The modern version of panspermia got a major boost when Australian astronomers Dayal Wickramasinghe and David Allen measured the way light was absorbed by interstellar dust, hoyle and Chandra Wickramasinghe (Dayal’s brother) showed that this was matched almost perfectly by desiccated E. coli bacteria. This was unexpected, of course.

Professor Lattanzio

Categorized in : Science

A series of astronomical observations obtained over the period 1986 to 2018 supports the idea that life is a cosmic rather than a purely terrestrial or planetary phenomenon, these include the detection of biologically relevant molecules in interstellar clouds and comets, mid-infrared spectra of interstellar grains and the dust from comets, a diverse set of data from comets including the Rosetta mission showing consistency with biology and the frequency of Earth-like or habitable planets in the Galaxy.

Professor Lattanzio

We thought comet and asteroids traveling between stellar systems would be rare because of the distances involved, but now we have detected an example, in Oumuamua. The fact that we found an example so soon after developing telescopes argues that they must be rather more common than we thought.

Professor Lattanzio

Lovejoy is emitting the equivalent of 500 bottles of wine per second, of course bacteria produce ethanol from sugars ….

Professor Lattanzio

Knowing it did not arise here would be an important discovery, good science does not say there is no mechanism for this. Good science says: ‘Is there a phenomenon to explain?’ If so, then we do need to find a mechanism.

Professor Lattanzio

There’s a small but finite survival fraction, that is all bacteria needs. They reproduce very quickly.

Professor Lattanzio

If we discover life with radically different biochemistry to that found on Earth, then that would rule out panspermia, nothing I have told you is compelling evidence for panspermia. But there are some odd coincidences that we should consider.

Professor Lattanzio

A radically different biochemistry elsewhere can be considered as a falsification of the theory of interstellar panspermia.

Professor Lattanzio

These cannot co-exist in equilibrium together. by Professor Lattanzio

These cannot co-exist in equilibrium together.

Professor Lattanzio

No wonder the proponents of panspermia get frustrated. by Professor Lattanzio

No wonder the proponents of panspermia get frustrated.

Professor Lattanzio