across the universe. Single celled organisms that can survive indeffinitly in space and actualy spread if thier original planet was destroyed and flung into space would be the most successful species ever.

I think a good determining factor would be if there is life in our solar system aside from earth.

Right now I see there really being only two possibilities for life outside of our planet. Either the universe is teaming with life, or we are just about it, or all we'll ever know.

If life only evolves through primordial chemistry, that leaves almost no chance of it existing elsewhere at the same time as our civilization exist.

I for one, hope life is every where. Just more things to explore.

Lithopanspermia as proposed in the article might actually work. The problem with normal panspermia is that the organisms are completely unprotected from radation. If they are protected by some kind of mineral they might have a chance to survive the harsh conditions of outer space.

Although I think it's possible, I don't think life on earth originated somewhere else. The chances are just too slim that a piece broken of a planet with life has spores on it, those spores hit the tiny target earth and then earth even has the right conditions for the spores to hatch. I'm not saying it's impossible, but I think it's unlikely. If life could have originated elsewhere, it must also be a possibility that life originated on earth. Life had to get started somewhere.

well, well, well,
the word panspermia is finally NOT being edited out

Taking the idea a step further than a primordal planet
being a genesis of life, thru metor impacts, ejecta, etc

Is the panspermia, sub-faction, that professes
even in comets, or other matter platforms in cold space
the Precursers of Life can be 'generated' via unknown
processes...

It is when this material is deposited in a fertile environment...that self contained reproductive entities
evolve & flourish...to even greater evolutionary adaptions...

Astro-Biology is very interesting....
theres even weekly newsletters & alerts to be had...
Google up,