Accidentally "Seeding" Planet Earth: Our Possible Origins?

Greetings, ATS!

Here's something interesting I've been thinking about. Try to follow my (twisted) logic....

So, I was reading this article on extremophibles while listening to my iPod. For those who might not know what an extremophible is, here's the definition:

An extremophile is an organism that thrives under "extreme" conditions.

Anyway, while reading a song played on my ipod. Train's "Drops of Jupiter," which led me to thinking about the satellites we've put into space. (In my ind, this is a perfectly logical leap). Is it possible that extremophibles from Earth are, even now, living inside our satellites and other space stuff?

So lets make some big assumptions here and go with the idea that every man made object in space carries extremophibles. For example, the Mars rover Curiosity could harbor extremophibles. Perhaps these organisms might find Mars to be a favorable environment....thereby reproducing. Could we, right now, be "seeding" Mars with life? Perhaps one billion years from now Martians will be wondering about the mysteries of existence....and the answer to their existence would be our actions.

Take it further. Could life on Earth have started this way?

What do you think, ATS?

reply to post by smyleegrl


The problem is Extremophiles live in extreme environments so the possibility of one or a colony of them contaminating something we'd sent into space is practically zero as they would never come into contact with each other ... just a thought

Could we, right now, be "seeding" Mars with life?

It's possible ..
Curiosity could be carrying Earth bacteria, threatening search for Mars life

reply to post by gortex


Yes, I can understand that point. But maybe an "everyday" organism that is in contact with our space stuff might be an extremophible, and we just don't know it? In other words, it's got a cushy life here but also has the ability to adapt to extreme conditions

I know, big ifs. But it's fun to ponder...

I think we blew the # out of Mars and then came to Earth.

But honestly the elements making up our bodies originated in the stars, so anything is possible.

That kind of goes along with what Delores Cannon says on how we came to be on Earth. Here is a video on this subject from her...

Often thought about this myself, and yes, I think we have seeded life (if not already there) on to mars.
Micro organisms seem to be better able to adapt to new environments and I'd put money on it that something we have sent to mars will eventualy evolve into a MARTIAN

It's called the panspermia hypothesis, it has some credibility. We just don't know enough how easiliy life spreads from planet to planet because we haven't studied enough other worlds.

I thought they went to great pains to sterilize things like the Mars Rovers as they loaded them up. You always see people in full-body suits working around them. I think they at least make an effort to avoid what you are saying--not that nothing could get through.

Going the other way, i.e.: Out there to here, it's kind of a matter of degree.

1. Did the elements of our bodies come from stars? Check. No question. We're made of star stuff.
2. Did "life" arrive on a meteorite? It's technically possible, maybe. We don't know.
3. Did the aliens plant us here? Nope. Not a realistic chance. Fergetaboutit.
4. Did the aliens tweak us? It's possible, but there's no proof.
5. Did our species evolve on another planet? Nope.

reply to post by smyleegrl


the first cellular life here on earth were a finished product when they appeared with nothing leading up to them. isn't that indicative of seeding?

reply to post by smyleegrl


I'm sorry, smyleegrl, but it is well known that extemophibles work at Taco Bell. I don't know if Taco Bell employees are being transported to other planets, but I do know that upscale-casual restaurants have a lower turn-over rate than fast food restaurants. So, it could be the money, or it could be that Taco Bell employees are being kidnapped, and sent to planets to seed them. This is my uneducated guess on the matter. lol

Originally posted by bottleslingguy
reply to post by smyleegrl

 

the first cellular life here on earth were a finished product when they appeared with nothing leading up to them. isn't that indicative of seeding?

There are many different theories about abiogenesis, including cells evolving from strands of RNA. None of these theories require "seeding" as part of the theory.

reply to post by ConspiracyBuff


But we are ever so slowly being pulled towards the sun. Wouldn't it be more likely that we inhabited Venus, then had to skip over to Earth, and eventually we will need to move to Mars?

reply to post by smyleegrl


lichens and tardigrades can survive outter space and they arent even considered extremophiles.

Id also like to point out there is an office within NASA who's job is to ensure that cross planet contamination does not occur through NASA. However that seems like it would be an almost impossible task considering the pervasiveness of microorganisms.

reply to post by gortex

Curiosity's drillbits were designed to be stored in a sealed box, separate from the drill mechanism -- however, a Nasa engineer worried that a rough landing might make assembling the drill on Mars impossible (and thus rendering one of the rover's most important tools impotent), and opened the sealed unit to install one drill bit as a kind of backup. This happened without consulting Nasa's team dedicated to avoiding contaminating Mars with Earth bacteria.

www.wired.co.uk...

That's too funny. All those protocols and safety measures and some rogue NASA guy goes and blows the whole thing.

reply to post by smyleegrl


I present to you the Tardigrade!!




"Tardigrades are able to survive in extreme environments that would kill almost any other animal. Some can survive temperatures of close to absolute zero, or 0 Kelvin (−273 °C (−459 °F)), temperatures as high as 151 °C (304 °F), 1,000 times more radiation than other animals,[9] and almost a decade without water. Since 2007, tardigrades have also returned alive from studies in which they have been exposed to the vacuum of space for a few days in low Earth orbit. Tardigrades are the first known animal to survive in space."

Tardigrade

They are capable of surviving the vaccum of space, 1000times more radiation than any other animal, as well they can survive almost a decade with out water.

Pretty exciting little buggers when you think about them.

Tardigrades have been known to withstand the following extremes

" Temperature – tardigrades can survive being heated for a few minutes to 151 °C (424 K),[21] or being chilled for days at −200 °C (73 K),[21] or for a few minutes at −272 °C (~1 degree above absolute zero).[22]
Pressure – they can withstand the extremely low pressure of a vacuum and also very high pressures, more than 1,200 times atmospheric pressure. Tardigrades can survive the vacuum of open space and solar radiation combined for at least 10 days.[22] Some species can also withstand pressure of 6,000 atmospheres, which is nearly six times the pressure of water in the deepest ocean trench, the Mariana trench.[13]
Dehydration – tardigrades have been shown to survive nearly 120 years in a dry state.[23] When exposed to extremely low temperatures, their body composition goes from 85% water to only 3%. As water expands upon freezing, dehydration ensures the tardigrades do not get ripped apart by the freezing ice (as waterless tissues cannot freeze).[24]
Radiation – tardigrades can withstand median lethal doses of 5,000 Gy (of gamma-rays) and 6,200 Gy (of heavy ions) in hydrated animals (5 to 10 Gy could be fatal to a human).[25] The only explanation thus far for this ability is that their lowered water state provides fewer reactants for the ionizing radiation.[26]
Environmental toxins – tardigrades can undergo chemobiosis—a cryptobiotic response to high levels of environmental toxins. However, these laboratory results have yet to be verified.[27][28]
Outer space – In September 2007, tardigrades were taken into low Earth orbit on the FOTON-M3 mission and for 10 days were exposed to the vacuum of space. After being rehydrated back on Earth, over 68% of the subjects protected from high-energy UV radiation survived and many of these produced viable embryos, and a handful had survived full exposure to solar radiation.[22][29] In May 2011, tardigrades were sent into space along with other extremophiles on STS-134, the final flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour.[30][31][32] In November 2011, they were among the organisms to be sent by the US-based Planetary Society on the Russian Fobos-Grunt mission's Living Interplanetary Flight Experiment to Phobos; however, the launch failed. "

That was a little more from wiki..

Originally posted by CirqueDeTruth
reply to post by ConspiracyBuff

 

But we are ever so slowly being pulled towards the sun. Wouldn't it be more likely that we inhabited Venus, then had to skip over to Earth, and eventually we will need to move to Mars?

Isn't it going the other way?? I thought during the creation of our planet we were much closer to the sun, as well in a much more eccentric orbit. As, time has progressed we've moved further away, and our orbit has become less eccentric.

Mars, would have at one time been closer to the sun, how ever even at it's current distance if mars possessed a similar magnetic field and atmosphere as earth, you'd be surprised how similar the systems would be.

I'm pretty sure I read an article about how if mars had our atmosphere it's surface conditions would actually be quite comfortable.

reply to post by Hijinx


Well that's why I was asking. I wasn't sure. I'm not an astrophysicist and at best, but not really, a hobby astronomer. Now, astrology, that is a different matter. I could whip you up a comprehensive natal chart in a week. Science that involves complicated math? Nope. Way outside my limits and I struggle with it.

From what I understand from my hubby - the sun is getting larger. So even though we are at a stable orbit that is relatively constant with little loss either way (nearer or further) - the sun still creeps closer and closer as it grows into a red giant.

I've considered the possibility that perhaps we as a species were seeded here by some 'shot in the dark' probe launched by an extraterrestrial species. At this point, who really knows? Evolution is all fine and good, but the inherent nature of man... how we have to change our environment, our complexity, etc.,... leads me to think that evolution alone cannot account for who we are.

Considered. Is it plausible? Remotely, but we simply currently lack the knowledge to rule it out completely.

However, I like your theory Smylee, I believe it holds merit...

Originally posted by CirqueDeTruth
reply to post by Hijinx

 

Well that's why I was asking. I wasn't sure. I'm not an astrophysicist and at best, but not really, a hobby astronomer. Now, astrology, that is a different matter. I could whip you up a comprehensive natal chart in a week. Science that involves complicated math? Nope. Way outside my limits and I struggle with it.

From what I understand from my hubby - the sun is getting larger. So even though we are at a stable orbit that is relatively constant with little loss either way (nearer or further) - the sun still creeps closer and closer as it grows into a red giant.

Well, that's partly correct. The sun isn't exactly getting larger at this time, depending on how you want to look at it. The process is extremely slow, but I suppose it's outer layers are expanding, and expelling material(solar winds). How ever when it moves into it's next stage it will turn into a red giant(roughly 5 billion years from now). When it reaches this stage it will expand 250 times it's current size.

So yeah it will expand, It sort of is/does right now, but not very much in comparison to it's current size. I'm not an astrophysicist either, but this is my understanding. I also had to look some of it up just to be sure I wasn't completely talking out my butt ha ha.

reply to post by Hijinx


Are these the life form they found in nuclear reactors ?
The place they thought life would never exist

ugly little buggers