Panspermia

Panspermia is a theory about how life arose and can arise on planets.

• This is an astrobiological term.

Description (Specifications)

The basic theory is that biological organic matter becomes embedded within an object hurdled into space. This object then travels along a fortuitous path intersecting a planet with conditions amenable to life.

The most common objects which could theoretically carry life would be comets or meteorites. These objects would need considerable mass to survive an atmospheric transition from vacuum to planetfall.

The biological matter would not be live. It would most likely be microscopic in size and simple, non-complex in nature. Many popular science writers liken it to seeds or fertilizer rather than instaneous animal life or pet brine shrimp in extended hibernation.

History & Background (Dossier)

Imperial scientists have long been researching and even experimenting with this theory.

This is a theory of biogenesis. Preexisting life begets life elsewhere. It does not explain how life arose in the first place.

References & Contributors (Sources)

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Far Future Enterprises or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

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• Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science