So what do you think? Is panspermia the answer? Is it the answer we’ve been searching for, or is it just a convenient answer for a question that has no answer?
Below is Wikipedia’s entry for Panspremia and what it means…
“…Panspermia (Greek: πανσπερμία from πᾶς/πᾶν (pas/pan) “all”) and σπέρμα (sperma) “seed”) is the hypothesis that “seeds” of life exist already all over the Universe, that life on Earth may have originated through these “seeds”, and that they may deliver or have delivered life to other habitable bodies.
The related but distinct idea of exogenesis (Gk. ἔξω (exo, outside) and γένεσις (genesis, origin)) is a more limited hypothesis that proposes life on Earth was transferred from elsewhere in the Universe but makes no prediction about how widespread it is. Because the term “panspermia” is more well-known, it tends to be used in reference to what should strictly speaking be called exogenesis…”
via Panspermia – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
So is this it or what? Was life seeded by a rock from space with microbes preserved deep within?
Before you go answering this question on a whim and on a knee jerk reaction think about this.
FACT: There are literally billions of life forms on Earth.
FACT: Asteroid Impacts launch massive amounts of Earth debris into space. Huge Asteroids have impacted Earth and blasted debris into space many times in the past. Some of the millions of tons of debris most probably had living organisms within the ejecta.
FACT: There are organisms on Earth now that can survive in the desolation of space. In fact an Earth rock would act as a life-capsule for microbes deep within. The only question is how long could the life survive inside in a dormant state.
FACT: There are microbial species which live in the great salt mines on Africa 2 miles below the Earth’s surface. Scientists have extracted water droplets suspended in salt crystals and revived the microbes. Even more exciting, these microbes multiplied and thrived once given the right environment.
FACT: Water bears (extremophiles) can survive in space. Look up “Water Bear” or “extremophile” on Google.
Hypothesis: Reverse panspermia is plausible and most likely probable considering time and number of past asteroid impacts… The ejection of material by asteroid impact from the surface or subsurface of Earth containing life that might possibly survive in a dormant state within pieces of debris. The seeding of life on other planets could occur given the right circumstances.
Variables: Ejecta debris is acted upon by the gravity of the Earth, the Sun, and by all other celestial bodies within our solar system. To escape our solar system and drift out into space beyond would not take long.
Problems: Survivability of microbial species and the lack of probability of the microbial laden Earth debris escaping the gravitational pull of every planet and asteroid in the solar system. This might not be a problem if the debris landed on one of Jupiter’s moons which some scientists suggest might be able to harbor some form of extremophile microbial life.
Atmospheric Entry: This may not a problem. The interior of a meteorite in fact does not rise sufficient enough to destroy life. In fact only the surface area of an incandescent meteoroid to a depth of a few millimeters is heated. The core and surrounding matrix remains ambient to the temperature of space, cold or barely warm. Some meteorites that have been found immediately after falling have been reported as only warm to the touch. This poses a verification problem and to my knowledge has not been scientifically proven. (please supply article or link to paper if you have experimental or verifiable data on this)Though witness accounts tend to be fairly reliable, verification of this is still needed.
So I ask you this question again. Do you think panspermia is possible?
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