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Panspermia today

Burchell, Mark J. (2004) Panspermia today. International Journal of Astrobiology, 3 (2). pp. 73-80. ISSN 1473-5504. (doi:10.1017/S1473550404002113) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:5357)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
https://doi.org/10.1017/S1473550404002113

Abstract

Panspermia is the idea that life migrates naturally through space. Although an old idea, there has been much recent theoretical and experimental work developing the idea in recent years. In this review, this progress is considered and placed in context. Ideas concerning Panspermia now include mathematical treatments of the likelihood of transfer of life from Mars to Earth, the possibility of life transferring between the natural satellites of an outer planet such as Jupiter, and mathematical treatments and models of life migrating out of a Solar System. Not all predictions of the likelihood of successful Panspermia are positive, and some are contradictory. At present, Panspermia can neither be proved nor disproved. Nevertheless, Panspermia is an intellectual idea which holds strong attraction. However, at the heart of Panspermia is a still un-resolved mystery: in order to migrate, life has to start somewhere, and we still cannot tackle that moment of origin.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1017/S1473550404002113
Uncontrolled keywords: Earth; Jovian satellites; life:distribution; life:origin; Mars; Panspermia.
Subjects: Q Science
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Physics and Astronomy
Depositing User: Mark Burchell
Date Deposited: 09 Sep 2008 15:17 UTC
Last Modified: 05 Nov 2024 09:37 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/5357 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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