Produced by: Tarun Mishra
Astronomers have long sought signs of extraterrestrial life, with a recent study proposing a novel approach: panspermia, suggesting life spreads through space on meteorites.
Scientists face the challenge of identifying unknown forms of life, as Earth remains the sole example of habitable conditions and carbon-based life.
Panspermia proposes life originates on one planet and spreads through space on meteorites, supported by findings of Martian meteorites on Earth and life's resilience in harsh conditions.
The study suggests a statistical test to detect panspermia by analysing planetary properties, theorizing that successful colonization could alter new planets to resemble the original world.
Life's ability to modify a planet's environment, such as increasing atmospheric oxygen or expanding green landmasses, serves as a potential signature of its presence.
Acknowledging limitations, the research assumes panspermia as a hypothesis and requires extensive data from exoplanets. However, its agnostic approach avoids presumptions about alien life characteristics.
The study, published in the preprint database arXiv, awaits peer review. If validated, it could offer a new method for detecting extraterrestrial life based on environmental alterations.
Rather than focusing on alien appearance, the study emphasizes observing how extraterrestrial life interacts with and modifies its environment as it spreads across galaxies.
Panspermia opens a new avenue for exploring the cosmos, prompting scientists to consider not only what alien life looks like but also how it behaves and influences its surroundings.