Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by janrinok on Monday October 19 2015, @08:12PM   Printer-friendly
from the I-do-my-bit dept.

Panspermia hypothesis proposes that life travels between stars and planets, surviving the effects of interstellar journeys and finally settling down on a planetary surface, beginning new evolutionary processes. The microorganisms can be transported to random destinations by asteroids, comets or meteoroids or distributed intentionally by some intelligent alien civilization. But with Earth as the only example of a life-bearing planet, the essential question is: If panspermia really occurs, how could we detect it?

"It is possible for life to be carried by rocks which are ejected from one planet, after an impact by an asteroid, and land on another planet. This can happen by chance if the two planets are in the same planetary system or, with smaller likelihood, if they are in different systems. Although this process is possible, we have no evidence for it," said Abraham Loeb, chair of the Department of Astronomy at the Harvard University, in an interview with Phys.org. Loeb is the co-author of a paper published in Astrophysical Journal Letters suggesting that if life spreads via panspermia, it does it in a characteristic pattern that we could identify.

His research shows that this pattern would be similar to the outbreak of an epidemic. The panspermia theory and the model introduced by Loeb and his colleagues may be the keystone in the search for extraterrestrial life for future generations. Moreover, Loeb believes that we will soon find traces of alien microorganisms.

http://phys.org/news/2015-10-life-universe.html

[Abstract/Paper]: http://arxiv.org/abs/1507.05614

[Also Covered By]: Life Might Spread Across Universe Like an 'Epidemic' in New Math Theory

[Related]: Panspermia and the Origin of Life on Earth


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 2) by Gravis on Tuesday October 20 2015, @02:30AM

    by Gravis (4596) on Tuesday October 20 2015, @02:30AM (#252151)

    takyon, bro. i refuse to let you ruin another project because we already know what will happen if we build another environmental containment lab. it will be just like the Titan project. first we build the lab, then you bust open the containment door and start jerkin' it while yelling "PAAANSPEEEERRRMIAAAAAA!".

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   2  
  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday October 20 2015, @05:58AM

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Tuesday October 20 2015, @05:58AM (#252187) Journal

    An experiment that is repeatable is a success!

    --
    [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]