Rapid Fire
Panspermia
- 08 Jan 2024
- 1 min read
The theory of panspermia, which posits that life could travel between planets, has been the subject of speculation and scientific inquiry for centuries.
- Panspermia, first proposed by the Greek philosopher Anaxagoras, suggests that life has the potential to travel as 'seeds' between planets.
- Scientific advances have demonstrated that microorganisms can endure the extreme conditions of interplanetary travel and survive the impact of reaching a new world.
- 19th-century researchers, including Svante Arrhenius, suggested mechanisms, such as radiation pressure from the Sun, that could propel microorganisms through space.
- Modern panspermia theory involves three stages: escape from a planet, transit through interplanetary space, and landing on another planet.
- Panspermia, doesn't explain the origin of life itself and is considered a fringe theory due to the difficulty of proving its validity.
