Panspermia?

[Morpheus]

Green Plankton is found to be living on the outside of the the International Space Station.

They are wondering where it is sourced from, but, that isn't the real issue. Is it?

The real issue is that Plankton is living out in Space, on the side of the I.S.S. !
Reconsideration of the Panspermia theory is underway. Apparently, microbes also may survive travel on asteroids.





http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2730997/Are-ALL-aliens-Discovery-plankton-ISS-proof-life-Earth-came-outer-space-claims-scientist.html

[desert rat]

It could of been some guy/girl not washing there hands before putting a peice of the I.S.S. togher . I would think they could look at the plankton's d.n.a. Any thing from some where else would probly have a much different d.n.a.

[Morpheus]

Well Rat, they are saying it is marine plankton, or "Diatoms", specifically. But, that's not the point.
The point is, it is life out in space, in the space environment, alive.
Which is causing a retake on the validity of the Panspermia Theory.

That, life is possibly seeded on planets by the means of asteroids which hit them. Being carried thereon. From one planet to another by debris caused by impacts.

The question arises though, what about the heat generated on entering an atmosphere, but, I think the assertion is made that the microbes may be protected inside of the vehicle or body.

I read lots of popuar science books, and watch documentaries, simply for entertainment - to me it's more entertaining than soap operas or sport :P

So many now seem to be talking about panspermia with much more confidence - I saw an interesting one where they simulated in a lab, the trauma of an asteroid impact, and showed pretty conclusively that bacteria inside it, while 99% or more would be wiped out, that would still leave plenty of survivors to start reproducing once they'd landed.

They even found earth microbes on the moon, on one of the early landers - a camera on it had gotten some bacteria or something on it before launch - and a later Apollo mission landed nearby, and they retrieved the camera, that had been sat on the moon in a total vacuum with no atmospheric protection from radiaton - and when they got it back to earth, they found the microbes had survived, and started happily reproducing once they were back home.

[Morpheus]

Yes, very interesting. Reminds me of that line in the movie, "Jurassic Park", where the character states that, "Life finds a way..!"

BTW, regarding that, the actor who plays the Professor or chief scientist and creator of the Park, Richard Attenborough recently passed on. His brother Sir David, who is the famous Naturalist, survives him.