Research from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) reports a new study suggesting that if panspermia is the transportation system that spreads life in the universe, scientists might be able to track it. This would detail how life spreads similar to an epidemic outbreak, reports Popular Mechanics.
Panspermia is the theory that the “building blocks for life” spread through the universe on comets and asteroids and eventually took root on planets, such as Earth.
In their model, the researchers show that asteroids and comets carrying these building blocks spread out from a home solar system. This dispersal of life “bubbles out,” encountering habitable environments along the way where “life-bearing oases,” are created on a direct path from the home solar system.
Life spreads similar to the way a disease spreads. In other words, “the Milky Way galaxy would become infected with pockets of life,” said study author Avi Loeb. Researchers have already conducted a study that proves the Milky Way hosts billions of planets that are habitable.
Life could spread from host star to host star in a pattern similar to the outbreak of an epidemic. In a sense, the Milky Way galaxy would become infected with pockets of life.
The research, led by Henry Lin of the CfA, assumes that the hypotheses of panspermia acts as a delivery system for alien biology to spread from one system to another, and the entire feat is possible in a generation, according to Discovery News.
As the Smithsonian reports, Lin acknowledges alien life doesn’t have to resemble life on Earth. Researchers are biased in that they look for life-forms that breathe oxygen and live in the habitable zones of stars based on the one example of a biosphere scientists have.
Scientists need to think of creatures different than humans, life based on “radically different chemistries.” Lin says that astrobiology is an exciting field due to the speculation involved. “Most of the papers like this are going to be wrong,” he said.
Most of the papers like this are going to be wrong.
