ScienceJuly 17, 2026
panspermia
/pænˈspɜːrmiə/
Definition
The hypothesis that life exists throughout the universe and is distributed by space dust, meteoroids, asteroids, or spacecraft.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek words 'pan' (all) and 'sperma' (seed). The term was coined in the late 19th century to describe the idea that 'seeds' of life are prevalent throughout the cosmos.
In the news
Panspermia is listed as a research category on the Astrobiology website to help organize studies regarding the potential transport of biological organisms across space. It matters because it is a fundamental theoretical framework used to investigate how life might seed planets beyond its origin.
New Deadline For NASA Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon) Announcement for Partnership Proposals (AFPP)
Read the full article ↗Astrobiology Web